Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-13

esteem It the uOIo Illdt I1Acs uio AOo forced to see it used as vehicle of petty persecution for ends of greed and avar- ice.
 LET THE PEOPLE CHOOSE.
 The platform adopted by the demo- cratic state convention held in New Ha ven last fall contained a plank demand ing that the present unjust method of choosing county commissioners be dis continued. It is unjust in principle and dangerous in practice. The choice of county commissioners should be vested in the people.
 Leaving aside the manifestly absurd system that has grown up of vesting these boards with judicial authority from which there is no appeal, it is pre- posterously unfair that democratic coun- ties should have no democratic represen- tative among their commissioners. It is indefensible on any principle of fairness or equity that minority of the people in legislature chosen by minority of votes should have the naming of men in whose hands are placed such vast property and business interests as are in trusted to the county commissioners in Connecticut. There can be no defence of the system, no excuse for such an abominable perpetuation of injustice save the highwayman's excuse that he has the drop on his victim. Through an antiquated and moss-backed system of borough representation in the legislature, for which there is no more justification than for the ancient blue laws that are the ridicule of these enlightened days, the republicans have the drop on the democratic majority i'll Connecticut They are able, by a sort of political leg erdemain, to get republican majority in the legislature at every session, and the majority, which represents a minor ity of the people, has at nearly every session the naming of state officers, and always selects the judicial officers of the cities and the county commissioners. Republican judges and prosecuting at torneys are foisted on the democratic cities of New Haven, Hartford, Bridge port, Waterbury and Meriden, and re- publican commissioners are quartered on every county in the state. City char ters are manipulated to further the ambitions and schemes of republican politicians, county slates are fixed to keep pliable and manageable men on the commissions. Whenever the word is sent out from headquarters that the pro- hibitionists are pressing too strongly and sop must be thrown to them the license fee is raised and virtuous spasm is sent through the prohibition camp that after all the republicans are not so very bad. And behind the scenes, laughing in their sleeves at the poor fools of prohibition ists, are the republican leaders, with a cocktail in one hand and a pamphlet headed Democratic Injustice in the South !' in the other. Of course, it is all wrong that an alleged democratic minority should rule the roost down south, while here in the more enlight- ened north it is a sacred heirloom from the fathers of the constitution that re. publican minority should run things tC suit itself. Perhaps the people will wake up some day to their rights and then the majority will rule.
 The people should choose their county commissioners just as they choose thei, selectmen and town and city officers There is no warrant for the present method of selecting them save the war rant of superior force which is begotten of rotten and anticipated constitution And no republican has any defense ir justice or equity to make for the pre- vailing system.
 In the choice of county commissioner as well as all other public officials WV say, let the people rule.