Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-18

The "Rllnd Boss of the Rhode Island Republicans
gins, a graduate of Georgetown, the only
successful man of the democratic state
ticket, he woke the echoes with the ap-
plause following his declaration that il he
should be elected governor. he would make
1t his first business to drive from the state
house Gen. Charles r. Brayton, the blind
boss of the republican machine. who is re-
puted TO hold the general assembly as well
as the republican state central committee
In the hollow of his hand.
But when the general assembly was called
to order last New Years day Gen. Brayton
sat where he has sat for many a long year,
in a chair in the office of the high sheriff
of Providence county, official. by the
way, created by the general assembly and
has thence issued his orders according to
habit.
His Power Waning.
The protracted deadlock in the senatorial
| but he still maintains a feeble grip 1t is
| an easy thing TO declare that private citi-
| zen will be driven from a state house In
which he has the same rights as any other
| man. but difficult thing to unseat him, as
| Governor Higgins has already found out
study OF the election returns reveals the
| fact that Governor Higgins was elected
| because of the statement of his republican
| competitor, Governor Utter, a few weeks
| before election day that General Brayton
was a menace to the state and that if he
| Mr.. Utter. was elected he would endeavor
\ 10 break MS power. a sufficient number of
! republicans resented this sep thrown to the
| 'reformerS, and Governor Utter was
| beaten by a few hundred votes
| Under the unique constitution and laws
| or Rhode Island the governor has no bower
| whatever except to appoint the members of
| his brilliant and numerous staff and his
private secretary. Moreover, he presides
| over the hessons of the senate leaving
nothing for the lieutenant governor to do
| but to preside when the governor Is absent
| Gov. Higgins. therefore. must have known
| that he could not remove Gen. Brayton
| from the state house. but to convince the
| public that his intentions We're good even
\ If he were led into extravaganza by the
| excitement of the campaign he made the
| following statement in his inaugural ad-
| dress:
New Governors Statement
THE evils of lobbying have been practiced
| in Rhode Island to a disgraceful extent
| One man alone does practically all the lob
| bying in the Rhode Island legislature And
| to facilitate the carrying on of his corrupt
| pra ctice in past years he has been estab-
| liShed permanently with full equipment in
the high sheriffs office within this very
| state capitol. lniS is d cOpQltlOn or al
| fairs which has been tolerated as long as
| II should be. The welfare of our state
| peremptorily demands vigorous and prompt
| action this matter. action which will
| result in keeping from within these walls
| lobbyists like the one described-one de-
| clared by my respected predecessor to be
| a menace to the state of Rhode Island"
1 Thus Gov. Higgins shifts the RESPONSE
| bility for the presence of Gen. Brayton in
| the real chair of power within the Rhode
| Island state house from his shoulders to
those of the members of the general as
| sembly. In the meantime the blind boss
| says nothing. and in the long struggle
| over the election of a United States senator
J ii Is impossible to say with certainty which
: of the republican candidates., Senator
| George Peabody Wetmore or Col. Samuel
| I'omeroy Colt, Brayton has been for.
| He is lettering. but must soon get off
! the board and push. it is essential that
| the senatorship shall not be left vacant
| and that the man elected should be re-
/! publican. 1t has been Brayton's habit not
TO decide so important a matter as this un-
| til the last moment. He never shows his
| Land until the bids are all In. Unless Gov.
| Higgins shall break" a task which seems
| 20 be beyond his power, the general will
have his finger in the senatorial pie which
| is shortly to be cut. The blind boss Is
| slowly failing physically, mentally and po-
| liically. but evidently he means to defy
| the boy governor" to the end.