The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-07
LOBBY MUST
 BE EXPELLED
 FROM 6. Q. p.
Harbormaster Morris Shows How Agents of Interests Have Slaughtered Direct Nomination Legislation

Harbor Master Charles H. Morris announced, last night, that his "direc, primaries ticket will appear in eight districts, and that his delegates will make their fight in public on the floor of the convention, and that they will neither consent to compromise their cause nor to be smothered in caucus MT. Morris said:
 There will be tickets pledged to me in eight districts, out of 12, in this city. Every delegate is pledged over his signature to contend in the con- vention. without compromise, for a change in the party rules to permit the Republican voters here after to make their own nominations.
 This reform means that the rules would be changed. To illustrate by the present conditions, the names of MT. MT. Wilson, MT. Arnold and myself would be placed upon a single ticket, which would be voted in every district. The voter who pre- ferred me would put a cross oppo- site my name The man who op- tained the most crosses would be the party candidate. The party nominees for town clerk, city clerk. tax coliec- tor and other offices would be select ed in the same way.
 The trouble with the present sys- tenn is that the party voters have very little to do with it. Delegate tickets are made up unpledged. This is an other way of saying to the voters tha, it is none of their business what the delegates do. The convention will consist of greater or less number of these unpledged delegates.
 "If there are 19 of them in the conv vention. these 19 will vote for the most part as they are pledged to vote This is in the manner in which they are instructed by so-called leaders.
 Now I complain, and I speak from knowledge, that these leaders are in large part not interested in the Suc- cess of the Republican party, except when party victory contributes to theil prestige, or swells their incomes.
 I lay down the rule that the Re- publican party exists for the benefit o1 the Republican voters and the peo- pie. But these leaders use it to place themselves in control of the city, state and national organiza ton of our party and from these positions of party trus, they direct legislation for the benefit of employers and masters who grow richer by making the people poorer.
 T think it unnecessary to enforce this truth further than to say that during the last session of the general assembly those most conspicuous in the lobby, were men who hold office upon the Republican state central committee, who are known as bosses two kinds of bosses work together tc kill laws that the people want
 Now this sort of thing begins at home. Every one of those men is where he is, and able to kill legisla- tion in the name of the Republican party, because of the party systems by which mean the system of nomi- mating in small conventions. If the voters make the nominations direct this sort of thing will be ended. ss1 have given this matter much thought, and much time. Two years ago delegates pledged to me offered g direct primaries plank as an addition delegates connected with the faction in control, put the resolution in his pocket, and that was the end of it.
 "A year ago, delegates from the Eleventh district, prepared a set o1 rules to bring about direct nomina- tions. The delegate whose duty it was to offer these rules upon the floor o1 the convention, was by some means in duced not to do so. At an adjourned I entered the convention on a proxy, and offered the rules in per- son. The element in control adjourned the convention with business unfinish- ed, to avoid the issue.
 "Yet this reform is demanded by the Republican party. The proof ot this is the great Republicans who ad- it. Also the Judiciary com mittee, by a minority, in the last ses- sion of the legislature reported the Perry direct primaries bill, which would accomplish in the entire state, what simple change in the party rules will accomplish in Bridgeport.
 And this bill passed the senate. It was beaten in the house by the small town vote, but it was favored by rep of more than two-thirds of the population of Connecticut.
 s"The Morris delegations are pledged. They have united upon certain means, if they are elected, to insure that there will be no trailers to their program or to the Republican party among them. They will carry their candidate and their platform for direct nominations on to the floor of the convention, whether they are one or a majority. They will not be smothered in caucus They will not be bought and they will not trade, or sell.
 We may not be successful this year, though the outlook is hopeful But we are in this contest to stay, whether it is one year more, or 10 years more. We believe that the Republican party should be ruled by Republicans, and that Republican nominees should be the choice of Republicans