The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-11


 two years) when the crocuses, the primroses, the jonquils, and espe- cially the daffodils of the legal profession in the General Assem- ply, display signs of having as- pirations to blossom in Connecti- cuts inferior court system. The period has now arrived when something must be done about ap- pointments to the judgeships and assistant judgeships, prosecutor ships and assistant prosecutor ships, clerkships and assist ant clerkships, and whatever other ships are connected with ju- dicial mills of the Commonwealth. If the lads in Hartford fail to agree upon the persons to fill the jobs, or if a sufficient number of them armed with monkey wrench es can be sedueed by anyone for any reason into smashing the slate agreed upon by the major parties, along about the merry month of July the present incumbents will be out of work and their places will be filled by Governor Cross without the consent of the Gen. eral Assembly and probably with out its knowledge. The situation is fraught with the most frightful possibilities about which I, for one, cannot work myself into father of excitement.
 Sad Spectacle
 I have never been able to see why political leaders should be so desperately concerned over these court appointments. Much less can I see whJ- really important legislative business should be held in abeyance until Senator Judge Blitz or Representative-Prosecu Blatz is taken care of for two more years. However, I am notoriously near-sighted. But I could see, without my spectacles, a reason in expediency at least if the business of law-making were to be tempo rarily suspended until some con- Stituent of Senator Blitz or Repre- sentative Blatz was taken care of for a biennium. My viewpoint may be all wrong, and probably is, but to me the spectacle of senators and representatives gohbling up all the gravy and totally forgetting that those who elected them to office have appetites to be ap- peased, is a far sadder thing to contemplate than throwing the court appointments into Governor Cross's lap where political consid- eratiens never exist.
 
 Innovation
 I suppose the members of the General Assembly who butter their own bread flrst,-and frequently lick the plate,-are not to be cen sured too har5hly for looking after themselves. If a senator or a rep resentative fails to do that little thing who is going to do it for him? The Lord helps those who help themselves, does He not? It would be a pleasant although im- possible novelty l. some candidate for either branch of the legisla- ture were to announce as his plat form that under no circumstances would he if elected accept any job to which a salary is attached dur ing his term. Attempts are made during each term of the assembly by some stony-hearted idealist to get a bill passed which will make it impossible for legislators to land paying positions while in office. Needless to say both republicans and democrats unite to give any such atrocity what Cain gave to Abel. I realize that any such vlo- lation of sound political tradition as a legislator thinking of his state and his constituency first and L.mself not at all is too preposter- ous for practical minded people to tolerate. But it would be an inno- vation. And 1t might make for better legislation in the common interest.
 A Possible Remedy
 I do not mean to say that legis- lators who go uo Hartford always cast their votes with an eye to their own immediate or remote personal advantage. But, human nature being what it is and the dawn of the heavenly millennium not yet arrived, it would be alto gether remarkable if with a possi-