The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-14

met, Rltchie gave his views on in- dustrial depression, tariff, water power, prohibition, and other mat ters of national moment. He called for a movement away from what he termed overcentraliZation of power, and predicted the turning point was at hand.
 Once more attacking the theory of national prohibition, Ritchie said the eighteenth amendment was "the high water mark" of the trend to- ward centralization of government.
 No matter what the findings of the Wickershamg commission may be-" he said,' they cannot end. nor can they minimize, the injury to the cause of reasoned temperance, the unhappy temptations to the youth of the land and the lawless- ness which have resulted from put llnS prohibition into the Constitu- tion, where it ought not to be, in- stead of leaving the question to the states"
 Ritchie expressed the opinion the nation was fast losing confidence in the ability of the federal government to cure all its ills.
 "I believe the awakening has come, and the people are beginning to see the government has undertaken too much and is interfering too much with the normal activities of life and the vital processes of society and of business They begin to see, be- lieve, that an excess of power can breed an excess of weakness"
 He attacked the federal govern ment for it's failure to act sooner to avert the economic depression. The country, he said, had the right to expect from that quarter economic and financial leadership which would adopt some kind of correc- tive measures He also assailed the series of inflationary statments and actions which melted, or at least intensified, the crash of 1929"
 Ritchie said the replacement in industry of men with machines had resulted in an. increase output of manufactures, calling for increased export trade, "yet the federal gov- ernment built a tariff wall so high it has flooded our domestic markets and is bringing reprisals and re- atliations from other nations"
 He said the farmer was being cheated of his just share of the na- tional wealth, and yet the new tariff brought "an increase in the price of nearly everything the farmer buys. at time when the returns from his principal cash crops are the lowest in decades"
 Ritchie said it was up to busi- ness itself to solve ultimately the problem of unemployment. He add ed that ''the day should not be far off when men and women need work fewer hours and suffer no loss of income" Since his first inauguration in 1921, . when he was elected by plural 1ty of less than 100 votes, Ritchie has been hammering away at the thesis Of "less government and more liberty Since then he has been re- ' elected three times by ever-increas- &ing majorities.
 VI He was looked upon as an outside *presidential possibility in 1924, but developed little strength at the New ork convention. Between then and 31928 he built his political fences nuch higher and stronger, and was looked upon as real possibility in 1928. In that year. however, he 3hrew his support to Alfred F.. Smith refofe. the Houston convention.
 Now Ritchie is considered as back &nong the contenders. Others prom pently mentioned include Governor
 ranklin D. Roosevelt of New York
 pd Owen D. Young.