The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-30

Harry Porter, the noted athlete sanC 1 writer on engineering topics made ar address before the voters in Eagles I hall. last night. which sent the audienc wild with enthusiasm. The speecl follows:
 l Fellow citizens of Bridgeport: I fee l it great honor to be present witt you tonight and to appear with. ano 1 in behalf of, such sterling young meT
 as you sec before you and have heard 1 speak. You can see their manhood shining through every least p-rt o1
 their countenances. from Edward T i Buckingham. nominee for mayor, r1gnl | on down.
 MT. Buckingham I regard as one of the highest types of men who mas eyer come before the people of this com
 monwealth offering himself Tor the
 mantle of public service.
 If has been said as possible argu-
 naent against him. that he IS youhE
 man as the Democratic nomn es as
 a whole are young men. andl they Il st
 been proud to plead guilty to that
 charge we need young men, rms IS
 an age of young men. It IS to tne ac-
 tivity of the young men that M Lnls
 country moves ever forWaro to eVeu
 greater things. We need young Hasn sn
 who are vigorous. whose minds are not 1crnsted. in whose veins ths good red
 blood still courses. who nave An stln upper-Iip and good square Jaw. meLa
 who are willing and able to take or their coats and get busy. and not go
 sl1fh men, fellow townsnnen. you see before you. Again say. am proud of them. proud to stand with. ana sneak for such men. and consralu. '. late the Democratic party on tnsiT wisdom in putting forth .suen eisne, n, '
 yo,. all krSow--everybody in Bridge norf tloes-what kind of chap Edoy'
 Buckingham is: I need not extol nm
 You all know what sort or 2 Snap ip
 Iofn M. Donnelly is: his record IS enongh. and his election a foregone
 You ali know what Stephen Boucher Is. his record in the state Ieg1s'ature.
 where he persistently fougns sa sne eh. is faF1ie-talk. and you have heard to night from his fips one of the finest cIeanest cut declarations of politicaI aith ever ventured from pol1t cal platform, and everyone could see tnat aSteve's was dead in earnest. TOT ne q absolntely lost himself in his theme.
 You ali know and respect Billy Thomas whose nobility beams rom every visage. He has only one leg
 misfortune which only wins h m wider TH2necf won in spite of its handicap. and vet party organ has stopped to make use Of this misfortune as an argument against his election to the ofice or town clerk Such an argument IS this. that if Billy Thomas has only, one leg. he has all of his brains and they are in the right place. They are not now, nor have they ever been.s m his legs or anywhere near them.
 - frp Inc c1 leg the administration Of this city to- day has not even one ieg to stand up-- on. They are absolu lutely without un- derpinning. and Ahey are going down to a defeat soe6yerwhelmin as to tbey show sasna ts fer There ere mi b be eos tsK about the defeat this time.
 Now as to the. Issues. Much of the talk has been about the streets of our city. And the Democratic party have rightly made this an issue The de- fence is offered that the present ad- Is in no way responsible for the present condition. that they have done the best they could, Indeed a prominent citizen. whose word 'url-l doubfed1y carries weight and whose opfrion cannot be ignored has been induced to come forth with "a state-E ment to this effect. However. not all of US, even prominent citizens and large t9x-payers have had in the last year. $75 900 to s10o 900 spent on public in our neighborhood that make for our direct and positive benefit and hence we are not all as able to take so rosy view of the situation.
 We will srant that the present ad- is not wholly to blame for the present condition of our stree ts. The condition they are now in Is no doubt the result of some years of g- lect. We grant. too. that it is nara 1s--t A. ~@.Lr ,Irryrn rnrf3 Ir first class condition. It costs a lot of to build roads, to repair roads and to maintain roads. And it is nor ally and physically impossib'e. at times. dealing as we are with human nal with it's frailities. and materials. that will wear out. to have things of this sort just as we would like them But there is absolutely no excuse for the present deplorable cond 'tion or our city street. their deterioration, api above all their filthireSs.
 Take a walk down Main street. out State to Park. back Fairfield avenue to the 1epot and across the river on Stratford avenue as far as East Main street; make the rounds as yau will. and if you have become blinde@ by much long suffering so that conditions no longer offend you for once get into the poetic mood. look at and admire the silvery moon as she shimmers and shines tonight in wondrous gtorv. and
  brain. sally forth. Come tell me your mpressions-What you have seen.
 You will tell me this. that not only are our streets. especially in the he art of town, our front sfnow-ind5ow, of which we should be of all thines proud and painstaling. for by and from it visitors form their opinion of the town and it's peonle, in lamentabe state If deteroration but they are foul and filthy to the extreme. Friends there may be use for delay in repaving but there is no cause for neglect to keep tidy and resnectfble ou~ city streets.
 I had a friend to visit me shortly ago, an enofneer like r,---o'fs who is bv profession and business greatly in- crested in municipal affairs. We did the rounds. the streets al~eady men toned. Said he. as we walked alo,1:
 '1Why. what is the matter with What kind of an admin stration must they have? Have the people no civic pride at all? I never saw in town of this size tre m -i'l streets in such deplorable condit on in | nv life. Why. they are as dirty and as a barnyard. I don't know who vour mayor may be. but wouldn't like to sav where I think he vas broueht up. He can't have anv sense of decency orderliness or civic pride at all. I don't have to see and meet hin, to know what kind If a man le is. And not only your streets but JHrr ll 4I-- l. I