The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-08
The farmers union
IN The legislature
A Legislative Agricultural
Club as Long Ago
as 1857.
GOOD WORK IN SENATE.
Candidates for Governor
Excise Legislation-The
Bank Commission.

ebD1OSieNt4CAA
sembly is commanding wide attention
and interest. The first organization
of farmers in the legislature was in
1857 and was known as the Legislative
Agricultural Club. General James T.
Pratt, who was member of the house
from Rocky Hill, was president, Ma
son @. Weld Of Hartford and Matthew
Buckley of Weston were secretaries.
They were not members of the leg
islature. There were 11S farmers in
the general assembly that year. At the
present session the number is consider
ably less than 100. Agricultural clubs
were fad throughout the state fifty
years ago, and the idea naturally
drifted into the general assembly. The
only interests discussed in the new
Legislative Agricultural Club pertain
ed to farming. There was no notion Of
organizing the agricultural members in
favor or against any line of legisla-
ton In 1868 Amos j. Gallup of the
senate, representing the Thirteenth
senatorial district was president Of
the club. Thomas A. Clark of Lisbon,
one of the house members, was secre-
tary with Mason G. Webb DR.. Samuel
w. Gold Of West Cornwall senator
from the Seventeenth district, was
president in 1859 and Thomas S. Miller
Of Torrington, who represented that
town, was secretary, sharing the honor
with Mr. Weld Representative
Charles Matthewson of Pomfret was
president in 1860 and Senator John
Brewster was secretary. He was
from Ledyard and represented the
Seventh district. During the early
years of the club it was not an I'M
common thing to go out of the legisla-
ture for the selection Of secretary.
The old Agricultural Club in the gem
eral assembly confined itself to the
agricultural interests of the state.
The Farmers Alliance in these mod
ern days has been engineered In far
different way. IT'S sessions, week In
and out have been managed with the
view Of influencing and directing leg
| isiation. The farmers constitute the
only body in the legislature which has
been used In this manner The thing
has come to be an evil that should be
eradicated. The idea Of its continu-
ance by means of permanent organ
ization Is deserving of rebuke, Con-
crete examples Of the evil could be Civ
en- IL necessary, in numbers Two
only need to be pointed out-the Nor
ris Cove trolley project this session
and the State rife range in East
Hartford two years ago. 1t is moon
ceivable from an upright legislative
point Of view that either Of these in
terests should have been brought dis
tinctively into the Farmers Associa-
ton. In future all things Of this
kind which can have no effect upon
the farmers as a body and in no way
be Identified with the progress Of agri-
culture, should be cut out.
The one man on the floor of the sem
ate, who may be said to have guberna-
torial aspirations, is Archibald Mcneil
of Bridgeport, Democratic member
from the Twenty-first district. Senator
Mcneil has shown himself deserving
Of every honor which his party can
place at his disposal He has made his
influence felt in scores of ways through
the session, His defense of Governor
| woodruff in his notable speech in the
senate few weeks ago was a piece of
work that will long stand to his credit.
AS leader of his party he is conserva-
tive and of sound Judgment. His con-
servatlsm and Judgment have been
| shown in every action that he has TAX
en- on public interests since the begin
ming of the session in January. More
than once he has been mentioned on
the floor Of the senate, not as the pos
sible but the probable candidate of the
Democrats for governor in 1908.
Now and then there is a growl in
Hartford against the candidacy Of
lLieutenant-G Governor Everett j. Lake
for a Republican nomination for gov
ernor q year from now. The junior
member of the house from Hartford
Ernest w. Smith, has been one of the
gr9wers. What he has against Lieu
| tenant-Governor Lake has not been
known, but it Is demonstrated that the
lieutenant governor is not worrying
about it. Nothing can disturb the
eqranimity and good nature of Mr..
Lake As presiding officer of the SEN
ate he has devoted himself wholly to
the business of that position. 1t has
been no sinecure. on the contrary it
has been a place of hard work, requir-
ing alertness, impartiality and decision.
L goes without saying that Lieut.. Gov.
Lake has been the most competent and
clearIheaded presiding officer of the
senate since the days Of that accom-
pished parliamentarian, Lieutenant
Governor George G. Sumner. In a word
he has set pace as president of the
senate that will be difficult for future
presiding officers of that body to fol-
low. His rulings, which have been on
difficult questions at times, have been
eminent for accuracy and clearness. He
can laugh at GROWERS, while he Is Win
ming admiration and support every day
asa typical son of Connecticut.
The senate has been an unusually
strong one from the outset 1t has
furnished surprises as it did for in.
stance when it voted for woman suf-
frage. No one expected that result
Possibly the senate's judgment was
not expressed in the vote, but its hear
was. It was in the vote sustaining
the bill concerning insane paupers re-
curing SO a week instead of 81 from
the towns for their support at Middle
| town and Norwich, that the senate
also surprised the commonwealth. The
house of lords reversed the decision a