The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-26
Judge Wagner's Interesting Dis
course on Sweeping Reforms
in His State
Political Changes Resulting from
Recent Election Revolution
lied Staid New England
State


ner proved to be a young, up-to-date
taIker, who had every one of his aud
itors listening with rapt attention,
and wishing his address twice as long.
His sentences were replete with bright
saIIies, epigrams and flashes of gen
uine wit.
Mr.. Wagner began by saying that
in former days, New Hampshire's
chief crops were great men, bou1ders
and abandoned farms, but as OBJ
stac1es developed stamina in some
men, and stubbornness in others, the
former, who tempered this quality
with Judgment, fled. The ones who
remained behind in the rural districts,
sit in their produce wagons like Pa
thence on a monument smiling at the
high cost Of living. OF the great men,
some came to Connecticut, some to
Massachusetts, others to the West,
everywhere men of courage and a bill
ity were needed Butler and Webster
to Massachusetts,, Zachariah Chandler
and Lewis Cass to Michigan, Horace
Greeley to New York These men
have been New Hampshire's greatest
crop-and so to reverse the trio, first
the boulders, then the abandoned
farms, then the great men.
''It would be garbling the truth"
continued Judge Wagner, ito deny
that up to a few short years ago,
New Hampshire was a boss ridden
state with the great railroad inter
ests in the saddle. In the fall Of 1909
rumblings of discomfort were heard
but so strongly entrenched were the
ruling powers that it seemed a hope
less task to dislodge them. AS
sterling railroad statesman once re-
marked in a public addres: The rail-
roads manage the state of New
Hampshire mighty we'll, SO why inter
fere?" Small notice was taken of
the House with it's hundreds of mem
bers. But the Senator, all, that was
different. The Senate was a body Of
individuals entirely surrounded by
corporations. Their chief duties, for
which they had been carefully select
ed by all except their constituents,
were to sit up with much dignity in
their swivel chairs, and the pop
ular bills passed by the House.
Senators were usually chosen for
their good clothes. their amiability,
fIexibiIty, and occasionally for their
ability, but the latter was a minor
consideration. They were viewed
with distrust before they were sworn
. into office, with disfavor a week lat
er, and with dismay long before the
session was over The House was the
incubator of great reforms, the Sem
ate the morgue where the obsequies
were duly conducted over the victims
so still and beautiful in death while
thousands mourned. The vocabulary
of the average Senator was limited to
three E6I4aTkS- Move TO amend,
Move to lay on the table, Move to
adjourn Most of their talking was
done for them before the daily session
began. They obeyed the Injunction;
step softly and carry the big stick,
and when you see Il bill the people
want. hit it. In matters of art, the
the picture, His Masters Voice, made
the greatest appeal to them
All this was changed by the passage
of Direct Primary Bill, publicity of
| campaign expenses an act to prevent
bribery and corruption, the registra-
ton of lobbyists and other reform
| measures which aim to secure purity
of elections
Although a small state, New Hamp-
shire has the second largest law max
ing body in the world. The House
and Senate combined number about
40. New Hampshire though ultra
conserVatiyA until of late years, due
| to absolute political domination by
| corporate influences, owes its pres
| ent progressive state to the same
cause.
That New Hampshire should ever be
| under other than Republican control
was believed to be not only improb-
| able but utterly impossible, at least
| until Nov. 5th. 1912. For more than
forty years the Republicans had been
| in power. Many close fights had been
| waged for governor, but the House
| and Senate had always been safely
Republican. Following the last cleo
| ton a curious situation was present
| ed. Ten Republican and nine Demo-
| crat Sena tors were elected also one
Democrat who had failed to win the
nomination of his own party was nom
| mated and elected as a Republican in
| that district. In four districts there
| was no popular choice, so the election
was thrown into the Legislature The
| comb ined Senate and House number
ing ABOUT 40, CLOSELY divided
| between Republicans and Democrats,
| that the aVoWed progressives num-
| bering twenty, held the balance Of
| power By joining forces with the
| Democrats, they elected a Governor,
| four Democratic State Senators in the
no choice districts. For the first time
| in fifty years. the state administra-
| ton is Democratic in the Senate, as
| are the five members of the Cover
| nOr's council Many important APP
| pointments are at the disposal of the
| administration and the political per-
| sonnet of practically every commits
sion in the state will be changed. The
| latest effect of this confused political
! jungle was the election of a Democrat
| as United States Senator. After a
| two months struggle, Henry F. Hol-
| lis, Democrat and a. lawyer of Con-
| cord was elected by the votes of eight
| Republicans and the almost solid vote
| of the Democratic party whose can
| didate he had been from the outset.
| The Republicans are dazed, the Dem
| ocrats elated and every day is a field
| day to the festive Progressive A
| senatorial investigation is now under
| way to probe rumors of bribery
| It is chiefly summer resort that
| the state is coming to the front Three
| trunk lines have opened up the state
| from Portsmouth to the White Noun
| tains and beyond. One day during
| the last summer saw at Echo Lake
| automobiles from New York Califor-
| mia, Ohio, Wyoming, Tennessee IIn-
| nois andi the Province of Quebec
| The sentiment which prompted the
| celebration of "OId Home Week was
| the idea of a New Hampshire man,
| Frank West Rollins, Governor in 1889.
| 1t found enthusiastic favor, and every