The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-26
MelIen Wants Court
 Of Commerce Instead TE Of Utilities Body

l fCOnt1nuGQ GrO10 rage O1C.J supposed facts on which all sorts of people base all sorts of more or less conflicting complaints against the Connecticut legislature, we must, l think, all admit that. if we look back l over a sufficient term of yeaSs, noth- ing has happened in Connecticut that ought to shake our faith in the pr1n- cip1es of representative government stitution- If we now examine in re- 1 trospect the doings of the General Assembly at any session sufficiently long past to admit of a calm. h1stor1- cal judgment, we do not find that the State has suffered any serious harm either through any laws that were then passed or because of the failure to pass any of the hundreds of bills which were then introduced.
 If any fair minded, thinking man has an impression that this Railroad Company has unreasonab bly, influenced 1 in it's own favor the legislation of this State, I respectfully ask him to exa- necticut, whether public ore private, l which especially affect this Company or it's business, and then candddly to decide for himself whether we have obtained any legislation from which the State has experienced any Injury.
 I earnestly assert that we have never which the directors or officers of the Railroad kCompany have thought to
 be in any respect injurious to the to seek such legislation in the future; for it is our absolute conviction that the interests of the Railroad Com the interests of the territory which the railroad serves, that any legisla- | ton which is against the public in terest must necessarily be against our true interest.
 Political Commissions.
 If my memory serves me correctly, I have heard in the past as much, if
 not more, just and unjust criticism of Connecticut commissions as of the Connecticut legislature Just now there seems to be popular tendency
 to assume that a proposed new com
 mission with great powers is to be
 which former experience affords us
 no basis of judgment. I am unable
 possible to have ideal legislatures
 composed of the strongest and mosE
 patriotic men in the State, as to have
 ideal commissioners.
 In the first place, no political posi-
 ton, with its inevitab1e insecurity of
 tenure and its necessarily more or
 less moderate salary will have suff1ci-
 ent attraction for the best business
 and professional men of the State.
 Tn the second place, the more at-
 tractive a political position is made, the more it is sought after by men of political influence, for them selves or for their friends and supporters.
 illustration, I should like to ask whether the late o. R. Fyler (whose
 memory I respect, but about whom in his lifetime there were so many varying judgments) would have been any less likely to desire a similar but better position than that of Railroad Commissioner, and whether if he did desire it. he would have been any less likely to obtain it.
 If you change the method of ap- pointrpen&1 to such office, you do not alter the substantial fact that in politics it is generally political inf1u- ence which controls. It is commonly fl7- NalT %Sof% action of a popular nominating con- Vention or of a legisla tive caucus than it is to influence the action of a gov ernor after he is elected.
 Until human nature changes, hu- man institutions will work in the fu- t41re as they have worked in the past. Every thinking man must expect tha at the same conditions will hereafter affect the appointment of public ser vice commissioners as have hereto road Commissioners, Insurance Com missioners, Bank Commissioners, Tax Commissions CTS, and other admHniStra- | tive officials.
 Sometimes commissioner will fill his office with conspicuous ability 1 whole, the purely administrative du- l ties of commissioners will be fairly | well performed, but in the long run | on the average, no commission will | successfully bear the responsibilities | which might. be thrown upon the ideal | commission of our dreams.
 Political Dreams.
 believe in keeping sight of ideals and doing our best to approach them. My experience in a good many diff ferent States convinces me that all | large business, and certainly the rail- road business, is better off, the better the character of the government I | should be more confortab1 if I | could dream with others about what is going to be accomplished by rel newed efforts to put none but honest l and capable men in pub lie ofIice- But whether in politics or business, no type of man is more