The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
PRESS ON RHODE ISLAND ROW

10 De sure, when there is resort to chlorine gas to compel an adjournment, some general interest is aroused. But even then the ma jority of people do not know what it is all about Rhode Island has been the scene of political disturb ances before, disturbances that had lit- s1e significance outside of the state. usually they are looked upon by out siders with mixture of amusement and tolerance. To the main actors in the drama the present situation is serious and important. ~
 The Baltimore Sun undertakes to en- tighten its readers as to the particulars of the present trouble: "The organic law of Rhode Island is archaic. It imposes the 'rotten-borough' system of represen- tation to a degree that is unheard of elsewhere in the country. Providence, with more than 250,000 inhabitants, has but one state senator. The village of West Greenwich, with ninety-one inhab- itants, also has a senator. Six cities with eight-ninths of the states popula- ton have six members of the upper house. The other one-ninth of the pop ulation has thirty-three senators, picked from hamlets and townships all over the state. Not only that, but the senate is the real governing authority The gov ernor has little or no authority. He is g figurehead. It is this outrageous scheme of misrepresentation that puts the state of Rhode Island in class by itself in the matter of bossism and cor rupt politics, and that so often p1'ecipi- tates political riots that disgrace the commonwealth"
 As the Philadelphia Public Ledger views it: Democrats have been filibus- tering in the old, time-dishonored ways to prevent the Republicans from defeat ing their cherished measures. But when chlorine gas is used to procure, an ad- journment, the most lawless and turbu- lent assemblies of Europe would decline to follow suit" The Memphis Commer- cial-Appeal suggests that Roberts Rules of Order may have to be revised to de termine the proper use of gas in legis- lation, while "to convert a minority into a majority or to whittle majority down to a negligible quantity, we must have a gas that will of itself discriminate as to partisan feeling. When the Democrats uncover a gas bomb they should firstsas certain beyond reasonable doubt that the fumes will serve only to sharpen their own wits, but will anaesthetize every Re- publican on the other side of the house. Likewise the Republicans should first make sure that the vapors introduced by them will Hull the opposition to sleep, yet leave the Republicans in a mental state that will enable them to tell what it is all about when the sleepers awake"
 Likening the situation to the great wal, the New York World finds that the 'sRepublicans are intrenched on a Hin ! denburg line of the state constitution that gives a Republican town of four hundred people as much power in the state senate as Democratic Providence. ' 9The Democrats have blockaded the foe; ,by filibustering have prevented the pass age of bills to pay wages to state em- ployes or buy supplies. They seek to compel amendment of the constitution. Schrechlichkeit fits such contest, Into the senate chamber where the Demo- crats in a forty-two-hour continuous ses- session had been holding their foe at bay, somebody had the bright idea of in troducing poison gas Four Republican senators went to the hospital from the effects of the new form of forensic elo- cuence. A great day for self-govern- ment, illuminated by the appeal to req son. an epoch-making day! Hereafter poison gas is at the command Of leglsla- 2ors and train robbers"
 More seriously the Springfield Repub- licai1 remarks: "The persistence of the Democratic minority in the state senate fn demanding the passage of resolution submitting to the people the question of holding a constitutional convention IS undoubtedly a reflection of fast-gnow- ing sentiment for reform of the old fun dsmental law. In the present contro yersy the Republican majority is acting within it's legal rights in refusing the. de- uaai1d. Whether it Is wise to refuse, from the point of view of it's own party interest, is seriously to be questioned. Under ordinary circumstances 1t would De difficult to find an impressive de fense of the unquestionably highhanded tactics of the' senate minority and es- pecially of the presiding lieutenant-gov- er.nor. a member of the same party. Steady refusal by the presiding officer to recognize members of the majority on the7 floor unless assured in advance that if is not for a purpose that will inter fere with the program of obstruction, takes the policy very close indeed to plain revolution"
 The New York Times is somewhat in- cIined to be incredulous as to the gen. < uineness of the chlorine gas introduced, foreit finds that the net results are four Re6ublicans rendered unable to continue their attendance, while no Democrats, although having the same opportunity to succumb, took advantage of 1t. The Times finds it significant that such were the results in view of the fact that the Republicans wanted the session ended and the Democrats did not. Unquestion- abiy the Democratic members are right an their demand for constitutional re- form, but they are also unquestionably wrong in their methods. Concludes the Times: "'Shall orderly government be preserved?' asked the Providence Jour- nal gaseously. It shall; and in the course of time Rhode Island will get a demo- cratic form of government" Who shall ~ that the Times iis not justifiably op-