Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-12


 ted to take care of itself for the pres ent.
 The county shrievalty is now the rub. The conventions at which the successor of Sheriff Durham will be named are nearly twelve months off, but the strife for that rich prize has already passed the first stage. It will grow warmer as the days roll by and will culminate ill one of the greatest contests ever waged in New Haven county. These at least, are the in- dications. Robert O. Eaton, deputy dairy commissioner, is Sheriff Dun- hams sole competitor for the republi can nomination, and that much stated, a it will be at once admitted that the present popular incumbent of the of flee will have discovered that he. had an antagonist worthy of his steel be- fore he receives a ren0minatiOn. But he will be renominated, nevertheless. The odds are in his favor, Whether he will be reelected is another story.
 MT Eaton began vigorous cam paign for the sheriffs scalp during the last session of the general assembly and he has, allowed no grass to grow under his feet since. To account for his entry into the race it is necessary to go back a year. The Mclean Warner fight for the governorsRip nomination is still fresh in the minds of all. Perhaps the most powerful aid the doughty Fessenden had in his memorable campaign against Fyler and Bulkeley as well as the most as tute director of the Stamford states Onan'c fo11oxyino cooond +n ,i,,,en1f was Sheriff Dunham. Everyone knows how that battle ended. Fyler held the fortress, the attacking forces were temporarily repulsed and Mclean was triumphantly elected governor of the state. Then period of reconcilia- ton among the disrupted republicans forces apparently ensued Many of the leaders who had opposed Mclean made their peace With him after he had won, but Sheriff Dunham was not of these and his contumacy was noted at Torrington, at the office of the Aetna Life Insurance company at Hartford, possibly also in the executive cham Der of the capitol, for future attention. Robert O. Eaton was one of Chairman Fyler's staunchest friends and it is easy to infer that the North Haven
 man was selected as the instrument with which to chastise the unbending littles sheriff. The fight for the New Haven county shrievalty will fan to flame the smouldering embers of the Fessenden-Bulkeley feud.
 Now, as to the prediction that Dun- ham will win the nomination. Other matters having an important influence on the impending struggle will have to
 be recounted to make clear the reasons on which the prediction is based.
 Eaton has lost the support of the Consolidated road, which had been one of his principal political assets until very recent period How the sep- arati0n came about would make an other interesting story But that's not here or there. Dunham, on the other hand, maintains very friendly relations with that corporation, and his
 bosom political and personal friend. Samuel Fessenden. is. one of it's prin- c1pal counsel. Eaton has made the assertion that the trolley interests of the county are on his side and that they are as powerful politically as the Consolidated can possibly be- But the Dunham men laugh at this claim.
 Durham has close friends prominently associated with the electrics. among them that level headed, active leader County Commissioner J. D. Walter of Cheshire Mir Walter is now a large stockholder in the Connecticut Rail-
 way and Lighting company, having disposed to that company the fran chise of the Cheshire and Waterbury
 line which he, in conjunction with one
 or two others, obtained from the last legislature and recently ratified by the superior court. MT Walter was with
 Dunham in the Fessenden-Fyler cam paign. He is with him now against
 Eaton, although the latter and Walter
 have always been good friends.
 Eaton claims that he will have the support of the New Haven delegates in the convention, probably passing his claim on the assumption that Mayor Studley was defeated for judge of the common pleas court chiefly by the in- fiuence of Dunham. It is impossible, however, to see how he can make cap ital out of that incident, even if it were true, since he himself supported l Cable. the successful candidate, for the l judgeship. Another reason why he
 may be fooled regarding the New Ha- l ven delegation is afforded by the fact
 that Eaton opposed constitutional re- l form upon which New Haven repub- 1 licans as well as democrats had set l their hearts. New Haven republicans l do not easily forget little trifes like l this.
 l Undoubtedly Eaton will have the l support of the state machine, oper- l ated by the engineer at Torrington. l But it must be remembered that Sher- l if Durham had been county commis-
 sioner for fifteen years before he was l elected to the shrievalty and that dur 1 ing this long term of public service he l gained the confidence. respect and
 friendship of the leading republicans
 and many democrats of every town in l the county. No man in the county l can beat him i'll the Naugatuclz valley
 and he will give strong argument in l the shore line and other towns.
 I The republican nominationo for the
 shrievalty. however, will not be equiv I alent to an election. The democrats will have something to say to that. Ii must be borne in mind that New Ha l ven county is normally democratic and l that the recent unhappy differences l which temporarily disrupted the party have been smoothed away. 1t is unit