The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-27
Democratic Convention Carries Out Plan Agreed Upon by Chairman of 10
 Voting Districts
Alderman GaTfy For Tax Collector, g. Boucher For City Clerk William M. Thomas For Town Clerk Complete Iicket-MayM Euckingham's Name Presented
 by Lynn W. Wilson

it for this that he is to be denied a renOmination?
 Another principle embodied in the Democratic platform was that of the referendum, the great principle of giv- ing the people a say in what is to be Fto their vote questions affecting them. The Democratic party stood for that and the Democratic party still think now for four years stands upon the platform and agrees that there should be no tinkering with the char ter, of the city of Bridgeport, that there should be no great bond issue, that no such thing should take place with the consent of this administra- stion without it was submitted to the people; and my friends, ask you if Mayor Buckingham and his adminis- tration have not carried out in good faith that demand, with the aid of the representatives in the General As- sembly. If we had had a chance to go into conference, we would have talked these things over with you, Mayor Buckingham ought to be de- nied 8 renomination for carrying out that order of the Democratic party?' ; MT. Wilson then took up the ques- tion of trolley conditions here. He pointed out the visit of Mayor Buck ingham and his committees of citizens visiting the office of Charles s. Mellen, road, and told of Mayor Buckingham's demand that Bridgeport should be bet ter served. Then he directed the at tention of the delegates to the big ex- penditures in progress at the power house of the company here, of their other expenditures and improvements, and asked if for this great public ser vice Mayor Buckingham was to be denied a renomination.
 Under a previous administration" ," said he. "a bridge was to be built After some dickering the city got $30- 900 from the railroed fo- its shar. of cost But under the leadership of Mayor Bucking,sam and with such men as our representatives at Hart ford, we wrested from the Consoli- dated railroad bill that they should pay their equitable share And even now, up in Ansonia under the law they have just had to pay half the cost of the construction of a new bridge. Is it for things like this that we are to. deny this honest, just and strong Mayor the renomination he de- serves? And so might go on, my friends. and tell you of the things never been done before"
 
 Buckingham's great accomplishment towards equalization of taxes. Mayor Buckingham said he, 'sgot that com mand from the last convention, and he has carried it out as no other Mayor has succeeded in doing be- fore That did not show weakness Tn the Mayor. It showed strength, and it took nerve to do it.
 Undoubtedly it is true. he con- tinued, "that for many, many weeks. coming like sailors with money in their hands, representing certain in- terests, men have said, oh, how often. Buckingham is weak man. There fore he ought not to be Mayor of Bridgeport again.'''
 The speaker lowered his voice inn pressively. He is so weak, gentle men," said he, "that he untwisted those fingers from that quarter of a million contract. He is so weak that he gets the city a referendum upon the million dollar worth of bonds, against repeated warning.
 And gentlemen. the sources of the gentlemen who are ever ready to destroy the servant of the people.
 You know, gentlemen" continued the speaker, what it means to take money from the water monopoly know it never could have been done had you not the mayor you have. know as man who has fought good fights for the people, without re- ward, that the man who can fight as Mayer Buckingham has fought for the people is a strong man and an honest man.
 Mayor Buckingham has stood for municipal ownership of public utili- ties, condition that means cheaper gas and cheaper water and cheaper electric light and cheaper trolley fares to the people and condition that represents dollars in savings in the homes. I want to tell you, my friends, that when under the influ- ence of these tremendous forces rep- resenting this tremendous aggrega- tion of wrong doers in our midst he has stood for during his admin istration, he is not weak man. He is strong and honest man. That's the kind of a weakling he is, That is why so much effort has been ex- pended to defeat him.
 Mayor Buckingham says in :, sta tement that has been made to the. today that he has been placed in a strange position. Mayor position is not sec ret. I am breaking no confidence when I say. what I am about to say.
 Mayor Buckingham's position is like that of combatant in duel whose adversary has met him upon the field of honor and said to him:
 Sir, we ought not to quarrel there is no occasion. You lay down your gun and I will lay down my gun and we'll shake hands and make up.
 And then he lays down his arms and the other fellow shoots him in the belly in the good old fashioned way that they practiced in the early days in the West.
 When did you first ind out some of you, that you were not going to be for Mayor Buckingham I want to ask you what caucus you attended ? want to ask you where Democratic l delegates talked over these things | that am saying to you now and to 1 nquire one of another whether it would be a wise thing in any dele l gate not to vote for Mayor Bucking- lam's renomination. And I want to l ell you what the mayor says about ! hat. He says that until two or three | lays ago he had been assured Gn he way that you know politics are that if he did not go into |