The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-11-13
CONTEST FOR SPEAKERSHIP.
TWO MEN IN THE FIELD AT
 PRESENT.

Silson of New Haven and Banks of Fairfield Known to be Looking for
 the Honor.-Both Members of House Two Years AgO--QuestiOn as to Whether Governor and Speaker Should Come From Same County.
 Hartford, Nov. 14.-The speakership contest, which is now in progress, will arouse more than ordinary interest through the state. It is understood that ex-Speaker Isaac w. Brooks of Torrrington, who held the honor in 1893, will not be candidate for the po- sition this year, leaving the place for younger men. There are two men, each under forty years of age, who are in the field at the present time. New Haven county has a candidate in the person of Major John O. Tilson, the New Haven representative in the house Fairfield county also has can didate, Elmore s. Banks of Fairfield Both were members of the house two years ago and both were members of the judiciary committee. Major Tilson
 was a man of recognized popularity in the house, able and courteous on the floor and resourceful in leadership. While Mir Banks is an able legislator, he has not the qualities that attract men. He has not the magnetism that
 Major Tilson displays. He is from a county that has had the speakership twelve years out of the last nineteen. New Haven county has not had a
 speaker since the chair was occupied by Henry B. Harrison in 1884 For three terms in succession, beginning with 1887, the speakership was held by Fairfield county men. They were the late Heusted w, R. Hoyt of Green wich, the Hon. John 1T. Perry of Fair field and the Hon. Allan w. Paige of Bridgeport, who was a member of the house from Huntington at the time he was speaker. The Hon. Samuel Fes- senden of Stamford Judge John H. Light of Norwalk and the Hon. Michael z Kenealy of Stamford have each held the speakership since 1895. This shows | the county's high standing in the par { 1iamentary field. It has certainly been a record to be proud of in the south Y western section of the state.
 There has been talk here and there ! that the governor and speaker should ! not come from the same county, as
 would be the case should Major Tilson
 be placed in the chair. But there are M precedents in favor of the course. No Al longer ago than the days of Phineas e. H Lounsbury the governor and speaker E were from the same county. Heusted
 w. R. Hoyt was speaker, while the $ Ridgefield capitalist was governor. In # 1861 Augustus Brandegee of New Lon & don was speaker while William A. 8 Buckingham was at the head of the
 state government, both being New A London county men. There can be no
 valid objection to Major Tilson's being
 speaker, while his honored fellow
 townsman, Governor -elect Woodruff,
 guides the affairs of the common ! wealth. The major has eminent fitness for the place to which he aspires.
 The election of Senator Thomas ID.
 Bradstreet of Thomaston as comptrol- Ter is highly satisfactory to the vete- rams of the civil war. He was the only c veteran nominated on the state repub- l lican ticket. The big plurality which ' he received, running a good ways K ahead of the general ticket shows
 what Is thought of him in Connecticut,
 The comptroller-elect is a man of supe-
 rior business qualifications and will
 take into the office of Comptroller ex- II perience of the highest order. Besides
 being one of the formost vterans in the k state. he is one of the leading captains E of industry. As general manager of the Seth Thomas Clock company of
 Thomaston, he has shown distin-
 guished ability and business acumen
 1t is a great thing when the state of
 Connecticut can command the services < of business men like Rollin $. Wood E ruff. Everett J. Lake and Thomas D. # Bradstreet.
 The administration of Governor Hen # ry Roberts, which will be concluded ir
 a few weeks, has been clean and whole
 some and will average up well. There
 has been no attempt on his part tC
 subserve the office of governor to the
 advancement of personal interests
 He has discharged the duties of the
 place with fidelity, having the interests
 of the state alone in view. It Will be
 conceded from all sides that the men } whom he has placed in public office are
 competent and straight forward in tht
 execution of their duties. He has made changes in a number of state commits 5 sions, notably the board ot railroad commissioners. In that board he sub E stituted the name of Andrew F. Gate
 for that of Washington F. Wilcox, tho
 democratic member, making the board
 republican throughout. It was the firs
 time in the history of the board tha
 the minority party in the state was no
 represented in it's membership. INT
 Gates has made an excellent railroad
 commissioner and has carried young
 blood into the department. His selec
 tion by Governor Roberts has made
 possible to have a young republican
 trained for the increasing work of tn
 board, when the older members mus
 drop out by reason of years. Looking
 at the appointment from a non-paru
 san point of view, it cannot be sai'
 that Governor Roberts failed in an!
 way 'in making the selection. In ap
 pointing the members on the stat
 boundary commission he selected iron
 the democratic party, taking Frank C
 Sumner of Hartford, whose democracy
 has never been questioned. Commis
 .io,,o,. ,est,r77na. l,o, eortad inc Gtata 9d