The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-16
NOT A CANDIDATE FOR SENATE POST, H0LC0MB ASSERTS
Governor, Back From Maine Trip, Says He Isn't a
 Candidate.

Hartford. Aug. Ex-Governor Hol- comb has returned from Maine, where he has been on a vacation for two weeks, and he was at the capitol to- day.
 The governor was asked if he in- tended to call a special session of the general assembly to provide for the taking of the vote of the Connecticut troops ein Arizona.
 T think that the boys from this state who have entered the military service, ought not to be penalized by disfranchisement- It would be doing them great wrong to deprive them of an opportunity to vote. If there is Q necessity for calling special session in order to make arrange ments to enable them to do so, I will call one"
 Then you think the vote can be taken constitutionally if the legisla- ture provides the legal method ?"
 T am of the opinion that the gen. eral assembly has power to provide a way to enable our boys to vote. The question of the constdtutionality of the act of the general assembly is for the supreme court to determine and not for the executive. 1 have not asked the attorney general for an opinion. But is it certain that our boys will be out of the state on cleo ton day? They may be sent home before then. Until definite de- cision has been reached by the gov ernment in Washington as to the time the men from Connecticut will be kept in the federal service, will not do anything about calling a special session. Everything depends on that decision. I understand that Adjutant- General Cole Is in communication with the War Department in Washington on the matter and that he will be informed without delay of the decis- ion when. 1t is reached"
 In speaking further on the matter Governor Holcomb said the consti- tuition should be changed to make it clear that persons, who are voters in the state, shall not be deprived of their right to vote on election day when absent from Connecticut on business of the state or of the fed eral government, no matter whether that business relates to the rcivil or military service. The governor thought that action on the matter should be taken at the next session of the general assembly. It would take three years to change the consti- tuition.
 Governor Holcomb was not certain that the vote of the soldiers would af- feet the result of the election in the state. But whether 1t did or no the vote should be counted. He did not know what method the general assem- bly, would adopt if special session were held, but 1t had been suggested that the vote in the state and the sol dier vote should be counted separate |ly. However. that was a matter of detail. The man thing was to see to it that the soldiers were not dis franchised.
 Not Out for Senate. Governor Holcomb was asked if he had heard the talk about the possioil- ity of George F. McLeans not being a candidate for renominatlon for the United States senate and of the Re publican conventions naming the gov ernor as McLean's successor. "I would be sorry to see Senator Mclean side stepping the nomination for Senator for another term. Senator Mclean should be renomtnated and he should accept renomination." Are you a candidate for the senate governor?"
 q certainly am not. do not want the nomination. I expect to see George P. Mclean renominated for another term and hope he will accept"
 Maine All Agog. The governor spent his vacation al a. fishing camp in Maine. There were a number of Connecticut people in the camp, including the governor and his brother. Judge Walter Holcomb of Torrtngton, and the latter's wife former Governor and Mrs. Frank B Weeks of Middletown, and pr. 'Gris- wold and Mrs. Griswold. of this city There were also at the camp Judge Hitchcock of the Massachusetts su- perior court and Mrs. Hitchcock. In a pleasant way Governor Holcomb re- ferred to the political campaign which Is now in full blast in Maine, and saio that it seemed that the seekers were f, every hamlet an1 village of the state.
 rvcu ATE CO MICH