Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-12

GOV. VANDERBILT.
Wide World Photo.
the choice of the State Central Commit
tee, choice, 1t might be added, which is
almost invariably ratified by the conven-
ton. Two rival candidates finally joined
forces and Vanderbilt lost out. This was
just as well, for the Roosevelt landslide
of SO swept all Democrats into office.
Having watched the workings of the
machine, Vanderbilt and Mrs. Vanderbilt
decided to circumvent the politicians and
get to the people themselves. It was two
years until the next election. They had
the money and the leisure.
A year before the State convention was
to meet they began to bring people down
to the estate at Portsmouth that the
Governor modestly refers to as "the
farm They rounded up all kinds of
people. w. P. A. workers, little merchants,
men and women from the textile mills,
80 or 40 at time. Politics was in
sense incidental to these gatherings
Naturally the guests were impressed at
being invited to the Vanderbilt estate
and then they were surprised and de-
lighted to find the two Vanderbilts so
friendly and unpretentious. The name
proved to be an asset. although the OPP
thing of it.
When the State Committee met to pick
a slate for SO, Vanderbilt had such pop
ular strength that he could not be ig-
nored The Old Guard, as represented
by conservatives like former Senator
Jesse H. Metcalf and his numerous and
very wealthy kin, were not little sus-
picious Of this young upstart. But there
was nothing to be done even If they had
actually wanted to stop Vanderbilt.
Departure From Pattern.
The convention nominated him and he
defeated Gov. Robert Quinn, the Demo.
crat running for reelection, by a plural
ity of 39021, 50 large in this State of
$4,000 population that for the first time
in so years Republican Mayor was
named in Providence. And thousands
Of votes were stolen by the Democrats
who controlled the election machinery
another old Rhode Island custom There
have been 40 indictments thus far and
there are more to come.
New Deal Democrats are inclined to
belittle Vanderbilt's achievement Of the
past year by saying that the situation he
stepped into was a perfect one in which
to make a showing. Under Quinn, who
won notoriety through a kind of civil
war initiated when he closed the Mar
ragansett race track with the National
Guard, there had been charges of NAL
administration and ineficiency, pay rolls
loaded with political hacks. The situa-
ton was ready made. But it took some
one with backbone to depart as radically
from the Republican pattern as Wander
bilt has DONE
Another thing the Democrats say in
derogation Is that Vanderbilt bought"
his way into office. This his friends and
admirers hotly deny. In any event
money is nothing new in Rhode Island
politics. Looking back through the
years, veteran observers can recall only
one United States Senator who was not
q millionaire.
Under New Deal Democrat former
Governor, now United States Senator,
Theodore F. Green, this State took Z
long running Jump toward moderniza-
ton. The Governor was given the power
Tor the f1rst time in current memory to
make his own appointments. A political
Supreme Court was ousted. It was
bloodless rebellion that stopped short OF
completion.
Impressive Record.
It remained for Vanderbilt to complete
the Job and he has made an impressive
record however 1t is looked at. He put
through the Legislature what Is said to
be the strictest civil service law adopted
by any State. Instead Of blanketing In
present ofnceholders, as most civil serv- Z
Ice laws do, the new Rhode Island statute
requires those now in ONCE as well as
applicants for State positions to take
competitive examinations. The Gov
ernor is wen aware that there viii be
many more disaffected Republicans after
the law goes into effect on January !.