Republican farmer., 1919-03-14
No Excuse for Recent At tacks Made Upon Eni-
 nent Lawyer.
PROMINENT MAN SAYS
 SLURS ARE POLITICAL.
Republican in Past Years Did What Cummings is
 Criticised For.

-4sa'S btGll luGLll44lGu WlLu utdIlS Ail O1 the important criminal trials here abouts, and a. lawyer of distinguished ability, when spoken to by a repre- sentative of this paper in reference 10 the attacks that have recently been made upon Homer s. Cummings. the States Attorney for Fairfield county, gave out the following inter- esting interview
 Tt is rather amusing and yet al- most sad at times, to observe some of the attempts to annoy the friends of Homer s. Cummings, the present States Attorney for Fairfield county, by sporadic and burIesque efforts to completely abolish him and his tenure of office, forever from off the earth. The most recent and perhaps on the whole most edifying of these eff forts was the suggestion made a short time ago to our legislature, by means of bill, D p-sposed by some one, in spired by W hat emotion I know not, to the effect that if MT. Cummings should presume to assume the chair mauship of the National Democratic party-, that just for that, he ought to be compelled by a law of the sraco of Connecticut, to irnIne diately re- sign his office as States Attorney and gently pass off into oblivion.
 While no one. of course, takes such a proposition seriously, it is indeed all so very much more amusing, when it is recalled that the late Samuel T7essendeu, while States Attorney be- came a member of the Republican National Committee, and at one time its secretary, and that the late St ss Judson, Jr., while States Attorney, became a leader of great prominence fr, 1,r Der of the State Senate, all with nary 1 a word of criticism from any one. In deed, the acts and political achieve ments of the last named gentlemen were applauded by all their friends and political beneficiaries, as the most proper and exemplary style of political conduct. Of course, these two men were both good republicans dyed in the wool, aye! and perhaps even before the wool
 Be that as it may, however, 1t is gall and wormwood and poisonous gas to think that Homer s. Cum mings, Stamford. States Attorney, albeit a democrat. should have the aud1city to aspire and hold high of flee in the ranks of the Democratic party Of course, I appreciate fully the fact that MT. C. innings is g. dem ocrat, and that the two gentlemen who previously held the office of States Attorney, that I have refer red to, were Republicans, and per haps therein lies the distinction and difference in the two cases.
 The only true criticism of MT. Cum Inings as far as I can see is perhaps the fact. that he does so many big things and does them all so well. As an observer and participant in 1 q DF c,-fry in this county for many years, in the courts I think I am perhaps in a i position to pass a fair, anad I hope impartial judgment upon the conduct of the office of States Attorney while the same has been under the ! Jurisdiction of MT. Cummings. It would seem that MT. Cummings in a brief period of office has brought l the conduct of business to a high state l of efficiency.
 1 The business of disposing of cTdrn l inaL cases in this county has in creased enormously in recent years, l due probably to the proximity of ] Bridgeport and Fairfield county to New York and again to the unsettled conditions generally existing. In spite of that fact the criminal bus mess of the county has been disposed of in ct least one-third of the time formerly required and with much bet ter results Where formerly the ses- siOns of the court were dragged out week after week often running into each other at an enormous expense, sometimes actually threatening to ex- haust the appropriation for the coun- ty, now all court business is promptly disposed of and with most excellent results both from the Standpoin of the state and of that of the unfortu- mates with whom the court is called upon to deaI.
 To read some of the anti-Cun- mings propaganda now being releas- i ed rom time to time one would all most think that Fairfield County had actually closed the criminal courts and abdicated in favor of crime. I | wonder if it ever occurs to any one that every term of the court is pre- sided over by a judge of the Superior court and that all court procedure is passed upon and carried along un- der such authority.
 Another thought occurs to me. Un- der some administration of the of
 flee of States Attorney that I might name, if I chose to do so, the office
 has been used to build up a political
 machine and to endow political ia
 vorites. I think all will agree that
 
 ministraton. Again and again, when
 he has been called upon to suggest
 the appointment of some local attor-
 ney for the defense of an accused in
 an important case, he has always ex-
 ercised his judgment in favor of some
 one exactly suited to the situation re-
 gardless of political affiliations. l
 call to mind the fact that the present
 city attorney, a republican, and a for
 mer republican judge of the city court
 have frequently been called upon
 Every one, I think, coming irf con-
 tact with this office has received fair
 and considerate treatment.
 / As TO MT. Cummings ability, there
 at least, is common ground Even
 his political enemies admit his mark l ed abilities for his present office. MT. l Cummings was chosen as States At
 torney by the judges of the superior
 and supreme courts after presumably
 a careful review of the situation. He
 has justified the choice. As a trial lawyer before the jury, so important in the conduct of the office of State s I Attorney, no one will honestly ques-
 ton his superiority. The brilliant