The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-05-14
IN SCITUATE TOMORROW.

If the honest and incorruptibe Democrats OF
Scituate do their duty tomorrow the hordes OF mis-
chief and nisrule will be soundly thrashed as
they deserve to be- In this fight there is more at
stake than the winning or losing of town cleo
ton. II town issues alone were involved the cit-
xenshp OF Scituate would not now be the centre
of the political interest of the entire state, but
thing of higher and broader significance is to be
settled by tomorrows baoting.
When the votes are counted tomorrow after
noon the citizens of Rhode Island will know
whether Scituate has joined the column OF rotten
borough towns that enable Braytonism TO maintain
its evil ascendancy whether it has stood for
honest government decently administered.
The question of the election defeat of can
didae for the office of town clerk is ordinarily too
Insignificant to engage the attention of the people
beyond the towns borders; but the question Of
the election or defeat of Henry II. Potter as town
clerk of Sctuate is of such grave moment that the
result OF the contest will be awaited with the deep
est concern wherever in Rhode Island there is a
man who desires to popular rule re-established
and machine rule destroyed.
In this particular contest, Henry II. Potter is
not fighting for the office of town clerk alone He
wants the town clerkship not for its modest
emoluments principally, but for the opportunities it
will afford him to pave the way for his reelection
to the general assembly in November next.
With vote for United States senator in his
pocket to be cast his conscience dictates and to
the full satisfaction of the agencies that sup
porting him in his present battle, he will be able to
thrust aside the dull routine of the town clerks
office and once again become the pet of those who
try to do and to boss things at the state house.
Henry II. Potter is running Democratic
ticket, but he is not Democrat. No man who
throughout the prolonged senatorial contest cast
his vote for Republican candidate day after day
can convince any citizen who is not in state of
mental decay that such man is anything but
Republican
Potter's Democracy is sham and mockery.
No man can label himself Democrat and then
fight against the Democracys leader with the ex-
pectation that he will not be driven from the party
he has betrayed in contumely and disgrace.
Who accomplished Potter's nomination at the
town caucus? Was it not the known agents of the
olgarchy that buys the electorate of whole towns
in order to secure and maintain its mischievous
power? Who will be working among the voters
of Sctuate tomorrow for Potter's election? Will it
not be these same agencies of evil and corruption
that have their chief source Of power in the rotten
borough towns of Rhode Island?
BY his own record at the state house, Potter
stands convicted of sailing under false coors, Of
pretending to be of and with the Democracy, when,
as matter of fact, he was OF and with their pot-
Cal foes-the Republicans.
The duty of the honest Democracy of Scituate
tomorrow is plain 1t should show, by an emphatic
reputation of Potter. that il has no place within
its ranks and office within its gift for man
who has shown he is only a contemplate puppet of
a machine that has pillaged the people and made
war on the Democracy and everything Democratic