The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-02-11
Leader Banks And
His Inconsistencies
CNew Haven union.l

Representative Banks, Republican
floor leader in the lower House of the
General Assembly, frankly stated
when the question of electing county
commissioners came before that body
this week, that the majority intended
to rule, and rule it most certainly did.
AS Mr.. Banks boldly stated: 1.-THE
Republican General Assembly was
willing to assume the responsibility OF
electing the county commissioners who
county caucuses."
They were willing to assume that re-
sponsibility without obtaining any def
mite information with regard to the
charges which had been brought by
responsible citizens against various
commissioners who had received the
endorsement of the aforesaid Republic
can caucuses. indeed, the resolutions
to refer this matter, to the judiciary
committee, made by Democratic floor
leader Ttngier, was voted down by
strict party vote with the exception
of a half dozen high-minded Repub
licans, who believed that little light
on this sub ject could certainly do no
harm and might do a great deal of
good. -
Why, in the face of the charges
brought. Representative Banks and
his we'll organized majority, desired
no light upon these mooted matters, is
plain. If the various candidates for
the county ommissionerships whose
names We're railroaded through the
House and Senate, with such sickness
and swiftness, were men as well quail
flied for the positions sought as their
adherents claim that they were, then
it strikes us that grave injustice has
been done these gentlemen by not al
lowing them to prove their worth at
public hearing and to answer such
charges as those protesting against
their continuance in office might bring.
Men sure of their position do not finch
before, but rather welcome, the full
est investigation of their course There
was absolutely no good excuse for the
haste with which the Republican leg
islators disposed of this matter, other
than the desire on the part of some
people to have bad mess over with
as quickly as possible.
Not only did the Republican 1egis1a-
ture stif1e fair and impartial inves-
tigation of the charges brought
against certain county commission
ers, but they rode rough shod over the
desires of the people in at least three
of the counties of this state. We
cannot believe for a moment that the
wishes of the people of New Haven,
Middlesex and Fairfield counties have
been followed by the legislators in
this matter of the county commission
erships.
The case of Fairfield county is a
particularly f1agrant example of the
legislature boldly over-ruling the ex-
pressed will of the people of that coun-
ty with regard to their county gov
eminent. In the last election a ma
jority of the people of Fairfield coun-
ty repudiated the Republican legisla-
tive majority there and elected a
Democratic majority in it's place. Here
n1o nd: INV ho Ia
of Fairfield county that they desired
Democratic control to prevail in their
county affairs. The Fairfield county
caucus in pursuance of that mandate
from the people, nominated candidates
for county commissioner that were
entitled to the place. if the last state
election had any significance what
ever. Yet the wishes of the people Of
Fairfield county as expressed by their
chosen representatives was boldly dis
regarded by the Republican General
Assembly.
We have no desire to blow both hot
and cold on this matter and will,
therefore, frankly admit that the Re
publican caucus was clearly entitled
to the right to name the county COM
missioners in Middlesex and in New
Haven counties, they being in ma
jority in both counties. Whether they
have exercised that right wisely is a
question that will be an issue in the
next state campaign in Connecticut.
So far as New Haven county is con-
cerned, we feel that the choice of
Messrs. Walter and Geddes was a
grave mistake. No fair attempt has
ever been made to arrive at the mer-
its of the charges which have been
brought against them. Political con-
siderations, that had no proper place
in the settlement of the controversy,
have been allowed to dominate the
situation from the beginning to the
end.
The Republican party has itself
made the retention of Walter and
Geddes a political issue. So be 1t.
It's floor leader has boldly stated
that the Republican party was glad to
assume full responsibility for such a
course
We repeat these assertions now, so
that when this matter is made a po-
lit cal issue in a future campaign, our
Republican friends may not, with
slick hypocrisy, declare that the Dues
ton of county government should not
be injected into state politics. as
mark you. they most certainly will.
IT is they who have made county
government a political issue in this
state by overriding the expressed