Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-09
..ETTERS TO THE EDIToP
Are Beer and Light Wines Fit to
 Drink?

MT. Editor: It Is announced that Town Clerk Frank P. Fenton 0f Wind ham, also representative-elect as democrat, Is a candidate for the minor ity leadership of the lower house in the coming session of the general assembly. and that he stresses two points in his platform of proposed leadership, to wit: That he will stand for the restoration of the merit system as the basis of execu- tive appointments to the public ser vice; and that he will oppose any at- tempt to secure a vote of the assembly in favor of ratifying the eighteenth amendment on the ground that such a vote, if to be taken at all in Connectf cut, should have been passed at the ses- sion of 1919 or that of 1921, and that it would be "a waste of time" to at- tempt 1t now.
 Under the circumstances, 1t does not seem difficult to say that Representa- tive Fenton's views in these two mat ters are based on common sense. Ger tainly Connecticut is far behind most Of her sister states in her refusal to make business fitness instead of personal and political favor the test of appointments to executive positions In state service, and the public service endures a costly degree of inefaciency and incompetence as a result. There Is not the slightest
 
 I necticut were reorganized from the 1 standpoint of business efficiency and ! proved fitness, 1t would result in the 1 saving of hundreds of thousands of dol | lars to the public treasury, as well as | to improve the service. It Is plain com
 mon sense to expect that result.
 As to ratification Of the eighteenth amendment. 1t w,Il not make the slight est difference to the federal constitution | zN-. IL. i the 46 other states, even including NefS Jersey, and thus leave Little Rhody" all by her lonesome. Connecticut ha. only shown her characteristic "spunk' Cor some might call 1t contrarjness) in this matter, for 1t Is a matter of rec.
 ord that Connecticut has failed to rati fy no less than fourteen of the nineteen
 amendments. including in her disappro
 bation the first twelve. as well as thu 18th Establishing the Income tax) ant
 the eighteenth. The nineteenth (estab
 fishing woman suffrage) would als;
 have fallen by the wayside in Connec ticut, had 1t not been for the emergen
 appeal of Governor Holcomb, not on be ! half of woman suffrage, but 10 fore
 stall what he feared might be a dis
 astrous dispute If the ratification O
 some other state were contested ol technical grounds. While living in Ney Haven, a few years ago. once asl<e, ex-Governor Baldwin why 1t was tha
 Connecticut had failed to rstky Q ) many of the amendments, and his char acteristic Yankee" answer was that b . guessed the people of the state though the Constitution as originally adopts : was good enough ss II was"
 It fs interesting to observe tha : among the amendments dIsapproyed b l Connectjcut are those providing for Ts 5 ligious freedom; for the establishTner l of a state militia; prohibiting the guar 5 tering of soldiers in any private hous 3 In times of peace without the copser : ] of the owner; and Cthink of 1t now. hoi short-sighted on conpecteut's paFt) th {, fourth amendment affirming 'the rikt l of the people to be secure In their per d sons, houses, papers. and effects. again, s unreasonable searches and seizures f etc; guaranteeing personal freedol from indictment for a cau4tal oRens i except after finding by grand jury, an = the right of speedy trial: prohiotin 3 excessive ball or cruel punishments; d, n claring that powers not specifically de !. egated are reserved to the states rI : spectiyely, or to the peopfe--and hel q again, dear old Connec5cut think VII:
 you retectedi
 Of course t is not fair to say ths = these first twelve atnendInepts were f,
 jected on the merits of respective sui
 stance; for # is well upderstood ths
 they were rejected In block by [ minor J fly of the consdtutionaI convention, Q :, the general ground indicated by eI
 Governor Baldwin as above quoted, an
 1t Is also understood that they we, D adopted on the other hand as . sort n concession to certain elements VI
 would not approve the original dra s unless these amendments wers conceS q ed It was. in brief, . mater of hni 'e compromise.
 Il Nevertheless, 1t Is equally fair to a l. that the people of conpeticut woul