The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-15
BEDDING

1 Bedding, Sept 1.-The new in surgent wing of the local G. O.. F. executed at their party caucus last manoeuver-in an attempt at French l some are calling it a coop da tat 1 by which they not only nominated ! !! the man they set out to nominate i but made certain his election. To , accomplish this they placed on their i ! ticket one of the Democratic candi- | dates for selectrnan and generally 1 speaking insured Democratic success 1 1 at the town election next month. But | | they demonstrated their strength, i which was their real object, and so | are content and calmly unconcerned | over the reproaches and cries of anguish emanating from the defeated l 1 faction. The underlying cause of the revolt l which has just reached it's culmina- l ton is resentment that started sew i eral years ago when Capt. Barnes was chairman of the town comimttee i and in concert with little conclaves of his summoning made up tickets in 1 advance of caucus action. These l tickets were always getified despite of the town. Last Spring the dis content had expanded and assum ed something of an organized form, as shown from the election by the in s1rgents of A. A. Gocham as town rhairnan and fffe defeat of Attorney S. c. Shaw's attempt to be chosen delegate to the state convention. His opponents said they had nothing against him personally except his as- Ssociation with the so-ca1led Ridge crowd and their obnoxious bossism At the caucus % held about three the offensive in larger force, but failed by ten votes in their efforts to prevent MT. Shaw from securiny delegation favorable to his senatorial aspirations. The defeat only spurred them to renewed efforts for victory in the next engagement which was waged last Friday night. | Their plans had been matured with the utmost secrecy and their un- |i folding gave the opposition a com Chairman Gorham had been named for assessor the business of choosing candidates for selectmen was taken up. Only one name was presented, II that of Albert Williams, the towns largest and most successful farmer. | A count of the ballots cast, about 10 in number. showed a tie between Williams and James E. Drisco1l, the latter being the Democratic nominee for first selectman. A second bal lot gave Drisco11 maority of one. By nominating Driscol1 the insur-
 gents won the first move in the game as they had planned it and success also attended the second, their real purpose being to place
 present selectmen, on the ticket where with two Democratic aSsoc1-
 ates he could not fail of election no
 matter to what extent the opposing faction might withhold their support. For second selectman the names of Churchill and B. Burr Sanford were Il presented and Churchill won handi1y. Then the defeated factionAs realized that they had been completely out witten and their wrath and d1scom- | fiture were extreme and unconcea1ed.
 auditor by a practically unanimous vote but declined to accept on the ground that he did not care to go on a ticket which was Republican only nomina1ly and not actually. E. A. Pinkney was then named for auditor Herman Smith was again made the candidate for tax collector and w: H: Hazen for member of the school After the places had been filled some one moved that no nominations be made for grand juriors and con \ stables and the motion prevailed al- though Mr. Hazen expressed a, fear s that the omission might lead to confictions It is the opinion of some that Hhe secretary of state Wlil
 refuse to print the ticket unless It IS made more complete. The Town Com
 mittee has power to supply the
 omissions. Why. the caucus left its job unfinished does not clearly ap-
 pear. but one explanation is that the victors were indifferent because
 they had carried their point and the
 defated were so mad ana ulssusesa Tba
 
 beans had been spilled so what was
 inc use anyway The only matter
 at issue on election day will be the
 assersorsfip contest between MT. Cor
 ham and Frank A. Rider and the
 formers defeat is regarded as as
 sured. The board of selectmen is
 bound ito be Drisco1, Churchill and
 T. B. Sanford, Jr., the present 1ncum-
 bents.
 Half humorous1y and half seriously
 one of the insurgents di1ated to the present. writer about a recent news
 paper reference to the other side as
 "the better element" They, the in
 surgents, were considerably het up
 over it, he declared, because of the
 impIification that his crowd were
 the reverse of the better element
 '3It would have been all right. he
 went on, ''to speak of US as kickers or conscientious conspirators, or 1 traitors to the party, or peaSantry,
 proletariet or even as We'll meaning
 but misguided men. But if we are i something on a lower plane than the
 better element what is it? It might
 be mental and moral defections or 1 skunks Or ratt1esnakes or a com hlna-
 ton of the three. Straight out abuse
 may not be agreeable, but it's bet
 ter than detraction by insinuation.
 There have been previous periods
 of inharmony in the local Republican
 ranks, but never such a sharp cleav-
 age and degree of a:rlimosity as
 marks the present situation.
 t-rAAIr "o NHTNo