The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-28
State Politics Harrington's Personal Endorsement of McNeil Touches Off Fireworks in Litch6eld County Lonergan's Friends, Admirers Swing Into Action.
BY EDWARD J. RYAN

From all practical purposes the fall election campaign is here. Thus far there are only two candidates on the stump. The governor and Jasper McLevy, socialist mayor of Bridgeport. The once proud COP. is definitely in default. It lacks an available candidate capable of get ting sufficient votes to beat Cross or even McLevy.
 It is quite likely that the Repub- licans, if they place complete tick ct in the field this fall, will nomin- ate Raymond Baldwin of Stratford, former Republican leader of the lower house for governor.
 But even Baldwin can not hope to beat Toby" Cross. Baldwin knows this. as does every political observer in this state knows it. The grand jury probes in Bridgeport and Waterbury are "Naturals" for Jasper. McLevy will certainly profit by the fact that delay in the Kemp trial, the de- cision of Judge Baldwin and its appeal to the supreme court, the certainty that Merritt parkway and Waterbury consiracy trials will be headline news in September and October, just before the elections.
 McLevy always likes to be the "headman". In the past he has proven on numerous occasions that he likes to be the boss, so to speak. In 1885 McLevy, who incidentally has been running for governor or tho state for the past 20 years, had three socialist senators elected to the legislature from Bridgeport, and he completely controlled the senate of that year.
 Of course in 1885 McLevy com- bined with the Republicans to have COP. control the legislature, both upper and lower houses. This natur- ally, means that he allied himself with Harry E. Mackenzie of Bethel the recognized number "one" man of the Connecticut general assembly for years.
 However the real problem which will confront McLevy on election day will be that of being a Socialist" The word alone will hurt him in the small towns, and in larger commit mites as well. Many voters have been, and still are, of the opinion that socialism goes hand in hand with communism and terror. If Mo- Levy is elected these same voters will fear that he will hand out patronage only to members of the Socialist party. Which may be true. Trouble is brewing in the ranks of the Litchfield county Demo- cratic party. All because of the open endorsement given Archibald McNeil who is opposing U. S. Sem ator Augustine Lonergan for the
 Democratic nomination. Earring ton Is president of the Litchfield county organization and 8 county commissioner, but members of the
 party are up in arms because he apparently used his office with the county Democrats to endorse Me- Neil.
 In his letter to McNeil in which
 he assured him (McNeiD of his undying support Harrington said: "Lonergan must be beaten at any
 cost"
 Democrats by the score have told me that Lonergan is still the
 favorite candidate so far as they are concerned. They feel, so they tell me, that Lonergan if he is nominated, is the only man in the
 Demacrotic party who can really
 help the Democrats in Litchfield
 county. He will gather large
 number of Republican votes in the county and this coupled with what
 the ticket would ordinarily re- ceive, will cause the Republicans of the state and the county plenty of worry.
 As this writer predicted some time ago; Senator J. Kenneth Bradley ot Westport, will not seek reelection tc the senate this fall. He wants place on the state ticket and the place he wants is the office of attorney-gen- eral. Senator E. Gaynor Brennan oi Stamford is looking for the same nomination.
 Perhaps the greatest politica blunder that Senator George T. Gull hane of Waterbury could have ol ever did commit was his announced plans for a new political party thil | fall.
 It was trial balloon on the part of Culhane, but it was shot dowr very quickly by the Independent Democrats (his own party). There t