The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-21

kN0AAAAAIeA1AA 0A 0AA O0AAACAA AhA Q. s. Senator this week by the Re- publican state convention leaves State Chairman Benjamin Harwood as Q leader without authority, with out majority following. Harwood had opposed Cornell, but the dele gates at the convention refused to follow him and Cornell was swept in by exclamation.
 HarwOOd may remain as chair man, at least until after the eIec-
 tiOn, but he will realize that he
 stays in only by grace of the
 Fairfield county group which now
 dominate the party. He must
 see, as do outsiders, that Gov.
 Baldwin and National Commit
 teeman Sam Pryor have only to
 snap their fingers and J. Kenneth
 Bradley or some other choice of
 theirs will become state chairman.
 Friends of HarwOOd say that, de-
 spite the nomination of Cornell,
 the state chairman will fight to
 remain in office as long as pOSSi-
 bIe. But his fight will be almost
 hopeless if the triumvirate of
 Baldwin, Pryor and Bradley de-.
 cides that it's time for him to go.
 The nomination of Cornell must give many an olG-line Republican shudder. In the days of J. Henry Roraback there would have been guffaWs all over the state at any attempt to win an important non1i- nation for a man who's been a resi- dent of the state for only few years, who has been registered Re- publican only short time and who leans to the liberal side in his views.
 Cornell should be a good cam
 paigner. He makes an impressive
 appearance, he talks well, he has
 the knack of making friends. He
 gained great deal of political
 experience working for the elec-
 tion of the Republican ticket two
 years ago. He will have ample
 finances behind him, as well as
 the distinct advantage of aid from
 leading national Republicans who
 are among his friends.
 It will be Cornell's job to over come doubts about him that are noticeable in the traditionally Re- publican small towns. Any defec- tions there would almost complete ly kill his chances of election.
 He must also seek to win back
 many other normally Republican
 votes that promise to go to the
 Democratic candidate, U. s. Sem
 ator Francis T. Maloney. The lat
 ter'S record in Congress appeals
 to quite a few Republican busi-
 ness men, and it will be a feat foV Cornell to win their votes away from his opponent.
 The first real clashes in the cam- paign for governor this week, with Coy. Baldwin and his Democratic rival, Public Works Commissioner Robert A. Hurley, trading punches. In Baldwin's acceptance speech at New Haven, he made the claim that the states public building program was begged down when he came into office and that executive abil- ity" in its handling was lacking. He modeStly took credit for the great progress made in the institutional program during the past two years. Hurley, who appears to have the facts on his side, answered by de- claring that the governor had noth- ing to do with the building program, that the work had started under ex- Gov. Cross and that every contract had been let before Baldwin even took office. The only assistance Baldwin gave to the building pro- gram was to take part in dedications of some of the new state institu- tionS.
 Baldwin was obviously piqued at Hurley'S retOrt and only a day later fired the public works cOm- missioner from the state defense council. He gave as his reason a claim that Hurley, in speeches at two rallies, had said that the establishment of the council by the governor was publicity stunt"
 It looks as if the two guberna- torial candidates will provide plen- ty of fireworks in the weeks ahead, with additional pyrotechnics com- ing from the third aspirant, Jasper McLevy. Baldwin is finding early in the campaign that Hurley is no easy antagonist; Hurley's aggres- siveness and his familiarity with state affairs may force the governor to forget most of those out-of-state jaunts of his and stay at home to take care of his own political fences.
 Local Republicans are seeking to capitalize on the Democratic primaries here this week by talk ing of large-scale defections of Democratic voters to the G. o. P. side. Such talk is almost entirely wishful thinking, for vast ma jority of Waterbury Democrats will be behind the party's candi- dates on election day. No more than a few will carry their dis appointment at the primary re- suits to the extent of voting against the party nominees.
 William J. Larkin, Jr., is behind the boom for Austin L. Adams, of Middlebury, for the Republican congressional nomination. Adams, formerly of Naugatuck, is chairman of the board of the Colonial Trust Go. here and has extensive business interests in Naugatuck. Attor- ney George Lynch, of Middlebury, is piling up more support for the e. o. P. senatorial nomination in the 17th district. =. The Alcorn family was in the ranks opposing nomination of Paul Cornell.
 With no signs of Waterbury de-