Evening star., 1947-01-26

ing around Louisiana received in
1881 with simultaneous Governors
plus Huey P. Long.
The Louisiana upheaval, although
pretty much ne-sided-Long' side
and marked by few public demon
strations, resembled the Georgia dis
pute in that both were based on the
question of succession.
The Rhode Island outburst which
brought on a war of bullets as well
as ballots was principally on the
issue of suffrage. The "Dorr War
of 1842 in Rhode Island also had a
loud echo in 1885, during blood
less revolution in the General As
sembly.
Lesser incidents in other States
might be cited to show that Georgia
is not the first or only State to find
herself in a critical electoral mess.
And she is not the first or only one
to find, when a Governor elect, died,
that her constitution is vague on the
succession.
Nevera heless, the Rhode Island
and Louisiana stories take on a
timeliness today both as interesting
history and a warning that history
can repeat itself, generally in its
most dangerous forms.
Matter for the States
Moreover, Federal consideration
has always entered, accidentally at
least. into such intrastate contro-
versies. The Federal practice, how
ever, has usually been to steer clear
of local wars.
More than 100 years ago Rhode
Island advocates of allowing more
citizens to vote appealed in vain to
Washington for help in getting a
representative form of government.
When war" broke out between the
two Governors, with their two Legis-
latures and two constitutions, ap-
peals to Washington became more
urgent to protect the smallest State
from its own violence.
Unfortunately for those who most
wanted and needed help-both in
Rhode Island and later in Louis
iana-the Governor" and 'Legisla-
ture" holding the State House at the
time made no applications to the
Federal authority.
The Rhode Island story goes back
to 1863 when King Charles II
granted a charter to the colony. AL
though Rhode Island declared inde-
pendence of Great Britain on May
4, 1776, two months before the Phil
adelphia declaration, she continued
to use the old charter not only dur
ing the Revolution, but until 1842,
with comparatively few changes.
The States present constitution has
stood since that year. Except for
several liberalizing amendments, it
has withstood strenuous efforts to-
ward a general revision in recent
years.
Struggle Over Voting.
Relatively infrequent, futile and
for the most part individual efforts
were made from time to time to call
a constitutional convention in the
early 1800s. Those moves aimed
largely at obtaining more equitable
representation of cities and towns in
the General Assembly which ran just
about everything, including figure
head Governors. From 1929 on, the
struggle centered on demands that
more people be given the right to
vote. Only "freemen," or property
holders, and their eldest sons, could
elect.
Thomas Wilson Dorr, brilliant
young lawyer and member of one of
Providence's first families" OBJ
tanned in 1841 General Assembly
passage of a resolution for consti-
tutional convention. The delegates
met three or four times and finally
didn't take the trouble to assemble.
Thereupon, Dorr and his followers
called peoples Convention" This
convened in october, 1841, and
adopted a constitution. The consti-
tuition was adopted at popular
election" the following December by
a vote of 1894 to SO. Leaders of
the Peoples Party" contended that
the approximately $4,000 voters con-
stituted a majority of all Rhode Is
land citizens over 81 years old.
General Assembly leaders got busy
and called another constitutional
convention to be known as the
"Freeman's Convention" The docu-
ment proposed by this convention
was defeated 1859 to S,013 in March,
1912.
The Peoples Party" armed with
its own constitution, went ahead
with a general election. Dorr was
chosen Governor and with him a
full slate of State officers and Gen.
eral Assembly members.
Dorr was inaugurated in an un-
finished foundry building in Provi-
denee. He rejected pleas of some OF
his supporters that he seize the
Statehouse that day. Some later
historians said that is where he
made his big mistake.
State Arsenal Besieged.
Public feeling was at high pitch
and the Dorr forces were so conf
cent of popular support that they
attacked the State arsenal in Provi-
dence. That attack and skirmish
near DORIS headquarters on one OF
Providence's hills had their comic
opera aspects, but they were serious
business to all concerned, and espe-
cially fateful to Dorr personally.
The war ended in June, 1872. with
the capture of DORIS fort on Acote
u;fl j., Cbapocbct r T The fort