New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-01
CONNECTICUT POLITICS.
A OUIET CAMPAIGN.

ToRsIIIP-THF SKILL WITH WHICH MR. sPERRY
NAvIGATEs HIS BARK-GEN. HAwLEY NOT TO Blk
TAKKN on BOARD.
tyrox An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiBUNhJ
NEw- HAvEN Conn, March S3-The poiiticai c'''ii-
pagn in this State. now nearly closed, has peel TO
markaby dull and slow. The fact that uniteuo states
Senator ia 90 be chosen by the Legislature 10 I've
elected in April is all that gives any appearance OF
bfe IN the canvass or awakens anybodys interest
oytsde Of the potical committees and the ciiques OF
ANAL fry nolitcians who in one way and anotherVe
,nop ,oIitics These people buzz forever. But this
wear even they are unusually quiet, and sober
minded citizens who want 20 think about Things
without having these fellows at their ears with
mouths boiling over with hot words, have had an
op,ortunity. The Administration newspapers nave
tried hard to keep the peace among themselves ana
succeeded fairly.
MATTERS IN WHICH THERE Is UNANllilh,
IN the opinion that Messrs Harrison ana wait
who head their tickets are persons OF remarKable
gifts for governing and Of such purity OF character
that the average angel would be likely to CONSIDER
the matter seriously before venturing to compete
with either of them. the Administration press Is
opite unanimous There's a tTifling difference OF
o,inion about the platform one newspaper, whose
eS;tor had something 10 do with making 1t,
;nt,matiug that it rebukes the Admlnistra-
ton; and all the rest being more
mr. less remotely connected with the
PostOfioe or Treasury Department, insisting that
/, does no such thing. This trifiing nharmony IS
however more than compensated by the unanimlty
and cordially with which they attack The Springfield
RepubGcqa. Among the many sins that journal has
to answer for is the malicious delight 1t has taken
in printing every little while some crisp comment
on Connecticut politics that has set the whole Adj
o,ini4trltion press in snarl and sweat. The OPP
p,sitjon newspapers have scarcely taken a hand III
Tie quarrel but been quite content 10 look on and
ENJOY it.
TIP sAPPING AND MINING BUSINESS.
Yut under the surface of this apparent calm there
is a great deal OF burrowing and sapping and min
inr by committees as well as by some who are
not committees. The Chairman of the Republican
State Committee, Col. Selden, is very earnest and
enthusiastic IN working for the party" but still
more 40 in working for the reelection Of his CREATOR
Senator Buckingham. He takes a hand in the sap
ping and mining business but hardly understands
the game we'll enough to play it successfully. In
fact, he stands in Some danger of being Slapped and
mined himself and the consciousness OF this tends
to paralyze his efforts. The Colonel has the reputa
tion of being wellmeaning" man, but, like all
well-meanng mon Of his class is afflicted with an
intellectual weakness. lie can school
deestrct" quite successfully but he finds the whole
State although small, too large for HIM
to handle. But the underground complications
of this somewhat curious though quiet cam
paign might puzzle shrowder man than he. What
kind of a man Col. Selden is is itself of no public
consequence only speak of it as one of the disad-
vantages and a very serious one, that the Repub-
Iican party is labOTing under. Fighting against
such odds as it is there little hope Of It's victory
under so incompetent a leader very different
man is this chairman from his predecessor, Bartlett
has all SalH aniq
moral worth" He may be less scrupulous in
the employment of means to gain his ends, and he
certainly uses much more fOrcble language in ex-
pressing his opinions; but then he fights more
forcibly too, and somehow generally manages TO
win which is what the party" wants you know.
II ID often said among the local committees, " If we
only had Bent to manage things for us we could lick
the Democrats out of their boots" Perhaps they
could: but as it is the Democrats likely to keep
their boots on, and make good use of them too.
THE ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN.
What are usually called the issues" of the cam
psign may be classified for my purpose under two
heads-the peoples and the politicians. There is MT
anything very serious at stake, but there are GER
tain things the people are thinking about, and on
which they will express their opinions at the polls.
Under my first head, the peoples issues.
catalogue che election of United States Senator
speaking of il in general sense, setting Republic
rams against Democrats without regard to cand-
dates. the questions of Constitutional REFORM some
of which are really important; legislation on the
temperance question, and the continuance of our
present excellent statute for the registration OF
voters
On all these questions the people are divided
pretty nearly by party lin In the matter of Sem
ator the drama which resulted in the election of
MI Ferry two years ago is not likely to be played
again but the ght will be of the old-tme sort be-
tween Republicans and Democrats. AS for Consti-
tutional reform and the calling Constitutional
Convention although there are a good many promi-
pent Republicans in favor of the measure,
hardly think such Convention will be
called if the Legislature is Republican,
aud am quite sure that it will be called If the Legs-
Iature is Democratic. The managers of the Repub.
ican party are fearful they may lose in power and
control if some of the proposed reforms carried
out. aud prefer to let things remain as they are
while the Democrats feel confident that their party
will gain by any sort of change. merely state
this feeling as fact without expressing any opinion
as to the effect party-wise. i am sure the reforms
are needed. however they may Affect parties
Again IL the Democrats get control of the Legisla-
tnre. the present License law, which think IS an
excellent one and has worked well, is likely to be
repealed or materially modified; and the Registry
law ia quite certain TO be expunged, which would
be very unfortunate for the public. Both of these
measures originated with the Republicans, who will
stand by them,
THE UNDERTOw.
These questions are discussed by the people, both
on their merits and as TO their effect parties, but
those who read between the lines another set of
Issues and other interests at stake which are more
likely to decide the result Of the election. This I'M
dertow, as it may be called, in the political cur
rent exists chiefly among the Republicans their an