Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-05
THE REGISTERS OPPORTUNITY


 THE REGISTERS OPPORTUNITY. It was the New Haven Morning News we think that on recent occasion said the democratic party in Connecticut needed three things. One thing it needed was backbone, another thing it was very much in need of was backbone, and | third thing that was very necessary to 1t was back bone. These needs seem to be very strongly emphasized by an editorial in the Register which urges upon the party it's opportunity of doing very important work that it has to accom- plish. Among the requisite conditions the Register urges as necessary to the success of this work some of which have been strenuously advocated by the DEM OCRAT, is ''the needed change in the prevailing system of representation" That such change is necessary, in order to bring Connecticut in line with those states that are already in accord with the American idea of popular govern ment, is so entirely sef-evident that it is denied by none except those who reap personal and partisan advantage from the continuance of the present system. But in urging the change, the propriety of which is true as holy writ itself, the Register and other organs of our party should not forget that by working a reform in our own ranks we can with more grace go to the people of Connec- ticut for the ''needed change of which it speaks. We refer of course to the pre- vailing system of representation in dem- ocratic political conventions.
 Under this system there is nothing like proper expression of the will of the party. If we take the recent con- gressional convention held at New Haven at which Congressman-elect Wilcox was made the nominee of the democracy in this district, we will have a case in point. In that convention there were no delegates, of whom New Haven county had 66 and Middlesex county A. At the election of IS 6, wben Congressman French defeated MT Lewis of this city, New Haven county cast 15,70S democratic votes to 3,022 cast by Middlesex county. The town of New Haven alone cast 7,090 votes for Mir French, or more than twice as many as the entire Middlesex county. Yet in the convention the town of New Haven had but four nominating votes against 44 votes for MT WillcoX's county, and was compelled to see it's unan- imOus choice for congressman forced to stand aside to let backwc ods lawyer slip in by the back door. The town of Waterbury gave MT French ,9S9 votes in 1886, or more than half as many votes as the entire county from which the congressman-elect comes, and yet in the nominating convention Wa terbury had but four votes. MT Will coX's own town of Chester gave MT French but 95 votes against 151 for Mir Lewis, but in the democratic con vention Chester had two delegates. The curious inequality shown in the in stance quoted and which we believe was set forth in the convention by ex-Senator Gallagher, is not unique, for in all demo- cratic nominating conventions the same discrepancy exists. illustrating the ab- surd njustice of the system on which these conventions are bottomed. There is nothing to defend such injustice, noth- ing to excuse such fragrant disregard of the party will as is seen continually in the nominating conventions of the democratic party.
 The Register has done we'll to call the attention of the democratic party to the opportunity that confronts it. But we think it would do better still if it would insist with equal vigor on the need of reformation at home. A broom that has swept clean inside the house may be expected to do better work outside. A stream that is impure at the source cannot be expected to be clean al , the outlet. And if the Register would r use it's great influence in urging equality . in representation at democratic conven
 tions it wculd find new meaning ir Mrs Crocketts famous advice to Davy ! ''Be sure you're right, and then ge :, ahead"
 , There is an opportunity for the Reg ister no less conspicuous than for tht Y democratic party.
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