KHODE ISLAND. 



713 



cations of voters was the only one discussed, 

 but, the houses failing to agree upon a time for 

 its snbmisson, it was deferred to the January 

 session. The only important legislation effected 

 was the passage of appropriation bills, amount- 

 ing in all to $23,665. An appropriation of 

 $5,000 was made for completion and equip- 

 ment of the new insane asylum at Cranston. 



Finances. The State indebtedness at the close 

 of the year consisted of $609,000 in bonds, due 

 in July, 1893, and $732,000 in bonds due in 

 August, 1894, a total of $1,341,000. The 

 amount in the sinking-fund at the same time 

 time was $701,504.40, reducing the actual in- 

 debtedness to $639,495.60. The actual debt 

 twelve months previous was $781, 834.05. The 

 total expenditures of the State for the year 

 were $852,704.12, and the receipts $737,751.29. 

 The cash in the treasury on January 1 was $250,- 

 410 99 ; on December 31, $135,458.16. There 

 has been a deficiency in revenue for the ppst 

 two years amounting to $208,066.83, caused by 

 the falling off in receipts from licenses since 

 the prohibitory law came into force. The 

 State received in 1885 from licenses of all 

 kinds $112,870.59, while in 1886 and 1887 only 

 $5,500 accrued from this source. 



Charities and Prisons. The total annual appro- 

 priation for the State charitable and penal in- 

 stitutions for 1887 was $135,000. There was 

 also received from the earnings of these insti- 

 tutions $39,740.87, making the total income 

 $174,740.87. The cost of support during the 

 year was $162,015.21. At the State Prison on 

 December 31 there were 92 inmates, 89 males 

 and 3 females ; at the Workhouse and House 

 of Correction, about 150; at the Providence 

 County Jail, 235 ; and at the Sockanosset 

 School for Boys, 214. 



Prohibition. Varying opinions are enter- 

 tained regarding the success of the prohibitory 

 amendment in accomplishing its object. Chief- 

 ot'-Police Brayton, in his letter of resignation, 

 in May, says : " Statistics of arrests in the 

 city of Providence show a decrease in the num- 

 ber of arrests for drunkenness of more than 

 40 per cent, during the nine months under pro- 

 hibition, ending March 31, 1887, as compared 

 with the corresponding period under license. 

 Commitments to the State Workhouse the 

 result almost wholly of the use of intoxicating 

 liqors show a decrease of more than 51 per 

 cent., resulting in an actual saving to the State 

 in board alone of more than $22,800." 



On the other hand, the " Providence Jour- 

 nal," in July, speaking of the result of one 

 year's enforcement, says : " During the first 

 few months after the law went into effect, un- 

 certainty and fear closed many bar-rooms ; the 

 result was promptly seen in the police records, 

 and materially diminishes the year's arrests. 

 But now the case is far different. Drunken- 

 ness fell off considerably last summer, but since 

 then it has been increasing throughout the 

 State. The use of intoxicants is as extensive 

 now as it ever was ; prohibition at the present 



time is doing nothing to raise the moral tone 

 of the community." The arrests for drunken- 

 ness in Newport and Providence, for the last 

 twelve months of license, and the first twelve 

 months of prohibition, ending July 1, are as 

 follows : Newport, under license, 875 ; under 

 prohibition, 245 ; Providence, under license, 

 4,670; under prohibition, 2,947. During the 

 first three months of prohibition the arrests in 

 these two places were 725 ; during the last 

 three months, 945. 



Political. On February 23, the Prohibition- 

 ists met in State Convention, and nominated the 

 following candidates : Governor, Thomas H. 

 Peabody ; Lieutenant-Governor, Anthony M. 

 Kimber ; Secretary of State, Frederick A. 

 Warner ; Treasurer, John G. Perry ; Attorney- 

 General, Edwin Metcalf. Among the resolu- 

 tions adopted is the following : 



Resolved. That in conjunction with the temperance 

 voters of all parties, the Prohibitionists of this State 

 aided in securing the triumph of the prohibitory 

 amendment of the Constitution, and rejoice in the vic- 

 tory thus achieved over the desolating,c!ebauching, and 

 destructive influence of the saloon ; But neither as citi- 

 zens nor prohibitionists are we responsible for the 

 chronic weakness of any provision of the law enacted 

 by a Kepublican Legislature for the enforcement of 

 the Constitution as tnus amended, nor for the ma- 

 chinery created to carry such law into effect. We ap- 

 Erove that which has proved itself effective in the 

 iw, but we decline any responsibility for acts per- 

 formed by other parties in furtherance of their own 

 party interests and ends. 



The Democratic State Convention met in 

 Providence on March 9, and nominated the 

 following ticket: Governor, John W. Davis; 

 Lieutenant-Governor, Samuel R. Honey ; Sec- 

 retary of State, Edwin D. McGuinness ; Treas- 

 urer, John G. Perry; Attorney-General, Ziba 

 O. Slecum. The platform contains the follow- 

 ing declarations : 



We declare that the abuses, irregularities, and cor- 

 ruptions now existing are largely due to defects in, and 

 departures from, our fundamental law, and that the 

 true interests of the State demand such revision and 

 amendment of the Constitution as shall 



1. Abolish the registry-tax now imposed upon na- 

 tive-born citizens, and which for the last thirty-five 

 years has been the source of political corruption, 

 making money the qualification for office, instead of 

 intelligence, capacity, and character. 



2. Abolish all discriminations now made against 

 naturalized citizens, and place them on an equal basis 

 with native-born citizens. 



3. Forbid members of the judiciary department of 

 the State from holding other offices, either legislative 

 or administrative. 



Also that the laws of the State should be so ameud- 

 ed as 



1. To provide reasonable rules for the acquirement 

 and exercise of the right of the elective franchise. 



2. To prevent and severely punish bribery. 



3. To provide schools for the education of children, 

 particularly those engaged in labor, including those 

 speaking a foreign language. 



4. For the enforcement of laws limiting the hours 

 of labor, preventing truancy, and protecting the cm- 

 ployed. 



5. To establish a Bureau of Industrial Statistics 

 similar to those already in successful operation in 

 other States. 



6. To protect the whole people by just, necessary, 

 and prudent laws. 



