The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-13

Mainly through the convincing and
 powerful arguments of Senate Leader
 Stiles Judson, the attempt of the coterie of Republican politicians who were opposed to rediStricting the state 5nto ~Congressional districts was oe-
 feated by the Senate near the end or the session of yesterday. and the re- port substituted by Representative Stevens of Berlin. known as the l, nl1 noity report, was adopted. The final vote against the majority bill dwin- dled to five which was a big surprise. as an attempt had been made last week to have the Republican Senators make the matter a caucus action ana defeat any effort at redistricting
 The majority report was presented bv Senator Barnum, who frankly con- fessed it was immaterial to him whether his report was accepted or not. He said he had been somewf1ssS impressed of late by the sentiment in favor of continuing the whole matter for two years in order that fuller discussion might be given to it. How ever. f the majority of the Senate was opposed to postponement, and he was convinced that there was much in the argument that the matter should not he further delayed, he hoped that either one of the two reports would be adopted at once and the work com
 pleted
 Senator Barnum practically aban- doned the majority report and in the final vote supported the minority plan, which is now the law of the State and which gives to Connecticut five Con- gressional districts. abofishing the large. Tn his speech Senator Judson laid great stress upon the pledge in the platform of the last Republican State convention which committed the party frrevocably to refietricting the State. He read the par.ticuar plank with reference to this matter from the platform. He pooh- poohed the idea that by adopting the minority report the reelection of Con- gessman E. J. Hill would be endan- gered. He paid high tribute to the ability of Congressman Hill and pro- tested against any plan such as was outlined in the majority report that made a shoestring district by taking from Fairfield county the two Repub- Hcan stongholds, Stratford and Hunt ington, and linking it up with Litch- field county. He advised the Senators not to take too seriously the plaintive Cor eressman HiIl The minority re- port, he said, was a. fair and equit- able treatment of the situation, and as far as it was possible to do so it preserved the county lines. He said it was inevitable that New Haven county by reason of it's populous numbers should be partly dissected. He said he was strongly inclined to the notion that if the General Assem- bly adjourned without taking action on tris matter it would be especially reconvened by Governor Baldwin to do the work that it has now been ad- yised to leave undone. He considered { that he would call a special session of the Legislature if the present body neglected to redistrict. He said the Republican party could not afford to come into the next campaign if this General Assembly failed to redeem this, it's solemn pledge. He said the party could fairly justify the record of this General Assembly before the public He said that while the party had failed in respect to the Employ CTS Liability bill, the blame for that can fairly be charged to the conserva- tiveness of the House. He consider ed it of much moment to the future of the party that it had redeemed it's pledge With respect to the Public Util- sfies legislation. He referred to the Congressnlan-a -at-large job as a sort Of joke. He said that a new federal census had been taken while the leg is ssators had been ly-dallying on this thing for a decade, and the peO- rle have now come to expect that this anomaly will be- abolished.
 1T would urge upon my fellow Re- T.Iiblicans here" said he, ito pass this legislation now. Be not hoodwinked Inv the pleading of those who would seek further postponement on the ground that at this late hour this leg fsiation is of too important char deter to be handled. If we fail to enact thi legislation we'll surely be called to answer by our opponents on the rostrum in the next cam raign"
 Senator Woodruff of Orange oppos- cd action on the ground that it was altogether too important a subject to be rushed through at the tail end of the session. He favored continuing both suggested plans until the next session of the General Assembly.
 Senator Brinsmade of Washington said he had studied the matter for months and there had been abundant time for the Senate to have consid- cred It. He reminded his colleagues that the House had taken action by an overwhelming vote in passing the minority report. He favored the mil noF1ty report He said he was a great admirer of Congressman Hill and regretted that the minority re- port would eliminate him as one who ~~-''A DartsciDate in the future cleo