The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-20
Politics
 in
 Passing mvwAvnEoNyn T. FITZPATRICK
By RAYMOND J.FKTzPATRICK


 Ry RAYMOND J. .FTTZPATRICK [
 The dilemma in which the leaders of the Republican party find them selves today, 8 month and Q nalt before the city election, is one or their making, but that doesn't make it any easier for them. They can either give the nomination for mayor to ex-Mayor Patrick M. Per- rielio with as good grace as possible, thereby admitting that they were wrong in giving him "the business" two years ago, or they can turn him down once again, thereby get ting themselves into @ primary nght which might well wreck the party,
 Now that it's 1941, the powers
 that be in the party can see that
 Patsy should have been the nOFl-
 inee in 1889. Certainly he would
 have made closer race of 1t than
 did the bosses choice, Charles c.
 Foster, an able businessman but
 one who lacked the color, the ag-
 grcssiveness or the wide acquaiit-
 anceship needed for a city cam
 paign.
 The fact that the G. o. P.
 leaders realize now that they
 made a mistake in 1899 doesn't
 mean that they'll profit by It.
 They have already started out
 by allenating large blOcs within the party. They have let the pro testd movement grow and flourish,
 though it probably could have been checked almost at the start had some cool judgment been used and the insurgents asked to come in and talk about their dif- ferences across 3 conference table.
 The leadership now finds itself in a situation in which 1t faces a pri- mary even If it yields to demands that Perriello be nominated. The Young Republicans, the John Doe" club and several other Republican clubs are committed to a fight against Registrar of Voters AlbeW O. Taller, with Harold K. Hadley as their candidate. Hadley packers say that no matter who is the noni- nee for mayor, they will enter Q primary fight against Taller unless he agrees to withdraw.
 Thus 1t may be that the only primary flght--should the organiza- ton agree to Perriello for mayor will be for delegates to the town convention, which names the can- didate for registrar. Even if there is only this one contest 1t will still be bitter, for hardly anyone in the party Is the subject of more con- troversy than Registrar Taller. NO doubt some of the feeling against him comes from the fact that he Is one of 6 handful of Republicans holding elective office in the city, but his opponents say that they are against him not because of jealousy but gather because he has repre- sented the leaders rather than the Republican rank and file.
 One of the goals of those now battling against the c. o. P. lead ership is a change in the party rules to end the present power thae the town chairman has over district leaders. The rules at pres ent allow the chairman to appoint or remove district leaders at will. Tho importance of this rests largely In the fact that in the Republican set-up In the district leaders submit lists of conven. tiOn delegates from their dls- tricts. Thus, should the town chairman not like the list submlt- ted by one district leader or aris other, he can remove him sum- marIly and replace him with someone who will do his bidding.
 This Republican party rule is almost as unfair as that in the Democratic party which requires Q deposit of S25 for each voting district, or Q total of $500, by any group wishing to contest . prl- mary. The Democratic rule Is plainly intended to handicap any. one who wishes to oppose the ore ganization i'm . primary and the fact that it is on the books is something of which the Demo- cratic organization should be ashamed. Yet now there Is talk that the Republican leadership
 may adopt a similar rule and, whatever excuse might be given, it would Do meant only to hamper those who dared oppose the or- ganization.
 V If the Republican leadership agrees to the nomination of Per- eiello, the conduct of the organiza- ton during the campaign will be closely watched, for, as long ago as last spring, there were whispered gumors that if Perriello were nonl- mated this year the organization would do little to help his candi- 1acy. The rumor relaters had 1t that khis would be done to have Patsy lake a big licking at the polls and thereby remove himself from an important place in the Republican picture.
 Whatever the outcome of the Republicans troubles, there seems little chance that the party's tick ct whatever its makeup, will be able to defeat the Democratic
 slate led by Mayor Vincent A. Ecully seeking 9 second term. If the Democrats were able to win two years ago. while final dispO- sition of the conspiracy trial cases was still pending and while feel angs still ran high, they should Ae able to coast in this year.
 Mayor Scully will undoubtedly draw the votes of many Republi- cans because of lower taxes and Improvement in the city's finan- cial standing. These should make up for losses he will suffer within his own party.
 AS has been the case for 20 years or more, the best chance the Republicans have of winning m eskw election 11 M rnaj0Vs smlik Sm