New-York tribune., 1900-01-29
CONNECTICUT POLITICS
CAMPAIGN OF 1900 ALREADY UNDER WAY
rrssrSpES-s STRUGGLE 10 coNrRo1-sEN-
.ToRsHIP TIE PRIZE.

AAxrr
a.aa calm In Connecticut politics. Per-
-, ..o,io makes its home there But the
a,., Il 1900 breaks all records for the
~+,ess and activity OF its unfolding. It
49, On Ing before 1900 did. Nor is the rea-
son far tohnd.
-aelection OF General Hawley to the
- GATES Senate in January last gave salts
s...,or 20 the people of the State and the
=. n, was a tremendous surprise and dis
.oitment to Samuel Fessenden, of Stamford.
,er NJ the National Committee, and his
nsrsnaI following who believed they had the
ra,ublican party of Connecticut firm in their
~r.sp. Mr. Fessenden is State attorney for
T.irsela County. and that his office is a poIiti-
=, HEADQUARTERS of a miscellaneous sort may
~ inferred from the fact that one of his
mariners is a gold Democratic leader, and the
other is Homer Cummings the rival Of Mr..
-rro1lp of this city. a free silver and infa-
tion orator Mr.. Cummings welcomed Bryan
n Connecticut the other day. 1t is strange
,olitical emergency that finds this law office un-
prepared
PERENNIAL CANDIDATE
Mr.. Fessenden was Speaker of the House in
1895. and first and last has cropped up as a
candidate for the United States Senate so often
that the rising and setting of his sun are rec
cred inevitable incidents of every Senatorial
eiFCtICD " men LO6Ie is absolutely use IN
putting up a fight. he "withdraws" in card to
the public When his own ambition or his
personal following persuades him that there is
q living chance, he goes in-and then in the
course Of human events. congratulates the
winner. The people Of Connecticut have not
given any evidence yet that they want him for
the place. This last time the leader OF his
forces another ex-speaker A W. Paige, Of
Bridgeport, was so sure Of success that he
promised 10 votes on the first ballot in caucus
where 101 were needed for a choice, and several
carloads Of Stamford enthusiasts accepting the
statement, went up by special train TO join in
the coming jubilee when the formality OF a
vote was performed. When the votes were
counted the promised 110 footed up g. Outside
of Fairfield County. which is considered Mr.
Fessendens political preserve. where no one
else hunt without his permission he got
fewer votes, after his canvass of several years.
than went TO Ex-Governor Bulkeley, who didn't
wheel into the line Of battle until the fight was
actually on and the Legislature elected.
The fight against Hawley was fought on the
old age and senility issue, and when that failed
and Hawley was reelected for six years Mr.
Fessenden apparently decided to let him die
and get his shoes. or. If Senator o. H
Platt, of practically the same age as Hawley
would die still earlier. TO get his. The main
L14HS WIS TO make sure OF q pair or snOSS that
would tread easily the route to the Capitol in
Washington The way to do this was to name
the Governor and then let the Governor, with
grateful appreciation. name as Senator, when
q vacancy came, the man who had named him
as Governor. SO the campaign for the Governor
ship, the campaign OF 1900. began the night that
Hawiey was renominated, and the Governor was
only an incident of It The Senatorship was its
first object
BRANDEGEB PUT FORWARD.
1he first selection for Governor was Frank
B. Brandegee Of New-London, who was
then the Speaker of the House. He is a Yale
graduate OF 1885, popular and companionable
man Of influence In the eastern part of the
State. He had been one Of Mr.. Fessendens chief
neutenants IN the fight and chief mourners
after It He was IN the House, In a position to
make friends among the members, and it is a
Connecticut tradition that members Of the
Legislature shall go the next year as delegates
TO the State Convention. 1t looked as easy as
rolling on a log, but 1t wasn't AS a rule Speak
ers OF the Connecticut House have rolled of the
log rather than into the Executive Chamber
Henry B. Harrison, Of New-Haven is a con-
spicuous and lonesome exception. He was made
Governor through having been Speaker
When the push for Brandegee had begun to
get headway, other people In the State began to
be heard from. For some time George P. Nc
Lean, Of Simsbury. has been considered a COM
Ing candidate for Governor His friends thought
the time had come, and naturally objected to the
early preoccupation Of the field by any one else
30 they took hold of him. and the fight was on.
Both Mclean and Brandegee are members of
the State Central Committee, and both are com
psrauvely young men. Brandegee is thfrty-stx
mclean torty-two. MIR. Mclean is a member of
an old and honored Connecticut family He was
executive secretary to Governor P. c I.ouns-
bury in 1S87|So, has been a member of the
House and Senate and United States District
Attorney. and has large acquaintance with
men ana affairs In the State He is a cultivated
gentleman. ana public speaker of remarkable
iorce and grace Few men know Connecttcu+
Detter than he He was not for Mr. Fessenden
IN the recent campaign His law firm ia counsa,
ior Ex-Governor Bulkeley. and Mr. Mclean was
on mat side Of the fence, though when IL comes
10 the Senatorship nobody knows whether Gov
eihor bulkeley would take It. IL he could have
:. ms hartford friends persist in their opinion
'nal ne would rather be where he is.
SUDDEN DROPPING oryr
Work for each of these men want s+s.,r,,
on and tie friends Of each professed fuu con-
n1eiice' until suddenly one day last fall Mr..
- IioAuesee followers were paraIyzed to read In
ra,, ns nome paper, The New-London Dav" the an
oI1+iol ei-elt mat he was out of the race HIS
~ 81 peoofneter had convinced. his trainers
Va snt @ saIt would not carry him there and he
mas ser aside. State Attorney Donald n W.
seI1o+ed ~ SaAsnury, In LtchheId County was
rnf1 10 Is Sine me next experiment. Mr. Warner.
,gor-ire1 aouau s himself q candidate had been
ston1d9s to,Hlts and shouting for Mr. Mclean he
IN r. mere is more or less human nature
senator GeSt ie Is9f Sf men Mr. Warner was State
reDuta,;or - tooo ana took to Hartford higher
Nh 1ss.on ION for ability than he carried home With
COUNTY er CT. the session What will cover one
ed oyap p'etty thick may spread thin IL stretcb
personanv b. "hole State. Warner is liked