New Britain herald., 1930-10-28
ARE WE REPUBLICAN OR ARE WE DEMOCRATIC?

ARE WE DEMOCRATIC?
 It has come to our attention that a gentleman reader of our harmless comment has come to the conclu- sion that we are more Democratic than independent when considering matters political.
 "The Herald may be independent" said the valued reader. but not ac- cording to it's editorials"
 All the same, contrary to the spellbinders and rally-rousers in both political parties, we strongly advise against anyone voting a straight ticket, at this or any other time.
 It is our belief that it is the straight t-ticket voter who makes it easy for the politicians to run their rackets.
 Political racketeers are found in both major parties.
 Usually we can find more of them in the Republican party than in the Democratic party because the Re publicans happen to have practical ly all of the offices in this state.
 And the only Democratic office holder who hangs on through thick and thin is Richard T. Higgins, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission. He is appointed by the General Assembly on nomination by the Governor" for six years at stretch. We are against MT. Higgins reappointment when his term expires in 1885, and if he were running for the office on the Democratic ticket we would oppose him. But he doesn't need to run. being considered eff cient' where he is by MT. Roraback.
 There are plain politicians running on both tickets. But in our opinion the Democrats are trying to devote more attention to the humanities than the Republicans, whose chief boast is good finances, taxes and the like. We arc more interested in the welfare of the common people than in the welfare of dollars. Dur ing every campaign the grandold- party makes the same appeals, most ly involving money. The verbal per f6rmance gets tiresome.
 Incidentally, the Democratic party in this state has shown more cour- age in tackling the paramount issue of prohibition. The Republican party has straddled, and no amount of word juggling by its party organs releases it of this charge. This ought to be enough to cause anyone pre- ferring a clearcut espousal for or against an issue to look with dis pleasure upon the straddlers.
 In another important issue, that of unemployment, the grandoldparty does even worse. It's spokesmen at tempt to tell it's dupes that the de- pression is worldwide and therefore the Republican party is not to blame. The plain facts are the Re- publicans promised a continuance or prosperity without any "ifs" or "buts," and nothing was said at the time the promises were made that if a depression existed elsewhere there likewise would be d depression in this country. The promise made was just the contrary-that regardless. Of conditions elsewhere prosperity would always smile upon the popu- lace In this country so long as the people kept the grandoldparty in power. And to help along this theory of the full dinner pail the party pass cd the Hawley- Shoot tariff law, which was to magically create pros perity as a dairyman makes cheese out of milk.
 On the question of old-age pen sions the Democrats are for it while the Republicans are against this modern method of providing for the needy agod-as was to be expected.
 We are not sure what will happen in this state; the Democrats at least are regarded as having more than the customary chance of winning; but throughout the nation as | whole there is scarcely any doubt that the Republicans will receive a whale of a drubbing. The Repub- licans admit some kind of drub- hing, only disagreeing with the Democrats upon it's extent. In oar opinion the G. o. r. is entitled 10 what it is to receive. It has become difficult for an intelligent man to continue swallowing it's empty pre- tensions. The public IS intelligent enough to aim straight when it pte- pares to wallop.