Norwich bulletin., 1910-08-26


 4. swill you vote for United States senator who will represent the people of Connecticut, instead Of special in terests?
 When all the primaries are over and you have your answers tabulated. go out and defeat every man who answers no. or who quibbles. explains. ducks or eyades, and see to it that every man who answers yes Is elected. Should every candidate for a particular office in given town answer yes, why, then, do one always sEould-choose the most reliable and trustworthy of the lot Forget party for just one election. become an insurgent and astonish yourself at the power that lies in your hands.
 Does this look like a pretty rugged programme? It will turn the trick. And right here let us reason together. Why should this bill go to commit tee to be juggled with2 The Business Mems association will see to it that every candidate has good opportunity to study it before the legislature meets. It isn't for the corporation lawyers to determine in advance the constitution ality of the bill. but for the courts to decide after it shall have been enacted into a law
 Pass the bill without debate. in the first days of the legislature The com mission will then be appointed and as- sume its duties in July and the strength and weakness of the bill will develop
  weaknesses appear subsequent Iegisla- lures can be depended upon to make such amendments as seem necessary.
 You see. this is only a new applica- tion of the old receipt for rabbit pie: First catch your rabbit. Enact the law as presented. Then you have your rabbit. But you will go hungry for rabbit pie d long time if you wait to please everybody as to the rabbits size, age. color. length of limb ear and tail, and you have a still longer wait ahead if you wait for a public utilities bill that shall be declared perfect by everybody before it is put on its pas sage.
 The Business Mems association pro- test that they are not in politics; but they are in the best sort of politics, wise engaged. Reverse the old rule that what is everyDody's business is nobody's business and make the cleo tion of a legislature your business.
 The Business Mems association, or ganized labor, all other kinds of labor, and the farmer-what cannot they ac- complish if they drop party and vote for what they want?
 Now one word about the senatorship. Go ahead and elect majority of the senate and house of representatives who will pledge themselves unequivo- cally as above suggested. In other words catch your rabbit We will talk about the other ingredients for the pie afterwards. l have no more right to say that 1 shall go to the senate than has Bulkeley or Mclean. Your busi- ness is to get legislators into the gen. eral assembly who represent you in- stead of the self constituted senatorial candidates. Representative who rep resent will select a senator who will also represent the people. One thing I almost oVerlooked-this catchy idea of electing part of the public utilities commission by the peo- pie. No. No! Leave the bill as it is. Elect Judge Baldwin governor and the u oubIe is all over. The judge when sion men. not monkeys. Let the people do their work in the passage of the bill and in the election of a broad minded man instead of machine politician for the governorship, and rest content Should this method of selecting a com mission prove faulty in practice future legislatures will cure this feature also Avoid changes in the bill or you lose all.
 Following your printed resolution you give us an instructive little table showing that in the legislature of 1908 there were 249 republicans. 51 demo- crats. representatives of labor none; and you add: Too one sided to be healthy"
 May venture one suggestion: They were not in the legislature for their healthl The capitol at Hartford is not a health resort nor a sanitarium. Ii
  fault is it that the legislature was one sided? Just think this question over and as you consider it fairly ask your self if the republican machine has been reducing the cost of living all these years they have been in power: whether an advance in the duties on the necessities of life is the sort of revision downward that you relish and are going to vote for year after year; whether you approve of United States senators advancing the tariff on rub Der when they are largely interested in the rubber trade and are to benefit by the advance; whether you want to continue in office United States sena tors and congressman who have thus been using their dignified positions to the disgrace of their states and con- stituencies reveling in frogs leg SUD- pers and the Lord knows not what! A change in administration in state and nation can give us nothing worse than we are getting.
 Shall we change things2 It lies largely with you; 1t mat ters little to
 Yours faithfully,
 CHAS. F. THAYER. Norwich. Conn, Aug. 25. 1910. ---------- Al n nDIMrED DErrDrc