The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-07
Economic Club Hears Vigorous Attack on Present Method of Nomination by
 Stiles Judson.
COL. OSBORN STATES CASE
Chairman kencaIy Fails to See Much Out of the Way in Systcm-- Blames Public for
 Apathy

y Col. N G. Osborn. the toastmaster of the evening, presented the philosophy of the movement and gave the history of the work of the commission appointed by the legislature of 1905. Michael Konealy, chairman of the republican state central committee defended the system of m .king nominations in u7e at present and Senator Stiles Judson of Stratford spoke strongly in support of the direct primary and against the system now used in Connecticut.
 In defense of the present system, Mir. Kenealy used as an example the elee- tion of orville H. Platt to the United States senate a number of years ago, and said had it not been for the ma chine Mir, Platt would have practiced law until the end of his days in his home town. Meriden On the contrary Senator Judson said that the machine was forced to nominate MT Platt; that for long time there was deadlock between candidates favored by the ma chine and that at last the common sense of the people of Connecticut was aroused and forced the nomination of MT Platt
 Col osborn outlined the progress of the movement for the direct primary in Connecticut saying in part "The whole movement in Connecticut is due to the conviction that under boss rule WIG were getting less and less satisfactory state officials. that there was more money being spent continually In poll tics here and that there was less nor ality in the state. The outgrowth of the protest against machine or boss rule is the direct primary principle Tired out. crushed down, run over by men who run things In a corrupt man ner, the matter was brought more and more to public attention and on ev- erycne's mind was impressed the right of each American citizen to go to the polls and there nominate the man he would like to see in office. People may think the idea of direct primary is a new one but it goes back to the days of the early republic When the di- rect primary was done away with il was succeeded by the captains of pol itics who have run things in such g manner that the people have now notll. ing to say ai who shall be nominated
 "We have ovarthrown two kings ir this country. King George and King Caucus and the next king to be over. thrown will he King convention whose place will be taken by the direct pi- mary The direct primary will not be open to the money influence as tht state convention has been only too of. ten in the past.
 The struggle is not against party ol party principle, but against selflsf party management Take away the bosses There will be no place for tho captains of politics unler the direct primary All will he soldiers in tn, ranks
 The general assembly of 1905 was cunning at the outset to emharrass al it could the men making up the com mission of investigation. This desir, to emharras has been shown again il the assembly of 1907 when the puhli' utilities commission has been treated il the same way, and a sop thrown to th' public
 That the direct primary harmonize' with the thought of the country | shown by the fact that wherever adopted it as never been modified o repealed II has been extended. II New Haven the method was adopted b, one of the political plrties and thougl ridiculed and attacked has still helC i it's own Tn spirit it is like the seere | ballot and the corrupt practices act
 "The principle of the direct primar1 i has grown slowly in the north for ob vious reasons Practically every south ern state nominates by direct primarl i and but few weeks ago in thi manner Mississippi showed it's pref erence for Congressman John Sharl Williams for United States senator ove Governor Vardlman. The legislatur becomes susceptible to the power . | the people when expressed in thl manner
 
 cover from the political bosses tn power which they have taken from us to prove that the people are fit to got ern themselves Those who rule tn machine rarely complain when hart times strike us
 "The question of the constitutionalit of the movement to elect United State senators by the people may be se aside and the practice establishe through the moral power of the peopl l to enforce their views upon their gener al assemblies as in Louisiana and Ore gon. Is there any doubt that Wood ruff would be renominated for governo of Connecticut were the direct primar ies used in this state7 He has brough forw9rd honest issues, but the peopl cannot get him 3 asain in office Tn bosses and the conditions in whici tradition plays a part. have kept hir from being considered again.
 "A candidate for the position of Unit cd States senator should not be alloWe as he is now. to buy up the delega tions from the small towns and giT sinlself the most important office in tn state
 Tn the last city election the out come was the result in part of thc op
 position to boss rule I doubt fl Mi Chattield would ever have been de
 feated b. Mr Martin had it not bee
 Continued on Third Page.)