Connecticut western news., 1914-09-24
THE EDITOR INTERVIEWED
John Gives His Impression of the
 Democratic Convention.

The editor of The News began his vacation by attending the recent Demo cratic convention and has been com pelled by the "sub" editor to submit to an interview. We found him in his quiet retreat on West Main streot which he says is the best place in tho world to spend vacation. He was building n coal bin or cementing tho cellar, or doing something of the sort; and after mopping the sweat from his manly brow, he sat down on tho "vinegar" barrel and gave his impress sions.
 He said he attended the convention, as he usually does, in the capacity of the innocent bystander who is inter ested in keeping in touch with the pro gress of political events and meeting old acquaintances from various parts of the state, and found particular enjoy ment, the night before, in mingiirg with the delegates in the Hobbies of tho hotels, quizzing the champions of the leading candidates as to the estimated strength and chances of the favorites; visiting the headquarters of the canli- dates themselves to get information at first hand, and comparing the "dope" with the estimates of the newspaper fellows who manage, by hook or by crook, to get at the real inside facts, generally more accurately than tho knowing politicians. "It's frcat opportunity to study the difference be- tween guess-work, confidence, and bluff," said he. "For example, A group of delegates in one corner of tho Allyn House lobby, comparing notes late in the afternoon, figured that the contest between Baldwin and Mahan for the senatorship nomination, would result In a compromise on dark horse. possibly John e Seymour, of NorvaIk- At the Baldwin headquarters, Kenneth Wynne, who had the Governors cam paign. in charge, confidently asserted, that evening, that Baldwin would win easily, on the first ballot, regardless of whatever claims the opposition wcro then setting up, or which they might set up during the night. At the Mahan headquarters, Mir. Mahan gave the assurance that he had at that very moment, more votes pledged to him than he needed to win the. .nominations and to all appearances he actually be- lieved 1t. Late in the night the shrewd newspaper contingent declared thnk apparently sufficient number of Baldwin delegates had gone over Ia Mahan, during the evening, to defeak the Governor, but that if the Baldwin men could get a vote passed at tho start, ordering that the ballot be by roll-call, each delegate to stand up and respond to his name by announcing his choice, and thus go on record, Bald win would win; but that a secret ballot would be fatal to him-and that is exactly what the convention did It was an open ballot, and Mahan lost The 'trimmers, according to the dopes- ters, dared not go on record against tho Governor.
 "On the governorship the prophets were more in accord. It looked lihs Tingier in every lobbg-at the Allyn House, the Garde, and even at Heublein's, where Charles Comstoct had his headquarters, though the latter gentleman, with straight face, assured me that he was sure of sufficient number of delegates to gain him the nomination. As he received only 70 votes out of the 527 cast, and especially as he is long.headed and astute poli- tician, I, can hardly believe that he would, at any time, have wagered copper on his own prediction. In the Fisher camp there was pretension of confidence, though without a sugges- tion of enthusiasm. Fisher got 6S votes. Judge Tingier made no boast Said he: 80 far as can judge by the reports of my friends, the outlook ix favorable. Of course there are lot of good fellows who drop in to give me the glad hand and make rosy predic- tions, but they are not always to be banked on.' It was sufficient that