Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-26
POLITICS AND CLANS
Republicans Went 10 Lakewood
 10 Talk Saturday.

The first annual clambake of the Republican club was held at Lake. wood Saturday afternoon and was a success socially, but from a politi- cal standpoint 1t turned out to be fizzle, that is so far as making con- verts to the party goes. almost every man present as we'll as those wno have referred to 1t since being of the opinion that 1t looked rather strange to hear 2 public servant like Mayor Thoms. who is making bold stand to protect tho city's interests, criti- cized, while Comptroller Bradstreet lof Thomaston and Senator Homan of New Haven, neither of whom were in sight when the Waterbury conduit measure needed helping hand. were lauded 10 the skies and held up before the young men of the club as exemplars in all that goes to make men worthy of public esteem. Of course the crowd cheered, but after thinking the matter over most |of the banQueters realized that where demonstration of that sort takes place there must be something wrong and that If Waterbury needs one thing worse than trolley exten. sion 1t Is little better appreciation of its own citizens-a small measure of home rule. The other day every. body was Kicking legislators at Hart. ford for helping public service cor porations TO down Waterbury on the conduit bill, but 1t seems all that was soon forgotten and now the same game is on right here at our own doors. Republicans will not stand for this and as conse- quence many of them claim that most of the speeches had tendency to drive people out of the party rather than to attract anybody to It. No man or number of men can serve two masters and in the sharp games now on between private corporations and municipalities public officials. private individuals and political par ties cannot nse their influence and at the same time convince even the or dinary mortal that they are working for the other fellow.
 President R. P. Lewis presided and made an excellent toastmaster. Senator Franklin l.. Homan of New Haven talked of the good fellowship existing between New Haven and Waterbury, but while he was speak ing more than one in the audience remarked that he didn't remembe. seeing his name in the list with Sem ator Chase, Senator Hurley and the half dozen others who made a fight for Waterbury when 1t was being throttled by the telephone company at Hartford. Nobody recollected anything about 1t and besides. so the management declared, that had nothing to do with the case. Prob ably 1t hadn't from social point of view, but the average American-ins variably tries to combine business with pleasure and as consequencs you rarely find him in the compan- ionship of people whom he cannot have when others want him.
 Representative Hayes made an address in the course of which he eulogized Comptroller Bradstrees who is conducting the snarl with Waterbury regarding right of way for the 1hoinaston trolley, and c. A. Colley got in some of his witty say ings and also few thrusts at Mayor Thoms.
 John E. Scwell was greeted as ths next mayor of Waterbury, and the eminent trolieyman took 1t seriously and bowed in grateful acknowledge ment. He declared that he is in no way connected with any public ser vice corporation and that if elected mayor he will see that the city gets what he has been trying to give it for the past ten years, more trolley roads.
 Ralph Elakeslee came out for MT Sewell, and being in a reminiscen. mood, he threw out some hints about treachery which might lead to the defeat of Mr Sewell. just as similar tactics made a political football of himself a few years ago. when ho was candidate for mayor. and some of the delegates who nominated him helped to cut his throat. When Blakeslee and his friends thought of this the clans stuck in their necks and nothing short of unwavering fealty to party could induce them to still continue to call themselves re- publicans.
 Other speakers included City Clerk w. H. Sandlsnd. Senator Cornelius Tracy, W. L Hall. B. w. Gist. Alex ander Cummings of the Yale Repub- lican club, Representative Allerton of MiddleDuIy and Comptroller Bradstreet of Thomaston.
 The management was good and the menu was all that could have been desired. Very few of the real big guns Of the party attended, but this was said 10 be due to the fact that most of them are at the shore.