The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-04
Politics
 in Passing
BY RAYMOND ,. FITZPATRICK

E1eSe days as lC WdpCNcS LIle dCblNl- ties of the new state leadership headed by Chairman J. Kenneth Bradley. A whole series of shocks to the rock-ribbed conservatives was climaxed yesterday with the an- nouncement that Republicans in the General Assembly will be asked to support & Baby Wagner Act and other liberal measures.
 Shades of J. Henry ROraback! To think of Republican leaders in
 Connecticut, ''the land of steady habits,' supporting legislation which would set up State La Dor Relations Board. The grOans
 of diSnlay from many quarters must be audible even to MT. Brad ley down at WestpOrt as he thinks up more schemes to upset the placidity of the G. o. F.
 And a Baby Wagner Act isn't all. Carl Lundgren, the young An 6onian who is chairman of the Re- publican legislative committee, al- 50 recommends that the party la yor plans to broaden the provisions of the workmen's compensation act, to liberalize the unemployment com- pensation act, to set up more trade schools. It was only two years ago that Gov. Baldwin spoke out against extension of the trade school pro- gram: it was at the same legislative session that many Republicans op- posed changes in the workmen's compensation and unemployment compensation acts. It was only then, too, when many Republican stall wart in senate and house at Hart- ford raised his hands in horror when some radical" Democrats proposed that we have a State La- bor Relations Board.
 You can almost see the Old
 Guard heads coming together to buzz-buzz about "this man Brad ley" when they hear him an- nounce that Republicans in the ' house will not be "ObStructiOn- ists," that they will not oppose any measure for partisan reasons, and that they will not be preju- diced against legislation benefit ing cities. Why, in past sessions, you couldn't get the House Re- publicans to approve the Ten z Commandments if they were N sponsored by a Democrat from X sone of the large cities.
 And this business of trying to build up Republican power in the cities, of asking town chairmen in communities with 10000 or more ,people to file lists of bills they be- lieve would benefit their towns? Eyebrows in many small town are raised up to here as this move of MT. Bradleys brings amazement and bewilderment.
 Apparently, MT. Bradley be- liGveS the best way to depart from the mOsS-backed conservatism that he believes has kept the Re- puklicans in power in the state is to make a clean, immediate break, no matter how great the shock to tho old timers in the party. We're afraid that unless he halts giving these shocks, there1l be more than a few cases of apOplexy in the Old Guard ranks.
 MT. Bradley obviously has come to the conclusion that the Republican party in the state, to win back the confidence of the people, must break with the past. He is of the opinion that the party must break away from the reactionary policies which have been traditionally char acteristic of it, and his own and MT. Lundgren's announcements , make an attempt to take the of- fensive away from the Democrats, despite the fact that the latter will take over the state administration mex week.
 It seems likely, however, that MT. \ Bradley will have fight on his hands to have the Old Guard back his stand. The opposition to reform is too deeply -imbedded in the minds of many veteran G. O. F. legislators for it to vanish sim ply at the behest of new state \ chairman. Even the fact that MT. Bradley is playing aStute politics is seeking to regain public c0nfi- dence in the party will probably have little impression on them.
 Unless MT. Bradley is able to convince this old line group that what he is proposing is really for the best interests of the party, he will find that his legislative pro- gram, If not openly opposed by many members of his own party, will be the object of a great deal of sniping during the months that the General Assembly is in session. The result may be an early challenge to the new state chairman's leader ship.
 The issue brought up by the proposed legislative program may come to a head as early as the Republican senate and house cau- cuscs at Hartford Tuesday, the day before the session opens. The die-hards, if unwilling to force a test then, will probably use a cau- csls early in the session as an Op- Sggtunity to test MT. Bradley's strength. A defeat for him would not only weaken his leadership but would jeOpariiize the chances ef any welI-r0unded Republican lcsiszative program being support a during the General Assembly term MT. Bradley. naturally, must be | prepared to fight, knowing as he did 1 what reaction would be in some parts of his own party to legis- lative program as different, from Nonnecticut Republicanism of the past as black from white. What ever the outcome. the youthful new state chairman has brought into Eeate p0litcis Q new and refreshing | cir.