The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-28
.REDDING'S DEMOCRATIC
 CANDIDATES
Various Progressive Measures Which Their Candidates
 Typify

Bedding, Oct. 27-By far the most important measure now before the public for reform in political methods is that of the direct primary. Under that system the voters will say, and say with finality, who their candidates for public office shall be, thereby practically doing away with boss con- trol of primaries and entirely doing away with the defeat of their inten- tions from the going astray. through coercion or corruption of delegates who betray the trust reposed in them. The direct primary is one of the big
 issues in the present State campaign 1nent place in the Democratic plat form. However, the reform. can only electing legislators who favor it and hence Bedding voters who want di- rect primaries should support the Democratic candidates for representa- tive. It is true that in the past two or three legislatu lures there have been independent Republicans whose help quisite for the adoption of certain pro-
 gressive measures, the Public Utilities bill being the most conspicuous exam pie, but Messrs. Hill and Hazen, the to the independent or progressive class. This is shown by the records in the Legislature when they proved to be blindly obedient. followers of ma
 chine dictation. In case they are elect ed what can be hoped from them at cred that the present head of the ma
 chine is Chairman Rohrback of the Republican State committee, chief lob byist for the railroad and it's allied corporation interests and bitter foe of the entire progressive program of leg islation.
 Should an effort be made this win ter to tighten the rivets of the Public Utilities bill and insert some teeth in 1t Messrs- Hill and Hazen. if they are elected, will unQuestionably vote in the negative. If move is made to modify the bill so as to render it less effective, and therefore more pleasing would surely be in accord. Likewise they would be against the election Of United States Senators by, popular against any attempt to remove High way Com. Macdonald from a position in which he has proven himself incom- ministers as an auxiliary of his party's machine. In short they will represent standpatism and retrogression instead have caused Connecticut to be termed in matters of legislation, about the most unprogressive State in the Union.
 D. P. Sanford and T. M. Stock ing, the Democratic candidates, stand for precisely the opposite of what the Republican candidates stand for, and this consideration ought to be the guiding influence with the thoughtful, intelligent voter. It should be so not only with those of Democratic proclivi- ties but also with independent Repub- licans and especially so with those of Bull Moose tendencies. The latter have no local representative candidates and to vote for. Hazen and Hill would be an endorsement of principles and policies which the new party repudi- ates and which tle- Democratic plat form also opposes in the main. Merely personal likes and dislikes ought col have no decisive influence in determin- ing the voters choice.
 The situation and the contrast is quite as sharply accented in the case of the senatorial candidates for this district as in the case of the local rep resentative candidates. MT. Bissei1, the Republican candidate, was picked months before the nominating conven- ton was held and his selection had the entire approval of Chairman Rohrback. In other words he is the candidate of the corporations. That MT Peck is not such a candidate and just where 1 he stands is fully understood by all who are acquainted with his record of useful and progressive service in the | legislature two years ago.