Norwich bulletin., 1909-02-18
DEMOCRATIC STATE AUDITOR
LONG, INTERESTING HEARING
Before Joint Committee of Finance
(. S. Roberts of Canaan to Succeed
Himself-Vote Was Unanimous.
(special to The RuIletin.l }

Hartford Feb 17.-The joint COM
mittee on finance voted in the exec
utive session held after the hearing on
the matter of democratic state audi
tor this afternoon to report favOrably
the resolution which names Edward
S. Roberts of Canaan to succeed him
self. The vote was unanimous, there
being no member of the committee
who could see any reason to do what
a number of the friends Of Edward M.
Yeomans of Andover urged the COM
mittee, to do, turn down the endorse
ment of Mr. Roberts, which the dem
ocratic caucus voted someA time since.
The hearing was a long and inter
esting one, which developed some
sensational feaures. DR.. Higgins of
Coventry. senator from the Thirty
fifth district, suggested that there had
been instances in which Mr. Roberts
work had lacked the exactness and
accuracy which were desirable, but
later largely retracted this upon the
insistance of other speakers. Mayor
Dunn of Willimantic, who is a mem
Der Of the finance committee. had
more or less fun with the doctor on
the basis Of his suggestion that it
might be wise to observe civil serv-
ice principles in making this appoint
ment. The mayor wanted DR.. Higgins
to take his own medicine in making
ANPADAANdn
There was a suggestion that Rep
resentative Dormitzer of Woodbury.
was asking questions which showed a
partisanship in the matter, and Mr..
DormitZer arose to discIaim anything
of the kind and insist that his only
interest was that the state should get
the best man available in the demo-
cratic party. At the same time. ne
could hardly approve of so evident an
effort To tho hnnde Of he
democratic caucus, an action with
which the caucus had been threaten
ed at the time it endorsed Roberts.
Dr. Higgins presented Yeomans'
name and told Of the many good quail
tiles of the man from Andover. who
was known in Trinity college as a
mathematical shark and took A $500
scholarship in mathematics there, and
was offered prcfessorship in q west
ern university upon graduation. He
tried to impress his hearers with the
fact that Mr.. Roberts was man
along in years, while Mr.. Yeomans,
who held the Office by appointment for
some months, was much younger and
lived much nearer Hartford so that
there would be a saving in expense to
the state.
Mr.. Dormitzer objected to having
Clerk of Bills Baldwin appear in favor
Of Yeomans on the ground that he
vas an official Of the legislature, but
this didn't weigh with the committee,
which heard him and Engrossing Clerk
Hnman at some length. Ex-senator
Ralph M. Grant Of East Windsor talk
ed for Yeomans also, as did John r.
Forward a Hartford attorney. who
said he had been offered an mstruc-
torship in a Connecticut college in ad-
dition to the western offer.
Comptroller Bradstreet was the first
speaker for Roberts VINO was in his
regiment, the Nineteenth Connecticut
infantry, during the civil war He re-
marked that if the present democratic
auditor was to have the age limit
urged against his reappointment, it
would soon be time for the state
comptroller and House Chairman Mack
of the committee. who is the oldest
member of the house, at 81, to 90 on
the shelf Railroad Commissioner o
r. Fyler, another veteran of the Nine
teenth, made a strong plea for his old
comrade in arms, and Chief Clerk
Marsh Of the state treasurer's office.
another member of that regiment had
& similar word to say.
Colonel Horne Of Wlnsted was at the
battle Of Cold Harbor where the gal
lant Nineteenth left so many of it's
men, and he appeared for Conrade
Roberts. Others who favored him with
unaniAous testimony 10 his qualities
as man We're J. Henry Roraback of
Canaan, William G. ConnOrs of North
Canaan, and Representatives Higgins
OF Winsted, the democratic house lead
er, Malone of Bristol, and HAYES of
Waterbury.