POLITICAL NOTES: In Rhode Island

The 21 Republican State Senators of Rhode Island who fled their state following a Democratic filibuster and a literal gas attack (TIME, June 30) were discovered just over the border at Rutland, Mass. They fled, according to their own account, in fear for their lives. One heroic Republican remained behind, risking sudden death, in order to bring up the question of no quorum, if the Democratic minority tried to do anything without them—tried for example to call a Convention for a new State Constitution in place of the present Constitution which gives the country districts (Republican) disproportionately large representation.

The fleeing Senators, to protect themselves in Rutland, had on hand six members of the Massachusetts State Patrol as well as plain-clothes men from both States. For fear of kidnapping, no one of them is allowed to leave the hotel at night without a guard.

To make themselves comfortable, they requested their wives to join them and settled down prepared to remain until next January if necessary. As the price of their return, they demanded guarantees from the Democratic State Committee (they refused to trust the Democratic Governor or Lieutenant Governor): 1) of their personal safety; 2) of the cessation of the Democratic filibuster; 3) of the Republicans being allowed to continue with the regular Senate business.

In spite of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the Republicans would doubtless be just as safe in Providence as in Rutland.

When, or if, the Democratic State Committee will promise that the Democrats will be good, the Republicans will return to the State Capitol, trusting in Providence once more.