The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-25
THE FARMER: MAY 9. 1911

If Judson has any evidence that
 I tried to influence delegates eith-
 CT by the use of money or any
 other improper means let him pro-
 duce it in court and have me ar
 rested
 I had Westport for sure, but the
 night of the caucus a number of
 people strangely withdrew their
 support. When I received the re-
 turns from Westport, I was satis-
 fled that there was something
 wrong. I was told by two men in
 the convention that one of the
 delegates came to them and offer
 ed himself for sale for $100. You
 may think that was cheap for one
 delegate. Perhaps it was, but
 what good is one delegate when
 you need four and can get only
 one, even for such a small sum.
 And then, Sept. P, The Hartford Courant, commented as follows:
 Now that it is all over and Jud-
 quoted as declaring that efforts
 were made to buy out delegates fla
 vorable to him. Per contra Judge
 Banks declares, that he was ap-
 preached by Judson delegates
 ready to change their views for
 compensation. Each side charges
 the other with disreputable con-
 
 eral cause in which these two can
 didates are only incidents. If we
 are not mistaken the first charge
 came from MT. Judson, which
 would seem to justify MT. Banks
 in making reply, but what
 either is to gain by the exchange
 of cOurtesieS is not clear.
 But it wasn't hushed up. Not then. For certain men of Easton. Robert Marsh and E. R. Nichols, made af- fdavits in detail alleging bribery in this district. Alleged it over their and made oath to what they alleged
 And on Sept 22, discussing these Easton bribery charges, MT. Judson said, speaking of the bribes that had been sworn to:
 "It was not Judge Banks
 money" It was not Judge Banks
 himself, or his agents. It was the
 New Haven road and the agents
 of the road.
 On Friday, Sept. 23, MT. Judson said:
 I have learned who was the in
 termediary, I will summon him.
 And a day or two later MT. Jud- son found that the corrupt practices act had been emasculated by this Legislature, under the very eye and upon the very report of the Judiciary committee, the committee of which you are the successors, and that he was deprived of his powers to have bribery suspects hailed before the court, and the Easton case lapsed in to a state of suspended animation.
 The Governor of this State has found it necessary to ask you, in his massage, to put back into the corrupt practices act, that which was taken from it.
 Here we- have the exposure, in a of anger. perhaps, or of pa triotism, of the actual working of the political system in Connecticut. The Senate owned for 1.-two de- cades'. The lobby changing votes in the midst of a disgraceful scene" Delegates offered for s100. Attempted bribery sworn to. The hands of a state attorney tied by, the violation of a law against political corruption. There is the assertion attributed to Mr. Banks, that s100 is a small price for a delegate, but that it is useless to buy one delegate where four are needed.
 And then The Courant, with it's ed- itorial, which means nothing more and nothing less than "for Gods sake, gentlemen, hush it up"
 All the evidence tends to show that we are dealing with the usual and &C.,
 
 pected and bizarre incident. Accusa- tions of bribery are exchanged as a thing done in the order of things, and a newspaper takes the attitude, or the attitude, that 1t was un- gentlemanly for MT. Judson to pro- test and legitimate for MT. Banks to reply, because Judson had infringed the rule of the game.
 And more to this point. This Gen. wal 1o lI1ff e or initiated resolutions, to investigate and farmers and pretty much all the humber sorts of men. But I have looked in vain for a res- olution to investigate bribery and in the State of Connec- ticut.
 The tauntings of Mayor Thayer, the scandals in the State conventions, the overloaded expense accounts of recent candidates, the specific complaint of Prof. Fox, the scandal in the Second Congressional district, the accusations of Governor Baldwin. the charges of corruption proceeding from the distinguished members of this committee have not yet brought the General Assembly to the mind that, for the good name of the State these scandals should be probed to the bottom, let who may be the suf- ferer.
 Do you wonder that the people have determined to take the government in- to their own hands, that they have determined to dispense with nominat- ing conventions, and to hold veto power over laws and to exercise the right to make the legislation that seems good to them?
 They do not want more lobbyists swarming on the floor of the House, changing votes in the midst of a dis graceful scene.
 They are tired of Senates of which Senators can say they have been dominated for two decades by public service corporations and of Senators who "sneak'' into the ante-rooms to meet paid lobbyists who tell them how to vote.
 I beg your committee to begin the end of this sort of thing by reporting favorably the measures now before you and report also if you desire a bill for an investigation of corrup- ton and another for an amendment to the constitution making it treason for any one to corrupt the State with bribery, for treason bribery is, a kind of wrong more fatal to States than foreign foes or Civil war.
 And if there is, upon the part of these special interests in Connecticut, further disposition to interfere with the passage of this just legislation, remind them that the richest man in it is said that all he touched turned to gold, but who had the ears of an ass.
 And if any arise to sneeringly de- clare that the people are a mob in- of self government, say that it is a little late in the day to announce such an opinion. For