The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-02

You are to vote soon for senators and representatives to the General As- sembly, who in turn, will elect a United States senator and the senate of the United States is the most inn portant government body in this country and I think in the whole world.
 At any rate the interests are striving with desperate energy to control the senate of the country, for the very good reason that they expect the next congress will be Democratic, at least Democratic and insurgent republican. SD that the House is expected to pass much legislation favorable to the people, especially designed to reduce the cost of living. The interests wish to control the Senate, because there, in that small body, it is easiest to stop leglsIation. The interests want to con- trol the Senate of the United States just as the monopolies in Connecticut desire to control the Connecticut Sem ate, which consists of but 35 members, making it easy and not too costly for the agents of the corporations to man. age.
 .If you have observed carefully you will have seen that the legislative agents who are the real promoters of Mr. Goodwin's campaign, are much more anxious to get their man into the United States Senate than they are to get him into the Governors chair In Bridgeport and everywhere else they have unhesitatingly sacri- feed MT. Goodwin when they believ- ed that their candidate for the Ma tlonaI Senate could be helped thereby. And of course you vote direct for Congressmen. who do your business for you in the lower house. It would be much better if you voted direct for Senators. also. The Democratic platform favors legislation to give you power to do this. but the Republican platform does not favor any such thing, because such power Tn the vol CTS would soon take the control out of the hands of the interests and their agents
 So of the Public Utilities act. When we discuss that we are virtually go- ing over the same ground that relates to the Interstate Commerce Commis- sicn The Interstate Commerce Con- mission is a Public Utilities Commits sion to regulate corporations of the Public Service character engaged in Interstate Commerce. Its power be- gins where the power of the State ends.
 The same reasons that apply for a strong Public Utilities Commission apply for a strong Interstate Com nlerce Commission.
 Tn both cases the question is soon to arise as to whether there shall be a physical valuation of the property of railroads and other public services, as necessary to fixing rates with jus tice to the public and to the capital invested in the business.
 So of the Corrupt Practices Act. That, though local in its nature. is National in its effect, because if you purify elections and stop bribery ln the state, you also purify the Con- gress by preventing the interference IL ,os1 Of r0v1r lc men ani United States Senators.
 Incidentally I may say that the Democratic platform favors strong Corrupt Practices Act, and that the platform upon which MT. Goodwin stands is silent upon this point. In- Corrupt Practices Act is sufficient, al- though most of the District Attorneys of the State, including Mir. Judson Of this county, say to the contrary.
 And for the. same reason that the Corrupt Practices Act is Federal in its effect, though local in its creation, so are direct primaries, for direct pri- maries enable the people directly to nominate candidates for Federal of flee the same as they will nominate candidats for State and Town offices.
 Direct primaries. which Judge Bald win does favor. and which MT Good win so far as his platform is con- cerned at least. does not favor are a means of restoring the control of their government to the people, who will not grow more prosperous as long as the interests control the government.
 These men, policies. trusts and com- binations do not want to control gov ernment for the fun Of it, but for the money there is in it. If they can make the laws that can make the people pay more of the bills than the people should nay
 They can over charge for their monopolized products, they can get permission to water their capital and