RllODi: ISLAND. 



ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. (J71 



tion account, on that date amounted to $7,951),- 

 ?o:;. |.">, anil (In- nuinlx-r of depositor M "i.loti. 

 These figures show a deercase of $N5:i,'.>6N..l<i in 

 saving-bank deposits fur I lie year, and a decrease 

 of ll.SS'J depositors. lint Ilie decrease (if de- 

 posits is due to the receivers of the Franklin In- 

 stitution for Savings and tlie Cranston and 

 I'nioii Savings Hank declaring their final divi- 

 dends. When this withdrawal is credited to tin- 

 year's account the statement of savings in banks 

 stands as follows : Increase in deposits for year 

 ending Nov. 1(5, 1893, $90,245.14: decrease in 

 depositors, li'.ll. 



Political. On Feb. 22 the Prohibitionists 

 inei in State convention at Providence and 

 nominated Henry B. Metcalr for Governor, Jona- 

 than Larkin for Lieuu-nant-Governor, Elisha T. 

 Kced for Secretary of State, B. E. Helme for 

 (iene.ral Treasurer, and J. A. Williams for At- 

 torney-General. 



The Democratic State Convention was held at 

 Providence on March 21, and resulted in the 

 nomination of David S. Baker, Jr., for Governor, 

 Dalton K. Young for Lieutenant-Governor, John 

 .1. llelTernan for Secretary ol State, John G. 

 Perry for General Treasurer, and Clarence A. 

 Aldrich for Attorney-General. 



The platform urges reform of the State Con- 

 stitution, so that a plurality vote may elect ; and 

 declares that the executive, legislative, and judi- 

 cial departments of the State should be separate 

 from and independent of each other ; that cities 

 and towns ougnt to have fair and equitable rep- 

 resentation in the General Assembly ; that the 

 duration of that body should be limited ; and that 

 the pay of its members ought to be increased, 

 and special legislation as opposed to home rule 

 forbidden. 



On the same date the Republican State Con- 

 vention met in the same city and renominated 

 Gov. Brown and Treasurer Clark. For Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor. Edwin R. Allen was nominated ; 

 for Secretary of State, Charles P. Bennett; for 

 A 1 1 1 >rney-General. Edward C. Dubois. The plat- 

 form includes the following declarations: 



We recognize the desirability of making such 

 amendments to the Constitution as will facilitate the 

 election and Qualification of State officers, decrease 

 the number of elections, allow the creation of non- 

 partisan returning hoards, and will enable a more 

 iMismessliki 1 administration of the Government by 

 clearly defining the responsibility and duties of the 

 several departments. 



We charge the Democratic party with insincerity 

 in its alleged desire for constitutional changes, as 

 evidenced in its attitude toward the biennial-election 

 proixisition last November. 



With a view to strengthening and improving the 

 public-school system of this State. we advocate the 

 substitution of the town for the district plan of organ- 

 ization, the furnishing of free text-books and sup- 

 plies, and the adoption of such regulations as will 

 promote a higher standard of qualification for teach- 

 ers, and entitle them to increased remuneration. 



We sympathize with the efforts of labor organiza- 

 tions toward the reduction of hours of toil and tin- 

 better protection of life and limb, and we will cor- 

 dially assist them in their endeavors to such an extent 

 as will not embarrass the legitimate operations of our 

 merchants and manufacturers in competition with 

 those of other States. 



We recommend the adoption of legislation for the 

 purpose <>t' stimulating and fostcr'mir the agricultural 

 industry of this State, and the enactment of laws that 



will provide for our fishermen the same protection c- 



eurded thciM- of neighboring Mute.-. 



At the April election there was no choice by 

 the |>eople for any of the Mate offices, no can- 

 didate having a majority of the \oies cast. For 

 Governor the vote, us announced iinoiliciallv, 

 was: Baker, 22,015; Brown, 21, K{0; MeteaUT, 

 8,265. At the same election mem berx of the 

 Hem-nil Assembly were voted for, but there was 

 no choice in many of the districts, and a second 

 election became necessary therein. At these by- 

 elections the Democrats were generally success- 

 ful, securing control of the Lower House, while 

 the Republicans retained their ascendancy in the 

 Senate. An election was held in the two con- 

 gressional districts of the State on the same date 

 as the State election, there having been no choice 

 by the people in the November preceding. At 

 this second trial, a plurality only being necessary 

 to elect, both districts were carried by the Demo- 

 crats. 



On Nov. 28 a special election was held to de- 

 termine whether the plurality election amend- 

 ment, which had passed two preceding Legisla- 

 tures, should become a part of the Constitution. 

 The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the 

 amendment, and on Dec. 4 Gov. Brown an- 

 nounced its adoption. This change will put an 

 end to by-elections, and to many complications 

 that have fostered political strife" in the State. 



ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. The 

 golden jubilee year of Leo XIII will pass into 

 history as one of the most felicitous for the 

 Church in this generation. The two hundred and 

 sixty-third successor of St. Peter appeared in St. 

 Peter's on Feb. 19, the fiftieth anniversary of his 

 consecration as Archbishop of Damietta, before 

 an audience of 60,000 persons, in which were in- 

 cluded contingents from all parts of the globe. 

 He gave his benediction in a remarkably clear 

 voice, and for hours after the pontifical mass 

 continued to receive the people and reply to ad- 

 dresses, at the end appearing very little the 

 worse for the ordeal. The scene is described 

 as the most enthusiastic and impressive wit- 

 nessed in Rome in the memory of living men. 

 The 400 church bells rang during the morning, 

 and at night St. Peter's basilica was lighted for 

 the first time since 1870. Congratulatory mes- 

 sages were received from the head of every Gov- 

 ernment, with the single exception of the Italian, 

 and week after week throughout the year saw 

 pilgrimages which the Holy Father invariably 

 received and addressed in the Vatican. The 

 largest bodies of visitors were composed of French. 

 Spanish, and Swiss workingmen. One of the 

 most remarkable incidents was the visit of Em- 

 peror William of Germany, who had a protracted 

 interview with the pontiff, and signalized the 

 occasion by giving a banquet to Cardinal Ledo- 

 chowski, tne prelate who owes his prominence 

 in the papal court to his imprisonment and 

 exile under tin- Bismarckian era. The offering 

 of Peter's Pence on this occasion was about 

 $2,000,000, of w hid i the American contribution 

 amounted to $120,000. 



An unprecedented distinction was accorded an 

 American composer. Dr. Frank G. Dosscrt. by tin- 

 Pope on the feast of St. Joseph, a messe solonr/le 

 in honor of the jubilee being produced in St. 

 Peter's before a vast congregation, in which were 



