The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-18
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. Issued Thursday, One Dollar q Year
zHn srArE oF ooNNEorIo Ur.

fact that the State of Connecticut has fared wretchedly in it's attempts this Winter to improve upon the tools Of government as compared, for example, with the State of New York, where it Declares Governor Hughes "has inspir- cd hope in all observers" "As for Con- necticut," says our contemporary, fits reforms have had a rough and fatal road to travel this session." It then asks itself: Must we wait for New Yorks pitiful desuetude before we can hope to rally and get what every stud ent of political affairs recognizes as a real .ife?"
 If the historian of the future takes the trouble to study the legislative journals of the State of Connecticut eor the year 1907, in order to compare the achievements credited to it with the achievements then being credited tc the legislature of his day and gen. eration, he will probably be forced to the conclusion that we suffered from obstacles and barriers of an unusual character. He will then turn to the files ot the daily press, and to those of that game little print called Publicity" where he will find a common note of distress running through them all at the curt refusal of the general assem- bly, to take seriously recommendations which grew out of the needs of the public and not out of the conceit of re- formers. IT place of their mature con- sideration he will find that that body gave mere thought to imaginative in qriries into the purpose of the gover- nor. The record will present to his as- tonished gaze heated attacks upon the governor where there should have been sympathetic cooperation, while meas ure after measure will be found to have been neglected for no other reason than ths one that the leaders declined to lead, and the followers had no place t5 follow. He will find that there was no lack of popular support for the pro- posod improvement in the manufacture of legislative tools. He will be confront ed with abundant evidence of it. ta
 This will not be pleasant chapter to write in the history of the state but unless he is a history fakir there will be no lodging the task. But after all what he finds and does will have no effect upon the present fortunes of Connecticut. It Is for this generation to determine what must be done to ac- qpire improved governmental rights, which are being withheld by a general assembly which ought to be only too glad to give them. The attitude of the legislature has been likened to that of a pouttng child but the manner in which pouting children are corrected has been overlooked. What is the reason for it's conduct? The Courant is perfect ly justified in the bitter protest it makes, It is only the other day that an important bill was reported, which was found to eliminate a provision which was essential and Is essential to it's usefulness. The astonishing ex- plantation was offered that the com mittee must have carelessly over looked it, and yet the bill in question was the mutilated edition of bill which competent commission had prepared, and which experts upon the subject that concerned it had declared was the most finished legislative pro- duct yet offered by any State. This incident in the legislative life of the State this winter but illustrates most of the incidents which have surged about the determination of the leaders to punish the Governor. It has been impossible to escape the conclusion that the punishment of that official was made necessary by the possibil- ity of another succeeding him who would be found equally alert in behalf of the general public.
 Again we are forced to ask the req son for this extraordinary conduct? It cannot be squared with intelligent party leadership, which succeeds only when it anticipates and obeys the will of the people. It cannot be reeoneil- ed with knowledge of the popular pulse. Can it be that the party in power has been so long in power, and has been so encouraged by the blund- CTS of the party seeking power, that It has come to consider itself superior to ordinary political principles of con- trol and that it finds the old fashion ed measurements of usefulness are not for it's restriction? There have been too many illustrations given of late of the High Daddy attitude of the con- trolling powers" in the State of Con- nectieut with reference to the rights of the people, to question the fact that