The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-07


ganize" the Democratic Town
Committee.
1t seems to me that the events
Of the last year should have con-
vinced all groups within the DEM
ocratic party that very definite
destruction awaits any political
organization or group whose mem
beers think more of personal power
or personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT than
they do Of the general welfare.
Yet by all reports concerning
these Reorganization" efforts, the
general welfare seems to be lost in
the struggle for personal power In
the party.
Working Glass
Perhaps some of our leaders
may have forgotten it, but the fact
is worth recalling that in this sec
ton of the country the Democra-
tic party has been additionally a
workingman's organization, at
least since the time of Cleveland.
Certainly no one can doubt that
the humane and progressive lead
ership of Franklin D. Roosevelt
has appealed to working people as
being in the best tradition of the
Democratic party. The sweeping
vote for Mr.. Roosevelt in this city
in 1886 is proof enough of that.
Now 1t is my belief that the vast
majority of voters in this city are
still in favor of the type of pro-
gressive Democracy personified by
Mr.. Roosevelt and his program;
and those voters have the right to
expect that the local Democratic
party should bear at least few
traces of the same liberal and con-
structive stamp.
Can anyone doubt that in order
to regain the confidence of a ma
jority of Waterbury's voters, in
order to have its ticket win this
fall, the Democratic party must
take immediate and certain steps
to show that we are going to have
New Deal in the Democratic
program here?
Remember that the voters will
look for something more than new
faces in the cast; they want to
see new play entirely.
I believe that such a "New
Deal" in local Democracy must see
the party's program take a def
mite stand, for example, on the
question of taxation.
Voters in all walks of life want
to see our tax rate reduced; and
1t can be reduced considerably
The obvious way to start a pro-
gram looking toward a reduction
in the tax rate is to effect econ
omies of expenditure; but I be-
lieve that an even more funda-
mental step in tax reform would
be revaluation of the Grand List
Retaliation
I am sure that a fair and i'm.
partial revaluation would elimin.
ate the many glazing inequalitie.
of assessment which now afflict
the home owner; and in addition
increase the city's tax income by
increasing the assessed valuation
OF the big industrial corporations
to make them pay their fair share
of the tax burden.
In this way the tax rate can
undoubtedly be reduced by sew
eral mills, while providing the
necessary funds for such essential
services as the maintenance of our
streets, our educational, relief and
recreational systems.
And as further step to cut our
relief costs, the Democratic party
should resolve to take advantage
Of the Federal Governments gen.
erous grants of money in aid of a
low-cost housing program for our
very poor, with is accompanying
employment for building trades
men and sales for supplying con-
tractors.
I believe, also, that the Demo-
cratic party should pledge itself to
work for a reduction in our cleo
trical light and gas rates, which
are among the very highest in the
United States.
It is a program which includes
planks like these which will APP
peal to the mass of Waterbury
voters, if combined with a slate
of candidates which will be rep
resentative of all ranks within
the party, and dominated by none.
District Caucus
As the first step in this direc-
ton, and in the interests of max
ing the Democratic party truly a
Democratic organization, why not
revive the district caucus? BY this
means, the party members in each
district could elect people whom
they actually wanted to represent
them, instead of having the party
run on the old 'back room
politics basis.
Unless some progressive steps
like these are made, insuring a
New Deal" in local Democratic
platform and leadership, I can
definitely assure you, from my OBJ
servation of the feeling of Union
members, that you will lose the
votes Of many working men and
women which may well be deci-
IL ~