SOUTH CAROLINA 903 



Providence Council of the American Federation of Labor headed a movement of protest 

 against the state's entering again into contracts for the disposal of convict labour. 



History. In 1911 and in 1912 the state gubernatorial elections resulted in the re- 

 election of Aram J. Pothier (b. 1854), a French Canadian by birth, treasurer of several 

 textile mills in the state, mayor of Woonsocket in 1894-95, lieutenant-governor of the 

 state in 1898 and governor since 1909 a longer term than that of any other governor 

 of the state. He was affiliated with the conservative Republicans, who were pecul- 

 iarly strong in this manufacturing commonwealth. In 1911 he defeated his Demo- 

 cratic rival, Lewis A. Waterman, by 7,394 votes (in a total vote of 71,155); in 1912 

 his plurality was only 2,112 (34,433 to 32,321) over the Democratic nominee, Theodore 

 Francis Green (b. 1867), a prominent lawyer of Providence, the Progressive candidate, 

 Albert H. Humes, receiving 8,274. The Progressive vote, with criticism of the governor 

 for favouring the " machine," explains his decreased plurality. The Socialists polled 

 1,661 votes for governor (1,392 in 1911), the Prohibitionists 724 and the Socialist Labor 

 Party 260. The 1913 legislature is Republican but has more Democratic members 

 than the 1912 session 6 in the senate (out of 38) and 39 in the house, which has 100 

 members. The state (for the first time) gave its vote to the Democratic presidential 

 electors, as Roosevelt had a much larger following than Humes; the vote was, Woodrow 

 Wilson, 30,412; Taft 1 27,703; Roosevelt, 16,878; and Debs 2,049 ( I >36S in 1908). 

 Nelson W. Aldrich, United States senator in 1881-1911, announced that he was not 

 a candidate for re-election, and Henry Frederick Lippitt 2 (b. 1856) a cotton manu- 

 facturer and a conservative Republican, was elected January 18, 1911 to succeed him. 

 As successor to George Peabody Wetmore (b. 1846), Rep., United States senator 1895- 

 1913, the new legislature chose (January 21, 1913) Le Baron Bradford Colt (b. 1846), 

 circuit judge since 1884. Two Democrats and one Republican represent the state 

 (which had only two Congressmen one Democrat and one Republican in 1911-12 

 under the former apportionment) in the 63rd Congress. George Herbert Utter (b. 

 1854), Republican owner and editor of the Westerly Sun, secretary of state in 1891-94, 

 lieutenant-governor in 1904, governor in 1905-06, and representative in Congress in 

 1911-13, was a candidate for re-election, but died two days before the election. Zenas 

 W. Bliss, lieutenant-governor in 1912, nominated in his place, was defeated (by 271 

 votes) by Peter Goelet Gerry, Democrat, great grandson of Elbridgc Gerry. Provi- 

 dence, as usual, voted for the licence of the sale of intoxicating liquors; and it elected 

 as mayor a Democrat, Joseph H. Gainer (unsuccessful in 1911), over Henry Fletcher, 

 Republican, who had served four terms. New Shoreham and West Greenwich for 

 the first time voted for liquor licence, and Smithfield against it, making 30 licence and 

 8 " no-licence " towns; hereafter the vote on licence will be biennial, instead of annual. 

 In Newport (December 3, 1912) Patrick J. Boyle, mayor for 13 years, was defeated 

 by William MacLeod, who promised a " business administration." 



On June 4, 1912, died Royal Chapin Taft (b. 1823), textile manufacturer and 

 capitalist, and Republican governor of the state in 1888. 



Bibliography. Public Laws 191 1, IQIS (Providence, 2 vols.); Rhode Island Manual 1912 

 (ibid.); other official publications; Gertrude S. Kimball, Providence in Colonial Times (1912). 



SOUTH CAROLINA 3 



Population (1910) 1,515,400; 13.1% more than in 1900. There was in 1900-10 

 a decrease in the percentage of negroes from 58.4 to 55.2. Foreign-born whites formed 

 less than 0.4% of the total; native whites, 44.4% (41.2% in 1900). Density 49.7 to 

 the sq. m. About three-fourths (in 1900 about four-fifths) of the population was in 

 rural territory (unincorporated). In 1910, 14.8% of the total was in the 25 places 



1 The delegates to the Republican national convention were instructed for Taft by the 

 state convention (April 24). 



2 His father, Henry Lippitt, was governor in 1875-77; and his brother Charles Warner 

 Lippitt, governor in 1895-97. 



3 See E. B. xxv, 499 el seq. 



