The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-23
GREAT CROWD AT RATIFICATION
 BY THE FIFTH

Fifth District Democrats, 300 in number met at the EIks Shore club yesterday afternoon. and ratified the of Cox and Roosevelt The occasion was distinguished by the presence of James v. Gerard. former ambassador to Germany, and Patton otherwise Pat Harrison, U. S. Sena- tor from Mississippi, credited with being the strategist whose talents ac- conplish ed the Cox victory in the Democratic national convention.
 The Fifth District is a Republican stronghold, but it contains one of the strongest Democratic clubs in the state. The club accomplished what is regarded as the biggest purely pre- cinct fun ction in the political history of the city.
 References to the League of Ma tions, to President Wilson. and to the nominee were received with repeated and vigorous enthusiasm.
 The large number of prominent Democrats who listened to the elo- ouent speeches of several distinguish ed orators of their party came away from the ratification dinner of the Fifth District club at the EIks' Shore club yesterday convinced that the party was in grand shape for the com ing election and that Cox and Roose- welt will be elected in November.
 The principal speaker was United States Senator Patton B. Harrison Of Mississippi, who stated that the nom1- nation of Harding was arranged by a clique several weeks before the Re publican convention and had been predicted by U. S. Senator Penrose
 Dn11charfU who l. aged the Harding campaign. three weeks before the convention, and even predicted the ballot on which he was to be nominated.
 He spoke of the great achievements of the Democratic party in passing the Federal Reserve Law and the Underwood Tariff Law and the car rying of Tennessee for suffrage. He said that Harding was a pawn l of the monied interests.
 we are going to drive the Repubh- cans just like the American soldiers | drove the Germans across the Marne,' ' l he exclaimed.
 | Senator Harrison said that three l months ago Democratic outlook was | gloomy, but that the black clouds 1 had passed.
 i '"There's going to be pep in this campaign until the last vote is cast 1 The party has been growing stronger | every day since the convention
 "The country will learn about the ! powers that want Harding for presl' i dent when our army of speakers se' | busy. The West will learn something i about Senator Penrose, and the | women won't do a thing to youl friend Senator Brandegee when h' ! comes up for reelection" he con | tinued.
 Senator Harrison praised Home, | Cummings and predicted that thu | women would insist that he be nom1 | hated for the senat torship.
 At the guest table with Senato | Harrison were James W. Gerard iron | New York, former ambassador t'
 Germany; Mayor David E. Fitzgerald
 of New Haven, Sheriff Thomas L
 Reilly of Meriden, William H. Nc Coombs, president of the club, ant
 John A. Cornell. Democratic Tow l Chairman. About $50 dyed-in-woo o | Democrats shouted and cheered tn l speakers. N-
 Elouuent speeches were made b! | former Anaba assador Gerard an' | Mayor Fitzgerald of New Haven.
 Town Chairman John A. Cornel was toastmaster and he said tha John T. King knew what he was talk ing about when he predicted tha
 Bridgeport would give a DemoeTat1 majority of 5,0oO at the coming cleo ton.
 Already Bridgeport's Democrac! has rallied to the standard. Ever. district in the city has taken on neV air of life and confidence and hope Cooperation to an extent unrealizes in a decade, between district and dis
 trict and between town committee ana
 the rank and file of the party is nov present at every hand.
 .fwhereas, two years ago, the mora'
 of the party had sunk to such an eX tent that three districts in the clt. did not take interest enough In tn
 convention to get out delegat
 ticket we find that one of those d1s
 tricts today has a splendid club, a nv organization, and has afforded thl
 splendid meeting today, entirely on IL
 own motion and initiative and Tn re
 liance upon its own energ. .es-the f1ftl
 District Democratic club.
 We are now, at the outset Of tn , campaign, better organized than W
 were at the end of the last mun1capa , campaign, and by the time the cur
 rent campaign is ended, unless a. , signs fail, Bridgeport's Democrac
 will have reha|bilitated it's self-re speot and will have justified itself . an integral part of the great brother = @F "A ,ay<fx1