Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-30
STATE POLICE HELPING NEW LONDON
Have Accomplished What Local Force Would Be Seriously Handicapped in Doing-What They Stop the Local Police Should Be Able to Keep Checked-J. C. Geary May Be Minority Leader in Lower House of General Assembly.

titled under the law. nor is he given
 fair play StatewiSe. The legislators
 attack him from every side and make
 all possible laws to curtail his busi-
 encourage competition by legalizing
 drinking clubs. It might be well for
 the temperance lobbyists in the state
 legislature to devote some of the spare
 time to bettering the conditions under
 the existing laws rather than farth-
 burden the the legitimate liquor deal- CT.
 The free lunch feature has been
 abolished by law, and it has been sug-
 gested that the temperance lobbyists
 now tackle the treating custom and
 also put an end to the Christmas giv-
 ing of liquor dealers their patrons,
 some of the latter being of the Christ
 mas eve type only. There is more
 drunkenness on Christmas and the
 night before than perhaps at any oth- CT one time during the year and all on account of the presents of bottles of
 whiskey given out by liquor dealers.
 Lobbyist Spooner and his corps of as- sistants ought to devote the main part of their time at the 1917 session in improving the present conditions in the
 liquor traffic ather than battling price to do legitimate business. It
 would be well for them t odevote at least one session to the correction of errors in the business as it exists, and thereby do some real temperance work. There is prospect that Attorney John
 C. Geary, the representative from Wa terford, his native time, will be selected as the minority leader of the house in the legislature of 1917 It is a long, long time since this honor fell to New London county, and with dueSconsider- a otinr, ha fo1y nat no democrat that ever represented any part of the country at Hartford, is as we'll qualified for >the place as is MT Geary. He is conceded to be a lead ing lawyer of the county and his true democracy cannot be questioned. He f1rst-class speaker, and with that fore thought that is often lacking in legis- lators; he knows enough not to speak when he has nothing to say and has not the fault of liking to hear him self talk The democrats of the house are fortunate in having such a well qualified member for leader, and if he is not chosen it can be put down as democratic blunder No. for the 1917 session.
 Howard Taylor. of Danbury, an old time legislator, democrat, IS a candi- date for remocratic leadership, a po-
 
 every session of which he was a member, hut he is known sopwell, his methods are so plaina his talk so long
 that he has long since lost influence even OF the democratic side. Martin
 Kane, of Naugatuck, is also after the
 place, passing hfh claim on previous legislative experience, but above all other democrats in the house he is the least fitted as a leader. Mrf Kane poses as friend of the workingman
 as does almost every other politician
 and for political reasons, but he lacks that tact that is essential for 9 minor ity leader. He would have no inf1u- ence with the majority and would therefore be of little or no account. Charles N. Ha11., of New Milford. is another candidate for minority floor leader. MT. Hall, like MT. Kane, is the workingman's friends, and he con- siders himself an authority on par liamentary law, and endeavors to inn press that fact upon his fellow legis- lators at every possible opportunity. Sc after it is all said and done. the dem ocrats will exercise the best of judg- ment if they select John c. Geary as the leader, the best fitted man in the bunch.