The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-03
THE UNIT OF EXP ERIESoE.

In his tactful and forgiving address to the General Assembly as 1t was about to depart Governor Woodruff touched briefly upon the value of ex- perience in managing the affairs of | State. He recommended that the towns | of the State continue to return their | representatives to the legislature so | long as they give efficient service. This is the theory upon which so many | congressional districts act and invaria- ply with the most potent of results. The State of Maine owes It's promln- ence in the history of the country for the past twenty-five years to it's re- turning term after term it's congress sional representatives to Washington. The influence of the State of Con- necticut in the senate was due not to any phenomenal ability on the part of General Hawley and MT. Platt but to their knowledge of senatorial ropes gained through long experience.
 No one will find the slightest fault with the logic of Governor Woodruff's counsel but unfortunately for the State of Connecticut and for that matter for all of the States of the Union, 1t is practically impossible to get men in- terested in the public service and keep them interested There were members in both the senate and house during the past six months who while in ev- cry way capable of the most useful development as legislators have re- turned to their homes disheartened at the llttleness of their service, as they view it, and ready to retire for anoth- CT who will doubtless in turn become the victim of his own Encouragement The question then raised by Governor | Woodruff is not so much the need there is of experienced men In the pub- lie life of the State as how to arouse their interest in that program. The dominant political party does nothing | to bring this about. It deliberately closes the pathway of experience every two years without the slightest regard ! for the service rendered by its gover- nor It made play of it's willingness to renominate George P Mclean, who was so gallant figure, but 1t was well understood that his health would not permit. It proposes to turn Governor Woodruff out to pasture, though with the ideas he has advanced for the welfare of the State and the experience he has gained during the session he is capable of giving better service than a green governor with new set of ideas to advance. If political party refuses to encourage the principle of continued service for duty we'll per- formed pray where is the reform to be instituted and by whom?
 Connecticut needs nothing so much to-day as more active in- terest in public affairs There are plenty of men in the State richly capable of serving the people
 and they would gladly do so if the penalty imposed by party bosses In the
 way of the sacrifice of their independ-
 ence was eliminated. It Is an error of
 Judgment to contend that the people of
 Connecticut don't care about the con
 duct of their government They do
 care and 1t Is because they care that
 they are viewing such election schemes
 as the direct primary with increasing favor. They favor more stringent cof-
 rupt practices laws which shall include
 the limitation of the amount of money
 candidate for office may contribute, because they care for their State and , their government of 1t. If those who
 have had the experience in public life
 would be a little more generous with
 those seeking it, instead of kquelching
 them at their first undertaking In or
 der that they may not learn how to
 fight the professional politician on his
 own ground there would be compara- lively little call for the counsel Gov
 ernor Woodruff has given. We have plenty of politics In the State of Con.
 necticut but uhhappily it is not all of
 the right kind.