Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-04-02
Poor Little Rhody!

Rhode Island politics knows that for
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, so
long dormant in both states, is aroused
ut last In 1904 Pennsylvania gave
| Roosevelt more than half million ma
jority, 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 small ma
.ority 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
at his word and elected him. He has
| his opportunity. What will he do with
lit? 1t will be remembered that n year
or two ago great moral wave swept
over Philadelphia, temporarily sub
merging the bosses, but this spring
they got their second wind, won de-
csive victory over the reform forces
and caused the City of Brotherly Love
to follow the example of the sow
and return to her wallow. That's not
an encouraging fact and seems to show
that the forces of corruption may bring
all of Governor Stuarts good inten-
lions to naught. Lovers of good gov
ernU.ent everywhere wish him well in
his more than Hercules task of purging
the Augean stables at Harrisburg 1t
is rumored that certain big thieves
who stole themselves rich in building
and furnishing the new state capitol
are liable to land in the pententiary,
but in this case seeing is believing.
In passing it 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 10 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:
1 Providence, r. l., March Ex-Governor
James II. Higgins yesterday renewed his
Il efforts to GUST General Charles r. Bray
| ton, the legislative agent from the Rhode
i Island statehouse when he sent a letter
to the high sheriff Of Providence county,
General Hunter c. White. directing him
TO refuse General Brayton the use OF the
sheriff's Office for political purposes. The
/ governor in his letter to Sheriff White
| says in part:
IN the name of the citizens Of Rhode
Island 1 demand that you refuse to allow
| Mr.. Brayton TO use the property of the
| state OF Rhode Island for his private
| pleasure and profit. Year in and year out
he has occupied and used your office for
L his VIC Pun poScS WIN Soui hilOWlcdSe
/ and consent.
"The mans continued presence in the
capitol offers daily scandal to the men,
women and children of the state.
I'm the name of the decent citizenship
| of this commonwealth / demand that you
clean this moral and political pest out Of
Your office. In the name of common CIV
ilized virtue ! demand that you no longer
| persist in allowing a part of this capitol
to be used as the headquarters of no.
| torious lobbyist
There is certainly nothing mealy
mouthed about that utterance Of his
excellency. He hits straight from the
shoulder, ana to Il mere looker-on in
Vienna 1t seems that there ought to be
enough decency in Rhode Island to
back up her honest and courageous
governor.
1t is Coming.
1t is coming. What is coming? Elec-
ton Of United States senators by the
| people. That being impossible till the
federal constitution is amended, the
people are doing the next best thing
by nominating United States senators
| at primary elections, thereby instruct