The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-08
Salary Increase Decision Fatal in 1873 Would Prove Fatal
 Again
Mayor Fisher of Middletown Will Prevent Nomination of Judge Baldwin For These
 Reasons and Others

town, has written a letter to Chair man Comstock of the Democratic State Central Committee in which he expresses his conviction that Judge Simeon E. Baldwin is not strong enough with the voters to be a suit
 able candidate for governor on the Democratic ticket:
 MT. Fishers letter is as follows:
 Middletown, Conn.,, Aug. 5, 1910
 MT. c. W. Comstock,
 Chairman, Democratic State Central
 Committee, Norwich, Conn.
 My Dear MT. Comstock.
 { The continued newspaper reports
 that you and other members of the
 State Central Committee have de-
 clared yourselves as favoring the
 nomination of Judge Simeon E. Bald
 win for Governor have convinced me
 that I ought to repeat to you what
 I said to you in Middletown in June
 about my opposition to Judge Bald
 win as a candidate.
 l am convinced that to nominate
 Judge Baldwin would be to throw
 away a good chance of winning the
 state. The points of greatest weak
 ness in MT. Baldwin are, in my opin-
 ion, these:
 His judicial opinion in favor of the
 increase of salary for himself and his
 colleagues on the bench will be urg-
 ed against him; and it alone should
 be enough to make him quite impos-
 sible as a candidate. The salary
 grab" at Washington in 1873 and it's
 disastrous effects upon the political
 fortunes of all who had a part in it
 ought to be lesson enough for us now.
 The fact that man has been re-
 tired from the Supreme Court on ac-
 count of age disqualifies him from being a strong candidate for Governor The position of judge is one of com- parative ease and quiet; while every body knows that the first Governor in Connecticut who does his full duty to the body, of the people must fill his term with the most determined powerful opposition.
 Judge Baldwin's known character and position, as we'll as his own ex- plicit statement, assure us that he will not develop the active and very energetic campaign without which no densocratic candidate could hope to win.
 The record of the Supreme Court during Judge BaldWin's term will be presented as showing his hostility or indifference to the workingman. Such cases as Wyeman vs. Deadly and HoxIe V. New York. New Haven and Hart ford Railroad company, in the latter of which Judge Baldwin himself wrote the decision, would put US on the de- fensive at once among the working men.
 The charge that Judge Baldwin has declared dollar day enough for the working man is probably false; but it is just the sort of sharp and short statement that will go far and fast It too will put us on the, de- fensive, and with our candidates ju-
 dicial record to prejudice our cause. ! Judge Baldwin's name does not mean to the mass of the people, those who cast votes and elect Governors, anything that will arouse enthusiasm a man of fine character. He is re- spected and admired by the most highly intellectual classes, by the so called "best people" of the state. If he could be elected. he would give us a quiet, graceful dignified administra- tion of the executive office. But there | is no belief and there is no reason l to believe that he has a genuine and absorbing interest in the betterment | of social conditions, that he would stand and fight stoutly for the popu- lar cause Whether rightly Or wrong | ly, he is looked upon by the great body of voters as a man of the past, l whose age, training, and position alike shut him off from the new ideas and the new movements which makes for political victory and social progress Tn these days In other words, there is not the semblance of popular interest in him. He is in no sense whatever a peoples candidate. The republican are already counting that his nomln- ation will make it easy for them to l increase the support for their ticket among the mass of the people; and definite movements to that end are already on foot.
 You will. of course, understand that I have written in an impersonal, oo- iective way I have told you how l | have found Judge Baldwin to stand with the voters in different parts of the state with whom I have had con- versation and correspondence. Fer haps it will be fair to add that what find to be the popular view IS ln
 most particulars my own also.' trust that you understand my po- sition. am not candidate for any place. nor am I urging the name or any other man. But, in the interest," of that party success which we all desire I am telling you where must stand as a democrat by convlctlon. l look upon this matter of political camnaigning as something more than a game which we strive to win, as we strive to win any game of strength Or skill It is more than a way to get honors for ourselves ana our friends. It is an attempt to secui ., or at least to start, great soclal changes which mean very much to the body of our people, including many of my closest friends. I am, there fore bound to do all in my power be if much or little, to advance the m terests of those for whom we demo- crats profess a zeal; and in doing so, believe that I should oppose the nomination of Judge Baldwin. I write to you. instead of making such a letter public. because what had to write would probably Go little more harm when coming rom any known democrat than when coming from the other side. Ana l still have some faith that, sooner or later. our party can be brought to the support of such men and such mea. sures as social justice demands. II it shall prove impossible to prevent the nomination of Judge Baldwin, l shall probably support him, without hope and with little interest, but as strongly and as much as my convlc- tions and my time will permit. Long as this letter is, it is brief enough to be misunderstood at some noints But I shall probably make IVY ~oaoninp clear ultimately.