The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-12
UNHOLY ALLIANCE
REJECTS CALDWELL
Mahan Democrats and
Mac Donald RepubIi-
cans Do the Trick
Five Democrats Combine With
Reps" to Keep Macdonald
in Office
Especial to The Farmer.)

Hartford, Feb. 12HFfve Democratic
senators four of them in the congress
sional district of Bryan AIahan the
new congressman from the Second
district and one having a summer
home in the district, combined with Is
Republican senators yesterday to pre-
vent Governor Baldwin from replac-
ing Highway Commissioner James H.
Macdonald with a Democrat, a COM
petent and experienced engineer.
These Democrats instead of stand
ing by the Democratic governor and
the big majority of the Democratic
senators. elected to follow false
leadership and now no one can tell
what the finish will be except that it
is not difficult to forecast the finish
of the Democratic party in Connecti-
cut if traitorouS leaders are able to
command a following sufficient to null
lily the efforts of a Democratic gov
ernor and a majority of the Demo
| cratic senate carrying out the plat
form pledges of the party, to say moth
Committee which was practically
unanimous for Caldwell.
The vote to reject William H
Caldwell as highway Commissioners was
Is to 16. A change of one vote would
have resulted in a tie and Lieut. Gov
ernor Tingier stood ready to dissolve
that tie in favor of the governors
nominee
The vote was cast as follows
Yes-Senators J. A. NfeJohnson,
Purcell, Frohiich, Quinn, Stanley,
Avery Newman. Mcneil, Whitoomb.
Peck, Weed and Forster (aH Demo
| crats). 16.
No-Democrats: Senators Landers,
Miner F. A. Johnson. WEIGH, Noun
tain Republicans: Cheney, Stevens.
Collins. IsbeIl, McGra.th, Kelsey, Perry
keaeh, Wadhams, Sanford. G. H
When Senator George NJ. I1anders of
New Britain the home of both Landers
and Caldwell voted against his fell
Ito hisses- The oWtburst was stop
ped by the Lieut. Governor who
Threatened to have all spectators re-
moved If the offense was repeated
ing the causes which led up to the
reputation of the governors selec-
talk about Mr.. CadwelI's unfitness was
pure moonshine invented by selfish in
| dividuals for selfish purposes and sew
eral men of good Intentions were mis-
led by the talk.
After Senator Isbe1 the Republican
member of the committee had taken
up the cudgeIs against Mr.. Caldwell
yesterday and Vainly strove to show
cause why he should not be consider
| ed, Senator Mccarthy of Ansonia gain
! ed the attention of the Senate and il
actual facts as testified to in the case
showed to the satisfactio of any un-
biased mind that Mr.. Caldwell was not
only not guilty of charges alleged but
! on the contrary the very charges
| proved him to be in all respects ade-
quateIy equipped for the position.
Senator Mccarthy appealed to the
| reason and fairness of the Senate moi
] to its prejudfces or its passions He
read from the testimony taken by
| himself and his colleagues, Landers
and IsbeI and showed from this evi-
dence that Mr.. Caldwell was thorough
| 1y equipped for the duties and thai
| the charges alleged, against him were
upon investigation found untrue.
Once in the course of his remarks
Senator Mccarthy paused and with
| much solemnity announced that II
jority of the committee would say to
| the senate that the slightest evidence
the part Of Mr. Caldwell during his 80
| years career as civil engineer in the
| exercise of many positions of respon-
! sibiIity was deduced at any of the
hearings he would withdraw his re
port and vote with the others in rec
| ommending his rejection. Senator
| Mccarthy showed that Mr. Caldwell
never sought the office. He proved
by the evidence that the governor had
after careful investigation of the mer
| in Connecticut available for the office
| charges which had subsequently beer
heard by the committee were invesu
/ gated by the governor and found to be
no bar to Mr.. CadwePs appointment
| Senator Mccarthy showed further
| more that Mr. Caldwell was so inef
| fcient an engineer in New Britain
| that he saved that city 500, 900 on
| sewerage contract that the city wa
| told by imported experts would cos
at least $1oo0,0oO
| Senator Mccarthy closed with
| ringing appeal to the Democrat U'
| Senators to stand by their leader, tn
| Governor of the State and by thei
| platform which pledged them to tn
| reorga anization of the State E1ighwa.
| department under a new head
| The debate as told in the Farmer o
yesterday was in the open for Sena
| tor Mcneil promptly moved that thu
executive session be open to the pub
| lie and the press and the motion wa
| carried without dissent.
| Following Senator Mccarthy and il
| further reply to the report of Senator
| Landers and Isbell came the Demo
| cratic Senate Leader Judge John Nc
Donough of Naugatuck with an e1o
| quent appeal for the confirmation o
| Mr. Caldwell
'"This matter should be put OF
said Senator McDonough- 'It is {
/ question of paramount Importance tt
| the honest citizenship of Connecticut
All of the people of Connecticut know
| that we have a highway commissioner
who has never rendered an intel
| 1igible report of the finances of that
1 department, over which he has pre-
sided for many years. The people OF
| this state know also that the commit
I tee on Executive Nomina tions 'Which
has considered this nomination by the
governor is not a fair and impartia
committee in toto
| At this tuncture Senator McDonougt
was interrupted by one of the New
| London county senator's Johnson OF
| Uncasville, who made a. point Of order
| that the Democratic senate leader IL
attacking the committee was not in
/ order. The Lieutenant governor ruled
Confined on PAes EHol