The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-31

gress, was a member, of that sessions Senate and by voice and vote rendered valuable service in the same d1rec- tion.
 It was about this time that the car nival of frenzied finance due to the expansion mania which had seized upon the railroad managers In their determination to obtain monopoltStle control of New England's transporta- ton facilities-steam railroad, trolley and water-reached the climact1c stage. Through the reckless purchase of unproftable properties and the loading of them upon the New Haven the later craft had become waterlogged and was veering upon the rocks. A former prince among the country's great railroad systems had become or was becoming a pauper although the full extent of the catastrophe was not revealed until later Whether it's au- thors did or did not personally profit by transactions productive of @ flnan- cial mess which legislative committees, the Interstate Commerce Commission and the courts, have not succeeded in wholly clearing up. is of minor inter est to those who mourn for the divi- dends which were and are not. The fact that some of the directors are still under criminal indictment and that there is pending a civil suit to re- cover something like $2o0, ,0oO, 900 from members of the former directorate is also of secondary interest.
 The paramount present interest for the voter is the course he shall adopt to prevent a recurrence of like calam- tties. Corporation control of the Leg 1slature is relaxed but by no means broken as must be apparent to anyone who remembers the old alliance be- tween the Republican orga apization and the Interests and who takes into account the fact that the dominant figures in the G. O. P. organization are still J. Henry Rchraback and John T. King. The leoparh may change his war cries but not his spots. What they can do in or with the General Assembly to be chosen Nov. 2 depends on the personnel of its members For mer members who are present candi- dates must necessarily be judged by the standard df past conduct and if Republicans by their degre of sub servience to the behests of their party bosses.
 L. o. Peck, who was a member of
 
 cratic senatorial candidate for the 24th district. His large majority in 1912 was partly due to the notably fine rec ord he made as representative and that record was enhanced by what he did as senator. Among the measures which he conspicuously championed were needed amendments to the Public Utilities Bill, the Workingmen's Com pensation Act and the Direct Prima- ries Bill. Other contests in which he has borne a prominent and successful part were those to retire former High way Commissioner Macdona'd, the enactr2ent of the WorkinEmen's Con- pensation Act and the Civil Service Act. and the fight (unsuccessfu1) to de- feat the $1. .O00,0 900 appropriation to inn prove New London harbor. The latter was a radical deviation from usage as harbor Improvements are supposed to be wholly the business of the Federal government It was no less a devia- ton from propriety unless the state follows the policy of being benevolent in the same way to all its seaport 1o- calitiss. The New London bill went through at fine dictation of the Repub- lican machine and the corporations.
 In the present campaign Mir Peck's opponent is H. F. Bassell of Ridge field. He was member of the last Senste, and showed his docility by helping the Republican majority to re- |peal the Civil Service Act. The Republican candidates for the house of representatives are not such as to excite much enthusiasm among the agrarian people of Reddingl Sam uel c. Shaw and Herbert s. Barnes dominated the G. o. P. caucus and