Connecticut western news., 1915-12-23
]. HENRY'S SPEECH
Made Hit at the Big Dinner to John
 T. king.

FNht5s
 The big republican complimentary dinner to John T. King. the Bridge port leader, in Bridgeport, Thursday night, was attended by about .o00 of "the faithful" including Governor Holcomb, ]. Henry Rorahdck. Speaker Healy and other big wigs Of the party. Lieutenant. Governor Wilson fficiatad as toastmaster at the post rrandial ex- ercises, which were unusually Y interest ing and were interrupted nt one stage by the presentation of $fi0 diamond ring to the guest of honor, Mir. King.
 Special interest was shown m tho speech by Chairman J. Henry Rora- back, who referred cetnusly to the reported strained relations" between himself and Mir. King. From the re- port of the Hartford Pos. representa- tive we quote:
 Then State Chairman Rnraback was introduced as n man whose serenity no storm disturhs and who hus borne many abuses with the same delightful smile" "Ee has led the party through many battle and very suo- cessfully," said the Lieutenant.G Cover nor.
 "As to John King" said MT. Rora- back, after acknowledging the greeting of his hearers, "he and don't speak, When the laugh had subsided Mir. Roraback alluded to tho predictions ho made year ago that Connecticut WAS fn for good old fashioned Republican administration and Le claimed, tho prediction proved true.
 "When the legislature cnnvenel," he said, Connecticut was in serious condition. We were not meeting the running expenses aud deficit con- fronted us. Bond isues had been necessary. What the legislature did is history. One by one tie laws that were passed are going into effect aud when they are all in operation we will have passed from insolvency to sol- vency. And this is the action of the legislature that was damned from ono end of the State to tho other by tho Democratic press"
 Mir. Rorahack then offered his hearers the startling information that the busi- ness interests of the State were willing to pay even more than they were called upon to and that the taxation net was drawn at the instance and with the ap- proval of the State manufu urers.
 Then the State Chairmaa.-alluded to his alleged differences with MT. King and others. "I've been told, ." he said, that John T. King has lorg stilettu concealed about his person that he fs waiting for a chance to thrust into mo; that Frank Healy has bought a brace of Derringers with which he is practicing industriously, that 'Cliff' Wilson visits the ammunition plants of Bridgeport daily to secure the latest explosive ;that Former Lieutenant Governor Blakeslee has discovered a new political weapon and that the Governor is studying new brands of soothing syrup. Be that Bs it may, I want to predict that there will be State convention in Connecti- cut next September and it will be run by the 5S0 odd delegates, who will make up n ticket without dictation from the Democratic press, the Repub- lican press or the Republican machine"
 When MT. King rose to make bis speech, he said, according to the Herald report:
 "I was very much surprised to note that such an astute politician, such clever leader as MT. Roraback should say, with the Hartford Times, and Democratic press of the state, that he and don't speak as we pass by. of course. Henry, I want to remind you that this statement of yours is now going to be held up as one of the dark secret machinations of the Machiavelli of Connecticut politics from the state of Connecticut and beautiful town of Canaan. was pleased to hear MT. Roraback's statement, and gentlemen, if you have any faith in me, and I think and am proud that you haye, when Mir. Roraback, as chairman of the state committee, tells the Republi- cans of the state of Connecticut that the state convention is an open proposi- tion to all delegates, gentlemen, you can believe Mir. Roraback, because he is a man of honor"