Evening star., 1925-01-03
EX|LED SENATORS
GOING HOME TODAY
Score of Rhode Island Men
Leave Bay State as
Legislature Dies.
BY the Associated Press.

by tDe Associated 1ress.
RUTLAND. Mass, January 3.-Self-
exiled Rhode Island Republican sena-
tors are going home today. Their
exile. which began after the release
OF bromine gas in the Senate cham
Der June 1s. ended when the General
Assembly adjourned yesterday, after
a session which began January /,
1924
Worn out by the strain of the fill
buster conducted by the Democratic
minority, in which protracted sittings
were common, the last of 50 hours,
and during which disorders several
times occurred, with threats of per-
sonal violence, 81 of % Republicans
left the State. Two days later they
established themselves here in the
Hotel Bartlett, the geographical CEN
ter of the State. Since many of their
families soon followed them, and sew
eral rooms were required for the
week end visits of party leaders and
friends, the hotel became almost
completely a substation of the Rhode
Island capitol.
The "exiles" organized themselves
into close-knit community. The
floor leaders became the house COM
mittee. Guards were hired and pa
trolled the grounds night and day, to
guard against the abduction which
the senators feared would be at
tempted to force a quorum in the
Senate.
Stayed in Open.
The senators led a life in the open,
which restored their physical vigor.
The Summer sports of bathing, tennis
and golf gave way to hunting and
mountain climbing with the coming
of Fall, and then, in turn, to the Win
ter sports.
The Hotel Bartlett became the focal
point to the town. The senatorial
party organized Fourth of July
celebration which dwarfed any pre-
vious in the town. They provided the
orators. composed half of the parade
and outshone every one in fireworks.
The local storekeepers adapted their
stocks to the senator's tastes, the
moving picture shows, dances and
sporting events swelled their audi
ences with visitors from Rhode Island.
And yet the hotel was almost a
community in itself. Twice death Wis
tied it. Edwin Sprague, its manager
when he Senators first arrived, died
suddenly one night. A few months
ago Senator Jesse H. Hopkins died
while visiting relatives on Cape Cod.
A marriage was performed. when a
daughter of one of the Senators trans
ferred her ceremony to Rutland so
that her father might attend. Chill
dren came here for their birthdays,
on Thanksgiving a gigantic dinner
was served to the senatorial family,
on Christmas a tree bore gifts for all
and on New Year eve the four story
building winked lights from every
window until the clock in the village
church nearby doomed its announce
ment of the new year.
Aided by Families.
Meanwhile, in Rhode Island. the af-
fairs in which the Senators had been
leaders went on without them. Their
wives did double duty in maintaining
homes while attempting frequent Wis
it's here. Sons assumed responsible
ties beyond their years in acting as
contacts or managers in their fathers
business.
The elections were waged at long
range. Thirteen of the % were re-
turned to Office in the Republican
landslide which swept the State. Sew
eral did not run. Now, with the stamp
of approval placed on their course by
the voter, they enter Tuesday upon a
new legislative year.