Waterbury Democrat., 1901-02-19
SENATOR KENNEDY'S POSITION
Discusses Consolidation Bill With q Democrat Reporter.

Democrat Reporter.
 Senator Kennedy was in town yes terday afternoon and indulged ill a short chat with Democrat reporter regarding his position on the petition for the consolidation of the town and city governments of Waterbury. It has been stated that Senator Kennedy, Representative Lilley. City Attorney Kellogg, ex-Senators ". L. Hall and others are opposed to submitting the consolidat ton question to vote of the people. The reporter asked Mir Ken nedy if this were true and received q very emphatic denial. II don't feel called upon to affirm or deny anything that may have been said about the other gentlemen" said the senator, Skipping one hand with the other. -'Let them do that themselves if they want to, but seeing you have put the question to me 1 wish to say that III 1n favor of consolidation provided the people want it, but if they don't think 1t good thing and prefer to continue to do business Independently of each other then I'm opposed to il. Now, then. how are We going to get this ln- formation if not by . vote Of the peo- ple?"
 Here the senator paused and looked at the reporter in a manner which ln- dicated that he was about to ask how that suited him. The scribe took in the situation and remarked that Juds- dng by what he had said 1T was plain that he favored giving the people q chance to vote upon the question.
 Most assuredly,' answered the senator. 'That's the only fair way 10 treat the matter. New Haven would not touch consolidation until the out side districts had voted to go in. Stan- ford voted upon the question, and know of no reason under heaven WHY the electors of Waterbury should not be given an opportunity to say yes or no before consolidation is thrust upon them. 1 want to see the people vote upon this matter and 1 desire to see the question decided at specia! clcc- tion called for that purpose. This will prevent politics having anything to do with it. If you should bring this mat ter up at a regular election people would make q piece Of political lon- hery out of it and we'd be no Wiser after election than we were before. that is so far as getting at an honest expression of opinion on the subject. No doubt some people would vote on the question ii it were put before the people at a regular election. who would not think enough of it to go to tho polls at a special election. but l ask you now as q citizen and q man who pays taxes. how many people whose lnan- cial interests would be affected by con- solidation would remain away from the polls suppOsinC there was nothing else to be voted for? Isn't it q libel upon the intelligence of the people Of any community to say that they don [ know enough to 90 to the ballot DoN and decide whether q certain proposed change in the system of local goNe1is- ment is to their advantage or not: Let the people be ecalled together and asked what they have to say on this QueS- ton and then after they have been heard from their representatives can govern their conduct in accordance with the will of their constituents.
 ''Is it true. NIr Kennedy inquired the reporter. "that Representative Li- ley. ex-Senator Hall and Attorney kel- IogG are opposed to submitting cOnsol- idation to a vote of the peopie:' question. but one would think by the way he evaded it that he knew more about it than lie cared to say. It is said that some of the republicans .. favor giving us all chance to vote upon consolidation. but they don't seem to be able to agree as to whether it should come up at a regular or special election. Others are said to advocate pushing it through without going to the trouble to ascertain whether the people want it or not.