The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-16
Senator O'Sullivan, Min
ority Leader in Senate,
Throws BOmbshell In
to Republican Camp
With Severe Criticism
of Appointments.
Holds Up to Public Spec
tacle of HypOcritical
Promises of Fairness
by Leaders - Places
Democrats Received of
Little Importance.
Especial to The Farmer)

Especial to The Farmer)
Hartford, Jan. 16-The sys-
tenn which holds as it's basic
principle that the spoils belong
to the victor, and that any
rights which stand in it's way
must be pushed aside"-was
caustically arraigned in the
Senate today by Patrick B..
O'Sullivan of Derby, the min
GRITTY leader.
Senator ,O'Sullivan, rising to
a question of personal privi-
lege, addressed the Senate in a
formal protest against the vir-
tual elimination of the Demo-
cratic members from participa-
ton in the business of impor-
tant legislative committees.
Senator o'sullivan said that he was
in doubt at first as to the wisdom Of
x
tion might be misconstrued or inter-
preted as the outgrowth of personal
grievance, but .deliberation convinced
him that he might trust the gener-S
osity of an open-minded public, Of an
impartial press, and of a liberal Sem
ate to understand the reason.
Then he went on to say: Ten
Democratic members of this Senate
are representatives of practically half
the voters of the state of Connecticut.
In view of this fact, the committee
appointments announced on last Thurs
day proved themselves to be a trav-
esty Of Justice and fair play to 100000
electors.
TO be more specific: Reference is
made in the joint rules to 35 commit
tees OF these, some are Of great i'm.
portance. some of little Importance,
some of doubtful Importance, and
some of no Importance. And while it
is true that the minority is represent
ed on IL committees an analysis of
them reveals the fact that they belong
to those classes Of committees which
we have termed as those Of doubtful
importance and those Of no irnpor-
tance.. There are but two exceptions
to this statement and we can readily
appreciate the political significance of
! them"
Mr.. O'Sullivan went on to say that
the total amount of work to be done
by these II committees would not
equal the work performed by the sim
gle committee on Judiciary. He
pointed out that the minority received
NO appointment to the committees of
real value, such as those on banks,
on appropriations, on cities and bor-
oughs. or finance en- interpretations,
on insurance, on the judiciary, on rail
roads, and on roads, rivers and
bridges.
''The issue resolves itself to this.
one half the electorate of the state
the Republican half-has a voice on
all committees, the other half-the
Democratic half-nas no voice on any
committee of va!ue..
Senator O'Sullivan went on to saw
that during the course of the debate
on the opening day the minority was
assured by the Senator from the Sixth
(Senator Klett) that it might safelv
trust to the fairness of the president
pro tenn. Senator O'Sullivah also
recalled that the president pro tenn
had asked the members to present
requests for appointments to such
committees as they deemed them
selves fitted for, but with the single
exception of the appointment of the
senator from the Eighth to the minor
committee on fish and game, there
was not q single request granted to
the minority. He also recalled Gov
Holcomb's message, which emphasiz-
ed the fact that the business Of the
legislature for successful manage
ment requires intelligence and ma.
triotism rather than partisanship.
Mr.. O'Sullivan concluded, 1--WE
criticise no senator in this matter.
1t is not with the individual that the
blame rests. 1t is the deeper-rooted
than that. The fault lies with what
we shall term the system. The sys-
tenn which holds as it's basic principle
that the spoils belong to the victor
and that any rights that stand in it's
way must be pushed aside 1t was
just such system that rebelled
against the real civil service law two
years ago, because such law took
the spoils from it's greedy hands
'The system does not appreciate
the fact that this Senate is one of 35
Connecticut representatives. On the
contrary, in its blind partisan vision,
1t says that the Senate Of 1917 is
composed of 25 Republicans and may
be some Democrats. Just so long as
the system remains alive, through the
careful nourishment Of the third
House, just so long will the valued
rights of 100000 Connecticut electors
be trampled in the mire."
Continued on Page z.)