The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-10-21
McMuray Tells
 Of Fight For
 Direct Primaries
His Chief Purpose in Running For Representative is to Get Government Closer to People
Candidates Donovan and Wilson and Foremost German Author Addressed Large Meeting Last Evening

An enthusiastic rally, attended by 25o electors, was held last evening in Schwaebischer Maenner Cfror hall and the audience composed almost wholly of German-A1nerican voters was ad- dressed by Jeremiah Donovan, candi- date for Congressman; Col. J. H. Mo- Murray and Lynn w. Wilson, candi- dates for Representatives; John l.. Saxe, former representative to the General Assembly from Waterbury, and Dr. Emil s. Schneider of HobOken, N. J., one of the foremost of German poets and authors and the translator of many English and American writ ings, including Woodrow Wilson's s History of the American People, in to German.
 The chairman of the evening was former Mayor E; T. Buckinghasm who many years. Col. McMurray who was the first speaker, was introduced as a man who had given six years service as public servant in the Common Council, and who had left that body with a record for faithful service of which his constituents could well be proud.
 Col. McMurray said in part: ''I have no personal ambition to go to Hart ford as your representative, but I have embition to see the govern
 ment brought closer to the people. Down in my district over a year ago there was large number of voters
 
 talk before election about direct pci- maries and so little afterward. They decided to put district delegate ticket in the field that was pledged to i'm troduce a resolution in the Democratic city convention in favor of direct pri- maries. The delegation was beaten primary idea was not. At the last primaries another delegation was put in, the field and it was announced that it was also pledged to direct primar- - hRc9JISA there enough voters in our district who be- lieved that it should be possible for candidates for office, even if the can didates were not favored with the sup port of those who controlled the party machinery.
 .As I started with this movement for direct nominations, I am still with 1t and that is the reason ann a can you that if am given your votes on election day that I will do my best to give you performance of duty in strict accordance with the party plat form and that will give particular attention to the plank on direct pri- maries.
 CT am meeting with opposition in this campaign by certain interests who base their opposition upon the claim that I am addicted to radical ism. 4tstand convicted of the charge if my record in the. Common Council is the evidence. ann guilty of such radicaliSm as favoring a, municipal lighting plant. such radicahsm as vot- ing against the 20 year water con- tract; such radica1fsn as favoring more dockage for vessels in our har-1 bors. Let me say to you that since voted for more wharfage in this city that the chairman of the River and Harbors committee Of the U. s. Con gress has held up Bridgeport as an example of an Americn sea port that had almost lost it's place of sea port because of railroad domination
 q introduced a measure favcring that was raddcaIisrr with a big R. Fl went over to New Haven as a part of committee that sought better trolley service for the city and that was rad realism. They wanted an addition to Seaside Park and introduced meas ure into the council that provided for covering number of years. Today if the same property was on the mar ket the city could get GOO for it. There was another form of my radical ism. was instrumental in the pur- chase of the land for the eastern ap- proach of the Congress street bridge for s15,0 900, and four days after tF1e clty had got a claim it the owner was offered $20,00O for it.
 "I tell these things to prove my rad icahs1n because that part of the press charges without stipuIating why they make them. and find it necessary to help them ont in making their charges by. giving some facts to base them
 Dr. schueider brought a message from the German voters of Jersey which he delivered in the mother tongue
 Lynn w. Wilson gave his hearers an interesting talk on the reasons that B. J. Hill had not made good as a rep resentatiye of the people.
 John l.. Sake of Waterbury gave an interesting talk in which he touched on State affairs and explained how Highway Comm issioner Macdonald had built up a, gigantic political ma chine in the State and was allowed to spend millions of dollars every year without being obliged to make an ac- counting to anyone
 When Senator Donovan was called upon to speak he stated that the hour was so late that he would not detain his hearers long and he spoke for less than three minutes upon the subject of the high cost of living ExY0AE q nH Hna e41nE@-a