The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-15
Heard And Overheard
ground -
The State Capitol

this informant said. 1--WE are way
behind the times. It was all right
back in the days when the COVER
nor came in once or twice a week.
But now when he is in every day,
we ought o1take his health into
consideration, and give him a place
to live"
The Hartford club grants the
governor a room, but provides no
facilities for his family.
State Capitol observers are in
terested in reports from Waterbury
that former State Senator Joseph
ii. Lawl0r, who once was president
pro tempOre of the senate, will
make a political comeback this
fall. He is a Democrat.
The former state boxing COM
missioner, who resigned when he
was charged with accepting a bride.
during the 1885 session for favor
able votes on a toilet seat bill, was
freed by superior court because of
Lack Of evidence.
Now he is reported looking for
the senatorial nomination in the
18th district, a sure-fire Democratic
section.
There are three schools of
thought in connection with the
awaited nomination for the federal
judgeship vacancy:
/. That John FitzG Gerald, son Of
National Committeeman David e.
FitzGerald, will get it.
2. That U. s. Rep. J. Joseph
Smith, D., Prospect, brother of
State Chairman j. Francis Smith,
will receive the nomination.
8. That, because Of party fric-
ton, neither will win out, and q
compromise candidate will be
named. The latest name men
toned in this connection is Judge
Edward Finn of Waterbury. Others
receiving consideration are Attor-
ney Cyril Coleman, Hartford, and
Max Spelke, Stamford.
u. S. Senator Francis T. Maloney
has come out for no candidate, but
political insiders say he has COM
mitted himself to j. Joseph Smith,
much to the anger Of Committee
man FitzGerald.
Faced with an impending civil war
in the party over the nomination,
Washington is doing nothing at the
moment to break the deadlock.
But certain quarters say the re-
cent suggested resignation of State
Chairman Smith was part of
move to give Committeeman Fitz-
Gerald an opportunity to name his
own chairman in return for not
opposing the judgeship nomination
of Rep. Smith.
The third school says differences
between the FITZGERALD and Smith
camps are irreconcilable, and that
a compromise candidate will be
named. Attorney Coleman was re-
ported visiting at Washington re-
Gently, and his qualifications also
were being looked into by justice
department agents, 1t was reported.
Spelke was a former assistant
U. s. attorney under Homer Cum
mings. Judge Finn, however, was
reported to be receiving serious
consideration now"
A prominent Republican state
senator told the story i'm the Capt.
toll this week that two well-knOwn
Connecticut lawyers, one a Repub-
lican and the other a Democrat, bet
$1O0 even money ON the third term
candidacy Of President Roosevelt.
The Republican bet he would run
again; the Democrat said Mr..
Roosevelt was not q candidate.
Administration Republicans are
blaming William J. Pape and Town
Chairman Warren Epson for the
Chairman Warren Upsonf or the
Republican loss in the Waterbury
city elections last fall, and predict
Epson will be replaced as chairman
in the spring conventions in April.
Leading candidate for Upson's
job was said to be Harold Post,
well-known Young Republican not
identified with the Pape- Epson
forces.
Capitol Republicans say Water
bury Republican leaders pulled a
major political blunder in demand
ing resignation of former Mayor T.
Frank Hayes before his term was
completed. They said it would have
been far better to have let Hayes
complete his term, and then wage
the campaign on the corruption
issue.
AS it turned out, a Republican
alderman, Patrick Perriello, sue
ceeded Hayes as mayor. Perriello.
was not named as the Republican
mayoralty candidate, thereby Gre
ating a major party split which
lost the election.
Sources here said the Pape-
Epson leadership played into the
hands of State Chairman J. Fran
els Smith In the city campaign.
New Haven Republicans are won
defing whether Clarence willard
4 nreuarsne IN make = a0naehack