The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-03-31
Poor Little Rhcdy!

Everybody at all acquainted witt
Rhode Island politics knows that 70,
many years General Charles r. Bray
ton has been the Republican boss OF
that tiny commonwealth. 1t is neck
and neck race betwixt Pennsylvania
and Rhode Island as to which exhibits
Republican corruption at the worst. 1t
ought to be stated. however, in ordi-
nary fairness that there are signs indi
eating that the public conscience. 50
long dormant in both states, is aroused
Mt last. In 1904 Pennsylvania, gave
Roosevelt more than half million ma
1ority, but in 1905 the Democrats, work
ing hand in hand with conscience Re
publicans. elected state treasurer by
nearly 100000 majority. In 1906 the
Republican candidate for governor. Mr..
Stuart, pulled through by a small ma
jority because he everywhere declared
his independence of all bosses and
promised the people that If elected he
would be governor in fact as we'll as in
name and would give them a clean
honest administration. They took him
ut his word and elected him. He has
his opportunity. What will he do with
it? 1t will he remembered that yea!
or two ago great moral wave swept
over Philadelphia. temporarily sub
merging the bosses. but this spring
they got their second wind. won a de-
cisive victory over the reform forces
and caused the City of Brotherly Love
fnlIn I'm MI nf
and return to her wallow. That's not
an encouraging fact and seems to show
that the forces of corruption may bring
ali of Governor Stuarts good inten
tions to naught. Lovers of good gov
eminent everywhere wish him we'll In
his more than Hercules task of purgina
the Augean stables at Harrisburg. II
fs rumored that certain big thieves
who stole themselves rich In building
and furnishing the new state capitol
are liable to land in the pententiary.
hut In this case seeing is believing.
In passing 1t ought to be stated that
Governor Stuart Is a handsome man
and looks like an honest one, as no
doubt he is, but it remains to be seen
whether he can successfully battle
with the Republican machine which
has so long dominated political affairs
In the keystone State. Let us hope he
will.
But to return to our mutton. Last
year the Democrats managed to elect
a governor, but lost the legislature in
which there has been long senatorial
deadlock betwixt two men whose only
claim to the high position is their vast
wealth. The Democratic Governor Hig-
gins appears to carry his nerve with
him, as is demonstrated by the fol
lowing dispatch:
Providence, r. l., March 9.-Governor
James III. Higgins yesterday renewed his
efforts to Gust General Charles r. Bray
ton, the legislative agent, from the Rhode
Island statehouse when he sent a letter
10 the high sheriff of Providence county.
General Hunter c. White directing him
to refuse General Brayton the use of the
sheriff office for political purposes. The
governor In his letter to Sheriff White
says in part:
.'In the name of the citizens of Rhode
Island / demand that you refuse to allow
Mr.. Brayton to use the property Of the
pleasure and profit. Year in and year out
he has occupied and used your Office for
his vile purposes with your knowledge
and consent.
1.-The mans continued presence in the
capitol offers daily scandal to the men.
women and children of the state.
s.In the name of the decent citizenship
OF this commonwealth I demand that You
clean this moral and political pest out of
Your office. In the name of common civ
allied virtue / demand that you no longer
persist In allowing a part of this capitol
to be used az the headquarters of no.
torious lobbyist. !"
There Is certainly nothing mealy
mounted about that utteranee Of his
exceilency. He hits straight from the
shoulder. and to mere looker-on in
Vienna II seems that there ought to be