The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-10-20

Hnyfnunu bs 0HtOWAAt SsSPe~as~@Ae candidate for governor, author ok fine Baldwin bill which attempted to strlp Governor wilbur l.. Gross off an power several years ago. senator Joseph P. Cooney of Hart ford, speaking over Q statewide radio hook-up last night, describ- cd how the people of the state were aroused to protest over the Baldwln-ied Republican ''putsch" to retain the Roraback machine patronage in 1881.
 Quotes Press
 Cuotlng from the press of tho state, Senator Cooney showed how tho Republican house leader was rebuked by tho people. He detail- ed how Judge Baldwin had been chosen over other candidates be cause he Is the apostle of patron- age, tho representative of the vested interests, the instrument of the Manufacturers association to overthrow the verdict of the peo- ple" who elected Governor Gross.
 Senator Cooney's speech follows, in part:
 MT. BaIdwin's experience in state government has been confined to two terms which he spent on the lower house of the General AS. sembly in the sessions of 1881 and 1883. You will recall that ia ioS0 Governor Cross was elected for the first time, but the Republi- can party still controlled the other state offices and both the etate senate and house of representa- tives by Q substantial majority; the Republican machine had been In power for . generation.
 The party leaders had arrived at the stage where they believed that the political ofiices of the State of Connecticut, the patron age of tho various departments, and the control of legislation were their peculiar prerogatives. They regarded the election Of Governor Cross as on accident Lnd c miss take and they considered 1t to be their duty, in accordance with their political standards, to take from him all tho powers of his of- flee and leave him, tho elected candidate of tho people, with the mere nominal title of governor. For the purpose of attaining this end and to correct what, in their minds, was an obvious mistake of the misguided electorate, they de- cided to take away tho appolnt- ing power of tho governor.
 Baldwin DilI
 The inan who was selected to introduce the bill to accomplish this nefarious scheme was none other than Raymond E. Baldwin, and the bill was known as tho Baldwin bill. It provided that the governor must make all his ap. pointments by April iSt and that If tho appointees were not cons firmed by the Legislature, the governor was to lose the right of appointment and the Legislature by joint action of both houses was to make al the appointments.
 On February ii, 1881, the Hart- ford Times reported that Mr. Baldwin admitted in an interview that his bill was aimed ct Gov. ernor Cross and that it was in- troduced under his own sponsor ship and not by request. He re. fused to state whether he had drafted the bill himself or wheth. or someone had drafted it for him.
 On February il, 1881, the judic. iary committee heard the bill and as soon as the people Of the State of Connecticut realized it's pur. pose, there was on outburst or public indignation against it.
 The Hartford Times on Feb- ruary i2, 1881, published an edis toriai called "Hasing the 0over- nor" and stated that the plain purpose of the bill was to prevent Governor Gross from interfering with any office-holder whom the opposing political party desired to main in office, and said: U. It is c partisan means of getting around tho fact that tho people elected Democratic governor and the purpose is to tic his hands and prevent him from becoming . gov- ernor in fact. ."
 The Hartford courant called the bill; ". .at achievement in stupidity. ." The Waterbury Republican said it was ". ,a Roraback machine bill. .:" The Bristol Press stated that it show. cd the Republicans ". as poor losers. .:" the Manchester Her. aid declared there was C. little virtue. :" in the bill.
 Democrat Quoted
 The Waterbury Democrat call. it ". royal comedy, .;" and the New Haven Journal Courier aptly termed the bill ". cheap and tawdry politics. :" This was the Baldwin bill about which the newspapers were taking.
 Thus early in his political ca- reer Mr. Baldwin was willing to protect the old Republican osgan- ization and for the purpose Of