The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-03
AVIS CAN'T VOTE FOR SHEPARD AND
 LOOK AT FOLD CLORY''
DsgaCeu Means of Controlling Nominations Made by Repub
 ICan Conventions too Much For One Man

New Haven, Oct. 3.-William H. Avis, of Hamden, a delegate to the recent Congressional convention here that nominated Colonel Shepard over Sen- ator Butterworth, is out with a letter this morning stating that he cannot conscientiously support MT. Shepard, owing to the manner in which the lat ter was nominated. Mr. Avis also publicly withdraws his signature from the resolutions adopted by the conven- tton insofar as they pledge him to support Shepard. MT. Avis who was chairman of the Resolutions commit tee, has nothing to say against the tion is apparently due to the alleged bribing of delegates. His statement follows:
 It is not without careful reflection that I write the following lines. Fully realizing as I do that it means to certain extent the repudiation of my signature chairman of the coIhrnft- tee on Resolutions at the recent Re publican second district Congressional convention, yet it appeals to my con- science that the declaration which I am about to make, under the circun- stances is the real American thing to do. In the beginning, wish to state that am not egotistical enough to claim that I have any following in a political way wha tsoever, yet do claim that no man, faction, clique or party can control my vote when l con- SC16nIlOuS1y O01leV0 IL oGtE1H10LtG4 IO the interests of my own community, ;. myself and my country for me to cast my vote as others may dictate. Thus I try to make my own conscience my ways have endeavor to follow it's hon. est dictates. In this way claim to control just one vote-ny own.
 A REPUBLICAN,, BUT
 Now while claim to be Repub1i- can so far as party is concerned, yet that act does not necessarily appeal to me as meaning that I must necessarily vote for all Republicans under all man her of conditions. While there are both Democrats and Republicans who would vote only their full party ticket under all conditions, even if the devil were running for office upon it, yet claim that such as these are not only not good Democrats or good Repub1f- cans, but that they are mighty poor Americans. In fact, in nay humble opinion, the best American is the man whose party preference does not nar- rowly control him in exercising the right of suffrage at all times. There fore, when a man, be he Democrat or Republican, conscientious1y believes that his party toboggan is slipping along the path to perdition at the rate Of 100 miles a minute. it seems to me that 1t is up to him to jump off at the first soft spot, and to warn the com munity, so far as it lays in his power to do so, and to in other ways do what he can to avert the impending smash
 
 this he will not only serve the best ends of American citizenship, but in the long run he will do his party real good
 THE BOSS AND THE LEADER.
 Theodore Roosevelt has said: t"The difference between a leader and a boss is, the leader leads and the boss drives the people, Now, no one at all fa- rniliar with the political situation in New Haven has to be told, insofar as the Republican party is concerned, that a system of driveisnn exists there that is not leadership, but is purely and simply bossisnn. Nowhere was bossisTn ever demonstrated to greater perfec- ton than in the Republican city con vention where delegates to the State and Congressional conventions were nominated. Here the bosses were hilariously successful. Here the people of the Republican party were driven, not led, and here Frank S. Butter worth, who was really the choice of the rank and file of the Republicans of New Haven, was relegated to an ob- scure corner, while Andrew N. Shep- ard the man to whom the bosses at a