New-York tribune., 1922-10-14
in
Con ecticut
Have Big Lead
Prosperity and Strength of
Organization Believed to
Assure Victory Despite
Popularity of spcllacy
Democrat Hard Fighter
Loss of One Congress Seat,
Detection of New Voters.
Chief Worries Of G.. O. P.
BY Carter Field

Dy AdfLST ElclC
HARTFORD, Conn, Oct. 13.-The
Republicans have tremendous lead
to-day in Connecticut If The election
were held tomorrow there is no doubt
that Senator George p. Mclean would
be reelected. Certainly four, and per-
haps five, Of the Republican members
OF the House would be sent back to
Washington, and the same state ticket.
from Governor down, would go through
by heavy maiorities.
The Republicans have the advantage
in that this is normally Republican
state, even though the normal majority
is not large; that their organization is
overwhelmingly superior to that Of the
Democrats and that they are now in
power all the way down the line.
But far more important than any of
these is the fact that Connecticut is
highly prosperous. Far from there be-
ing any unemployment problem there
is more work to be done in Connecti-
cut than there are people to do it, and
every indication is that this condition
will grow more pronounced rather than
drop back toward hard times.
This economic situation, plus the
fact that most of the employers give
considerable credit to the Republican
party for the tariff, and think the Ad-
mmistration and Congress both have
done pretty we'll, deserves detailed
comment, but for the moment it is
inf
full employment, since long before the
days of the full dinner pail slogan. has
generally given elections held during
such periods to the party in power, and
that just as surely hard times have
generally resulted in political turn
overs.
Uphill Fight for Democrats
So that the Democrats, lacking n
continuing organization at ali comn,r-
able with the Republican one headed by
j. Henry Roraback, are facing the stiff
est kind of an uphill fight.
There are two offsets. One is the
fact that despite the prosperity, the
small towns in Connecticut in their
elections have been swinging heavily
to the Democrats. The second and
much more important is in the person
Of their nominee for United States
Senator-Thomas j. Spellacy.
Spellacy is a firebrand of energy. He
is one of the most effective spelibind-
ers in American politics to-day. He is
so quick on the trigger that although
Connecticut has probably carried the
fine art OF heckling to greater lengths
than in any other state, he has never
been known to be, caught mapping. on
the contrary, he has always come out
on top-they say frankly up here-no
matter what the merits Of the question
asked by his wouldbe tormentor.
II, addition, Spellacy has tre-
mendous personal following, built up
through many campaigns. He made a
strong race for Governor few years
back and since that time served as
Assistant Attorney General under A.
Mitchell Palmer. He was floor leader
for the Palmer forces at the San Fran
cisco convention and tried to swing the
tide to Homer s. Cummings, then chair
man of the Democratic National Com
mittee, when it was seen that Palmer
could not be nominated.
Spellacy is generally credited with
being the only Democratic leader in the
state with genius for organization.
Bearing in mind that the Democrats
have virtually no continuing organiza-
tcontnusd on page thrss)