Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1923-08-03

Hartford. Aug. However mis-
: taken your correspondent 'Indepen-
dent Voter" may be in his argument.
he Is certainly fair in the manner in
which he presents H. He does not
t, hide behind generalities. He is spe-
/ cific in his reasons for his attitude Of
i hostility 10 the Republican party. In
taking that course he Is to be COM
, mended.
i Independents" first reason for
being AT present on the outs with the
party which, obviously. he formerly
supported, relates to the attitude of
the Republican majority on the civil
, service law lie blames the Repub
, lieans for the dscredit into which the
law had fallen before il was wipe J
of the statute books of the state. He
seems To forget that IL was 10 the Re
publicana, principally, that the orig
inal civil service law owed its exist
enee. The first bill on the subject
was introduced into the general as
sembly at the session Of 1913 By Sen
ator John II. Perry. Of Southport
who was the leader Of the Republican
minority in the senate II was sup
. ported By his Republican colleagues
in that body. The senate 40 that SEES
, sion was Democratic by majority Of
five The house. which was controlled
bv the Republicans. with Frank r.
HealY as leader, eoneurred with the
senate IN passing Senator Perry's bill
for the estahlishnspui % civil 7ewvice
system in Connecticut For many
years the friends Of civil servi re-
form throughout the state-worthy.
. estimabie men like Professor farnum
Of Yaie-had been asking and be
seeching the general assembly 20 give
civil service reform legislative reeog-
!, milton. A favorable response was
u finally given TO their request on the
+. initiative 81 a Republican senator,
! whose position was cordially support
! ed by the Republicans IN the senate,
J. and a Republican house concurred in
the passage of the bill.
Il Civil Service Bill Unavoidable
+. From the start the bill was found
% be unavoidable. The administra-
ton Of the law was entrusted TO a
commission Of three appointed by a
Democratic governor, Simeon T.. Bald
win Not one of the three WIS Re
publican. Two Of them, Mr. Morris
+, OF New Haven and Mr. Phelps Of An
dover. were Democrats, and the third
j. member. Mr. Brinsmade, Of the town
Of Washington. was Progressive
5 who had formerly been a Republican
e Mr. Brinsmade has since returned to
a the Republican party.
From the personnel of the commits
sion It viii be seen that the Republi-
l. can party can In no way be held re-
/. sponsible for the failure Of the law %
give satisfaction. There was not a
=. member Of the commission who was
affiliated with the Republican party.
Some say that the law failed because
Of the tactiessness of the commission
I'M administering H. But the law it.
/ self had inherent shortcomings The
state library commission was one of
the first to find fault with the opera
ton of the law. II asked the civil ser
i, vice commission for exemption from
:. its provisions. Chief Justice Samuel
o. Prentice and State Librarian Geo
s GODDARD addressed the commission
in behalf Of the request 10 exempt the
1 library, Sut they were not sympathet-
ically heard II WAS with reluctance
that ihe library was subsequently ex-
| ompt4i Tax Commissioner William
y Ceshin, native of the town Of
Gnit... and who was vice president Of
- tine state civil service reform associ-
alton, found il necessary 10 have his
T. subordinates exempted from the oper-
A. ations Of the civil service law SO as
10 secure efficient service in his de-
y partment For the same reason
Charles d. Hine, who was then seere-
tary of the state board Of education.
was obliged TO get his department ex-
Z, empted Mr. Hine has always been
ie known as n civil service reformer.
The state police commission, Of which
ar Senator Perry, the author of the law,
was chairman. asked and obtained ex.
A. emption. Numerous other instances
IN Of exemption could be cited It was
ultimately seen that the law did not
IS suit Connecticut, aud it was repealed,
a The Hubbard" Bill
Independent" falls into the error
which some have made in assuming
that the purpose Of the so-called Kent
Hubbard bill was to crowd MIR Hub
+ bard out Of public life. The bill was
4 "A general measure and applied TO a
!. condition and not to person. It's
= purpose was 20 prevent member of
Z the board Of finance from passing on
Il expenses which ne helped 10 create as
n a director Of an institution. In other
!, words, il prevented an official from
passing in one capacity on the work
= which he did in another. IL contained
> a sound business proposition. In no
, quarter was the bill more heartily ia
!. vored than among the Democrats of
y the general assembly.
g In the senate every Democratic
i senator voted for the passage 0f the
( bill over the governors veto, even
r though Mr. Hubbard was Democrat.
s The governors veto was rhetorical
Z document that was unnecessarily
( long. II was the governor who read
: the personality OF Mr.. Hubbard into
8 the bill, and not the authors OF the