The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-28
"GOOD NATURED"
 GREENWICH GRAFT
Don (. Seitz, World Manager, CIassifies
 New Kind of Municipal Misconduct
WASHES DIDN'T APPEAR

Partisans of the bit of legislation which was intended to "change the government of Greenwich town side stepped the invitation of The Local Improvement League of Sound Beach, last night. so what promised to be an interesting debate between these par tisans and the opponents turned out to against the self-perpetuating "oligar- chy,' as Thaddeus B. Wakenan called It. Invitations had been extended R. Jay Walsh. Judge James F. Walsh, RepreSen tative Charles D. Burnes, Will bur s. Wright. Nelson B. Mead. Silas p. Rltch. Don. c. Seitz and Thaddeus B. Wakeman, but only M. Wakeman and MT. Seitz appeared. The others sent regrets. some pleading previous engagements" and others the alleged futility of debating the act in question, in view of the fact that the constitu- tionality or unconstitutionaiity Of the law must be established by the courts.
 There were speeches by MT. Wake man, MT. Seitz and Percy D. Adams and they were mighty interesting speeches. MT. Wakeman and MT Adams are lawyers Mr. wakeman is a lawyer of the old school. MT. Adams one of the new. MT. Seitz is business manager of The New York World MT. Wakeman and MT. Seitz have been making a sort of campaign to stir up interest in the movement to prevent the new government being saddled upon the town. '
 MT. Wakeman is a man of impress slVe appearance. He is @ big man Dig in person and in personality.
 MT. Wakeman made frequent refer ence to the so-called New Party in the course of his speech
 He declared that the people behind the new act-and he named Walsh and Wright in this connection-are trying to put upon the town something 1t never asked for. something that was never understood by the people, a form of government which in application would leave the affairs of the town in the hands of a very few Irresponsible people, establishing, as it were, an oli- garchy. He pointed out that the laws by which the town has been governed are not repealed in the new act and he said there was no reason why those old laws should not prevail. If the new act is unconstitutional it is not a law, anyway he declared.
 ~Let us elect our officers as be- fore,' he said. in effect, ''and then jet the oligarchy bring some action to- dis place the officers. Then, if there is will sbe found out.' MT. Wakeman said that the people of the town of Greenwich never had a chance to vote on the proposed new form of government, and that alone made the act unconstitutional. He declared that it was perfectly astonishing-to a lawyer, miraculous-that the Legis- lature of Connecticut should pass the first. section of the act. It was un- constitutional on it's face. he said.
 ''No attempt had ever been made to get the consent of the people before this act was passed he went on. The people never had anything to do with it; It was made up by the firm not pretend to say that it is constitu- t1onal.t I have tried in vain to find a lawyer who would say that it was. I have the opinion of some of the best lawyers in Connecticut that it is un- constitutional. It provides for a form of despotism that would. I think. make Russian Smile'' -1f
 MT. Seitzs explanation of the man. ner in which the Act carrying the new form of government was passed by the legislature caused a laugh.
 Jim said he wanted it, said MT. Seitz, "so Charlie put it through. The Governor heard that Jim wanted it, so he signed the bill The people didn't have anything to do or say about it. Such thing would not be possible in New York. The Governor of the State of New York would not dare to sign such a bill"
 He said that the Board of Estimate provided for in the new Act was like
 
 for is to make trouble"
 MT. Seitz said that those interested in the New Party movement were not seeking office or personal profit
 We are only interested in having the laws obeyed in this town," he said, flor they have been criminally dis regarded for fifteen years Or more If there is not spirit enough among our citizens and taxpayers to go up there and protest, I think we had better sell our property and seek some other place to live in.''
 Percy D. Adams. in the course of a speech in which he said that the com mittee which investigated the situation in Greenwich was keen to send some one to jail. but was unable to find evidence sufficient because of the "cleverness'' of those interested. got off new one when he said that the committee found a lot of 'goodnatured graft" He said that the new act. even though it may be unconstitution- al, contained much that was good. He said the citizens were responsible for the form of government they com plained of. because, by neglecting to take part in the caucuses and town meetings, they permitted such things. You have got just what you deserve was MT. Adams closing shot.