The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-08
IN BRIDGEPORT TO-DAY
(Journal ana Courier


 The city of Bridgeport has a local election on its hands today. Public interest centers in the election of a mayor. The Republicans, under ma chine domination, have nominated a man Tor mayor upon a progressive platform promising ultimately a strictly business form of government. The Democrats threw over the Dem ocratic mayor now in office and norni- mated a substitute in his place This is said to have split that organization wide open. The Socialists are mfli- tantly in the field with a ticket that was nominated with all the outward signs of party unity.
 The political wiseacres, who make a practice of studying political mo,e- ments, and who are imbued with the prophetic sense of the seventh son Of the seventh son, regard the contest as being a close one between the Re- publicans and the Socialists. The Democrats are assigned to the third place in the race. with the danger of being d1stanced. At meeting held in that city at the close of the cam paign by the Socialists. the Opera House was packed, according to the local newspapers, with an audience of 1,500 people, while 500, who could not get inside the house, took part in an enthusiastic outdoor, or overflow B. account says of the meeting: s'It was the biggest demonstration by the So- cialists in the history of that party, and it was without doubt the largest rally held during the campaign by either of the five parties" A corre- spondent of the Hartford Courant writes to that newspaper: "A very city proves that this party is going to poll very strong vote this election. They talk nothing else at the fac tories"
 This is the sort of evidence that adds interest to the election in the city of Bridgeport today. It is not the first time that the party of Social ism has shown it's strength there. In the last campaign, 1t gave a banner vote for its state ticket. As conse- quence, the Socialist campaigners have given constant attention to the party organization there, and have con- tinued to wax in power. Today ought to show what the results are. If the Socialists should carry the city. prosper. They have more liberal ideas of government than either of the two older parties, but they are not de- structionists; and if successful will be held to the limitations of the city charter as they have been in the great GUY or M1lWdukGc. 50 CIIdI the pOS- sibility of their carrying the city by the sea may be viewed with the great est composure, and possibly with con- siderable 8 equanimity.
 If the party of Socialism carries Bridgeport, today, or comes in second in the race, the reason may be looked for in the manner and spirit with which the Republican and Democratic parties have for years discharged their obligations to the community. It has at all times been within their power to win over the confidence of the vot- CT by catering to his needs and giving a. businesslike administration of the local government. What they have done is to exploit the community in every conceivable way, with the re- suit that they have earned the oppo- sition now said to be effectively of fered them We cannot for moment doubt but that Socialist administra- ton would be an improvement upon what that city has had for a number of years. The city needs cleaning up politically.