Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-08
THE CONSOLIDATION QUESTION.

THE CONSOLIDATION QUESTION. A Subject of Much General Interest i'm |
 New Haven at PreseHt-Ex.GOverno
 Harrison,s Address at Woodstock. |
 The consolidation question is exciting much interest in the city and town of New Haven, and the following, which is ex. Governor Har- risoa's very able speech delivered at Wood ! stock, Conn, last July 4th at the big cele- bration there is accordingly very apropos to the subject The grounds taken by the speaker, referring particularly to town gov- ernments, are of much interest in the matter now pending. The Chamber of Commerce takes up the subject again tomorrow even ing, and both sides of the question are being brought out quite freely. Ex-Governor HarTison's speech at Woodstock is as fol- lows:
 From the Independent, July g, 1888. Men renowned in arts and in arms, states men, scholars, poets, warriors, have assem- bIed with us to celebrate the birth of the re- public, and to renew the expression of their faith in the fundamental doctrine of the re- public, the doctrine that government of the people" ought to be government for the people and by the people,"
 For solemn confession of that faith I
  priate, in some respects, than the place where we now stand, for this town of Wood stock is Connecticut town. As such it is endowed with all the rights and powers which belong to every Connecticut town. It is a political organism of peculiar charac- ter, worth the careful study of every politi- cal philosoper. It is in fact little republic in itself, an indestructible republic, in which the principle of Democratic government has full play, and where the free action of that principle is guaranteed by the strongest con- stitutional defenses. It may be worth our moments and sec who it is organized, what are it's powers, and how it acts.
 The people of Woodstock number not far from three thousand. They constitute 8 town. All the powers of the town are exer- cised by the "freemen"-o or legal voters. some five or six hundred in number. The sui frage is manhood suffrage, and the freemen are the equal rights. They constitute the legislative body, the town meeting, and they choose all the town officers, the basis of town organizations; therefore it is absolutely democratic. The town is free democracy.
 It is indestructible. The constitution con- firms it's perpetual existence. The govern ment of the State cannot destroy it or merge it in any other town without their consent
 It elects it's own officers Of local govern ment, not by permission of the General As- sambly but by its own right. The constitu- tion gives it the indefeaslble right of eleeting annually its own selectmen and all its other numerous officers of local police. The State government cannot take away it's right or in- terfere with it.
 It elects it's own justices of the peace, each of whom is vested with limited but still considerable jurisdiction in civil and crimi- nal causes. The State government cannot appoint them. Nobody but the freemen of the town itself can appoint them.
 The officers of the justice courts-the grand jury, who prosecutes criminals before them, and the constable, who serves their process and executes their judgments-are appointed by the town. The State government cannot appoint them, or interfere with the action of the town in appointing them, so long as their offices exist
 As a probate district it elects its own judge of probate, who exercises that wide jurisdiction over the settlements of estates the appointment of trustees and guardians, and so forth, which is usually exercised by courts of probate, or surrogates' or orphans courts, as they are sometimes called in other States.
 A probate district may include two or more towns, but each one of thirteen out of ff- teen towns in this country is probate dis trict by itself. Woodstock is such a dis trict. The freemen of this town therefore choose their own judge of probate, and the State government cannot take it away or limit their right to do so. And this probate system, strange as the fact may seem to a lawyer unacquainted with it, works we'll, for reasons which have not time HOW to ex- rlain.
 By permission of the State the town exer- cises many other rights and powers, rights and powers which the State could take away, but is not likely to take away, many of them being consecrated by tradition and rooted in the habits of the people.
 It exercises control over public education within ita limita and craDara11v ovar all ifa To- cal affairs.
 Its board of health is vested with those great and indefinite ''police powers" so call ed, over persons and property which must be vested some where for the protection of the public health.
 It 1egislates in town meetings on 8 general variety of subjects specially enumerated in the statute books, and, finally, it possesses the broad general powers expressed by the statute in these words: "Towns may make such regulations for their welfare, not con- cerning matters of criminal nature nor re- pugnant to the laws of the State, as they may deem expedient, and enforce them by penal ties not exceeding five dollars for each breach"
 Am not right, then, in saying that this town of Woodstock is republic, a free Demo. cratic republic, an indestructable republic, exercising great and various powers of gov ernment, many of which are beyond the leach of interference, even from the govern ment of the State itself?
 This little republic has another indefeas- able right. The right of sending to repre- sentatives to every session of the General As sembly an immemoral right which the gov ernment of the State cannot infringe.
 Connecticut is little State most invisible among the greater States of this Union, and yet within her narrow limits are one hun dred and sixty-seven of these little repub- lies. By their indissoluble union they con- akf& &a kAa Sknta Al State government those governmental pow- CTS which it is practically impossible for them to exercise individually.
 This system of town government more or less closely resembles that which prevails in some of the other States; but I think, al- though will not possitivity assert, that here in Woodstock, and in the other Connecticut towns, the Democratic principle of govern ment by the people is carried out more radi- cally and protected more throughly by con- stitutional safeguards than it is in almost any other State CT country in the world.
 do not say that this system has no de- fects. It has defects which in some of the larger towns have made necessary the estab- lishment of supplementary city and borough organizations, also democratic in character, however, to cooperate with the town organi- zation within those towns.
 It has answered for us the question wheth. CT a republican government can long endure. For since it was established here kingdoms and empires have risen and fallen, while it has remained unshaken.
 For two hundred and fifty years this sys- tenn has existed in Connecticut, varying in details, but unchanged in principle and sub stance. It has been strong in peace and strong in war. If you doubt whether it has promoted the prosperity and happiness of the people look around you.
 Here then, if anywhere, may we appropri. ately celebrate the birth of the great rspub