Evening star., 1935-08-07
State SIaps Spending by De-
feating Several P. W. A.
Bond Issues.
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
FOR SEAT WINS BY 1900
Pleas by Ickes and Gov. Green
Ignored-Democratic Strong
holds Switch to Critics.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Stsff Correspondent of The Star.


PROVIDENCE, r. l.. August 7.-As
Rhode Island goes so goes the Nation.
This is the chant of the Republicans
today, rejoicing in this neck Of the
woods over the results of the con-
gressional election yesterday and the
swamping of the State bond issues to
carry forward P. w. A. projects.
The election of Charles F. Risk, Re-
publican. to represent the first Rhode
Island congressional district, over his
Democratic opponent, Antonio Prince,
by approximately 10000 votes was an
amazing performance. The vote was
48,023 for Risk and 35,054 for Prince.
This district was carried only nine
months ago by former Representative
Francis Condor. Democrat. by more
than 10000 votes over his Republican
opponent.
New Deal Was Issue.
The campaign made by Risk, for
mer Probate Court judge. was against
the Roosevelt New Deal, lock. stock
and barrel" Prince, on the other
hand. pleaded for election to uphold
the hands Of President Roosevelt and
his policies. In his closing speech to
the voters, Prince declared the issue
to be forward with Roosevelt or back
to Hoover" The result indicates the
voters of Rhode Island are not to be
scared by any such issue and that the
Democrats will have to stand on their
own record in the 1886 campaign. If
what has happened in Rhode Island
is criterion for the rest of the coun-
try. the Democrats are now on the de-
fensive.
The results here were declared to-
day to We a rebuke TO Democratic
high hhande0ness. to the processing
taxes and to frenzied Federal Gov
eminent spending.
Gov. Green, the Democratic chief
executive of the State, was slapped
severely on the wrist when most of
his public program was turned down.
Green in not a political asset to the
Democratic party at the present time.
New Deal Uprising.
The defeat of Prince. who Is State
treasurer. was ali the more remarkable
because the Republican organization
in Rhode Island has been shot to
pieces for some time. The victory
yesterday, therefore. takes on all the
more the color of an uprising against
the New Deal.
The Democratic convention in which
Prince was nominated adopted Q reso-
luton pledging the candidate to sup
port the death sentence" clause in
the utility holding company bill, so
urgently demanded by President
Roosevelt If the members of the
House who have opposed this clause
needed any further encouragement
they got 1t in the election of yesterday.
Not only does the Rhode Island
election indicate a swing away from
Roosevelt and his New Deal, but it
also marks the first time any State
has gone on record as opposing plac-
ing itself deeply in debt to carry for
ward public works projects which are
to be financed in great part by the
Federal Government. The State took
this action in the face of an eleventh.
hour appeal by Secretary Harold L.
Ickes of the Interior Department,
Public Works Administration admin
istrator. He sent telegram to Gov.
Green, Democrat, declaring it i'm
possible to understand why any State
or municipal corporation that is able
to go forward with plan of desirable
public works Should not avail itself of
the opportunity afforded by the Public
Works Administration under that part
of the public works program that has
been entrusted to it."
Certainly" Secretary Ickes con-
tinued, "at no time in the past has
it been possible for any State to build
public works As per cent of the total
cost of which was covered by an out
right grant from the Federal Gov
eminent"
Approved Direct Relief.
Despite this appeal, conveyed to the
voters by Gov. Green, the voters OF
the State turned down all but a few
Of II proposed bond issues. One ex-
ception was a proposal for $4,000 900
to be used for direct relief OF the
destitute and unemployed. The vote
on the bond issues was Statewide
and not confined to the first congress
Sional district. The voters of Rhode
Island took this occasion to turn their
backs on the Roosevelt spending pro-
gram. If the voters in other States
have the same view, the $4.88e. 900 900
work-relief funds voted by Congress
may not prove the political asset next
year which they popularly have been
expected to be.
Rhode Island, the smallest State in
the Union, may or may not be the po-
. ~ 1(,rT0NYo 49, .