The Press., 1911-02-15
What Commissioner
 Keeney Has to Say
About the Turning Down of
 Commissioner Wightman.
Letter to Rockville Leader.

Letter to Rockville Leader. With the most friendly feeling for Rockville and my many friends who reside there, I would liks to inquire if there is anything more that you care for in the line of county ffioials Even The Leader should be satisfied with the many county and state offio- ials nG " residing in your city, name ly. United States congressman, county s1Aatoss, sheriff, clark and prosecuting attorney, state factory inspector. and soon a county commissioner.
 It.has been stated that your oandi- date for commissioner did not know that he was to bs named for the posi- tion until the day of the county cau- GUS held in Hal tford, January 23. This believe to be true, and with the utmost respect and friendship for my friend, Harry Leonard. I want to say that do not think he had any thing to do with the q 1estionabls way used in turning down your present commissioner, John G. Wightman.
 Now, I believe the people of Tol- land county should b9 informed as to the methods used in defeating for re- election a man who has always worked for the be st interests of the people of his county, one who has for six years, with very few exceptions, been present at every meeting of the board of commissioners, in every way doing his part of the work in a satis- factory manner. If you wished to find out any small detail regarding the county affairs, John G. Wightman was the man who could inform you, without taking time to look it up. Now, just think of the square deal he receives from the county representa- tives, not the people, they do not count in this deal, and seldom are considered in any political game; and playing the game is all there is to it in turning down the present commis- sioner.
 There Is only one man, I say it again, only one man in your county, who could pull this deal off, and he is the prince of entertainers from Willington. Now, how was it done 1? Just this way, so I have been told Each representative is called, on the day of the caucus, to some quiet part of our political beehive, and quietly informed that Wightman has not been satisfactory as g comm ssioner, was net able to Carry his own town for his party and rybody was going to vote for Leonard. Right here I want to tell you that more than enough to elect, of the representatives, had in- formed Wightman that they would vote for him, and did it of their own free will. As Wightman tells me, he did not ask anybody to support him for reelection. The only two representatives who could withstand the princely enter taining were Davis and Moore from Somers 4s The statement was also made to your representatives that this change would be good thing for the party I say No " Such deal, wherein you do an injustice to a man who has given you his best, can only do harm all over the county.
 Have the representatives consulted their constituents in this matter !? Why was he unable to carry the town of Stafford for his party ? Was it be- cause he would not use his power as commissioner? And right here it might be well to say, that I do not believe commissioner to have any more power, politically, than many other good fellows, unless he Is will- ing to use his official position in a questionable manner. I feel sure the people do not want such men for c1m- misaioners. I can say that the pres- ent board try in every way to keep politics separate from the county busi- ness. There ia not any serious dis