Evening star., 1924-06-22
RHODE ISLAND "WAR"
WILL GO TO COURT
situation that got too hot for them.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

situation that got too hot for them.
And the shade of old William c..
Dorr must be chuckling. For in
1924 1t was the Land owners" fore
runners Of the present day Republic
cans, who put him to flight because
of his efforts to seize powers in
Rhode Island with his peoples
party" Today 1t is the Democrats,
modern incarnation of DORIS old
party, that the Republicans have
fed And the issue in both cases
was the same-greater power for the
general run of the electorate.
The Republicans fed on advice of
their state chairman, William C..
Pelkey. to avoid service of a war
rant for their arrest which would
have compelled them to return to
the Democratic flibuster in the
ScuAtl. temporarily broken up Thurs
day when somebody gassed the
Senate chamber.
Charge Gangsters Menace.
The Democrats say the Republi-
cans fed merely to block further
proceedings. The Republicans insist
it was to avoid menace to their
lives and limbs from a score or more
gangstors and gunmen, who, they
say, have infested the senate house
since the present flibuster started.
The Dorr flight, nearly a century
ago, and the Republican flight pro-
vide an interesting contrast. Dorr
fled after being elected governor
by his rump peoples party" through
fear of the land owners. whose de-
scendants are the Republicans of
today. Later. he returned with a
small military force and tried to
seize office, but was defeated, cap
tured and tried for treason. His
issues triumphed, however.
Dorr had stood for the drafting of a
constitution to supplant the old
charter grant laws which gave prac-
tically no power to the electorate
Today. his successors have renewed
his fight for still greater power to
popular majorities and this time IT IS
the land owners who are in flight.
CuImination of Fight.
The gassing and the flight are the
elimination of a political battle that
has ragged since a Democratic gov
ernor-FIynn-and Democratic lieu
and treasurer were elected in 1922.
The Democrats were elected on a
platform of which the three principal
planks were a forty eight hour week
for workers, abolition of the old
property qualification law for voters,
and submission to tire voters of a
proposal for constitutional conVen-
tion. The Democrats regarded the
third as most important, and they
ad
present session opened January l, In
an effort to put it through.
The aim of the Democrats is to re-
! constitute the Senate. which is made
up of representatives from each of
the thirty nine cities and towns-no
matter how small-in the state. They
contend that the Republican Senate
majority represents only 20 per cent
of the voters.
The Senate stands recessed until
Tuesday afternoon by which time the
Democrats hope the Republicans Will
have decided to reappeaF-or at least
to poke their noses in the state
long enough to get arrested. Unless
they come voluntarily, however. GOV,
Flynns only recourse appears to be
TO send the militia after them.
Even if indictments could be drawn,
the Democrats said, it would prob
| ably be impossible to have the nee
AS to the second proposal, Mr.. Pelkey
told reporters that the Republicans
| would not return until guarantee OF
| safety was given them. One demand
| said that if the Republicans returned
| and Sheriff Andrews refused to act
against them, the governor might go
to extremes and call out the state
guard to enforce his orders and those
of the lieutenant governor.
Republicans isSue Def.
A statement signed by the twenty
two Republican senators was given
out by the state committee today. In
it, they accused the lieutenant gov
ernor of using oppressive tactics as
presiding officer. and of failing to
preserve order in the chamber. They
declared they would not attend the
Senate sessions until such time as 1--WE
receive adequate assurance that or
derby and constitutional methods of
parliamentary procedure will be re-
stored"
1t was learned today that on ac-
| count of the Senate crisis, Gov. Flynn
would not attend the Democratic ma
| tional convention in New York
where he was expected to go as chair
| man of the Rhode Island delegation.
| Lieut.. Gov. Toupin, second in rank
| to the governor on the delegation,
would also stay in Providence, it was
said, and their places would be filled
by alternates.