The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-21

The New Haven Union prints the following editorial, dealing with the legislative situation at Hartford, anent the public utilities bill. It is regard ed as one of the strongest presenta- tions of the situation in the General Assembly that has been made. The editorial:
 What Connecticut needs just now is somebody to write a history of the Connecticut legislature of 1911 simi- lar to the one that Franklin Hlch- born wrote about the California leg consider the course that California politics has taken since Hichborn wrote his masterly exposure of mis- representative government in that state to feel that similar tale might work wonders even in Connecticut. In fact the legislative situation in Con- necticut Is today so like the one ex- istent in the California of @ couple of years ago that MT. Hichborn's true story of conditions there not only will be of educational value here, but the analogy between legislative conditions in both states is in a way positively startling. All MT. Hichborn need do, is to change some of his names of persons and corporations to meet Con- necticut nomenclature and you have a legislative history of our own Gen eral Assembly for any session for sev- eral years back.
 The Southern Pacific never domi- mated California politics in a more brazen or sinister fashion than the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad is dominating Connecticut politics today. The people are fast waking up to the situation In this state. It. has resolved itself into conflict between one gigantic corpora ton and its satellites and sycophants on one side; and the rest of us on the other: The next political cam paign in this state will practically find party lines wiped out, even if the party names are not obliterated. It will be the road against the field, and the road will have nobody to blame so much for this situation as itself and its near-sighted officials and di- rectorS
 We imagine that the Southern Paci- f1c wishes now that it had not inter fered so boldly and tyrannically with the government of California. The New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad is going to learn a similar lesson in Connecticut. In the end cor porate interference with the govern ment of a state is bad move for the corporation that makes it. Today Connecticut is ruled by one corpora ton. The sequel to that story in the clear light of experience can be no other than tomorrow Connecticut will rule it's present corporate master with an iron hand. The longer the railroad lobby succeeds in damming back the public utility corporations the great CT and more sweeping will be the leg islation that will follow when the rising tide of public sentiment can no longer be controlled.
 The defeat of the minority meas
 
 for 1t of the Banks 1 was the beginning of the | end of railroad domination in Con- | necticut legislative affairs. The House | of "J. Henry" of John" and "Bob'' and Ed" and the rest has gone too | reached themselves and have raised | an issue In the state that will not | down. Like Banquo's ghost it will | rise and rise again and again to | plague not only them, but also those | who are responsible for their pres ence in the lobby, and their listing in | the corporate records under the head | of legal expenses"
 Not content with hard-earned | victory accompanied by approved lob- by methods, some of these railroad | minions must needs celebrate the in fitting manner. Off to the Heublein they went, joined even by legislators who took leading parts in the playing of their legislative games. Wine flowed like water till the wee small hours and those who missed their trains were assured of a special to take them home to the furtherest ends of the state if needs be- Others were furnished sleeping quarters free gratis. The big bill, of course, must have been charged up to legal expenses" there being ac- cording to high authority no such thing as lobby expenses at Hartford, because "the railroad supports no lobby there.'
 The brazen effrontery of it all is astounding. The details of the Heu- blein party are slowly leaking out. How the singing of a glad refrain, the chorus being led by smiling "Bob,''