The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-08


 the face of a major emergency 2 present state laws is as follows:
 MT. President, MT. Speaker, and Members of the General Assem- ply:
 It is my duty, laid down in the
 Constitution of Connecticut, to give you information on the state of the government as a whole. and to recommend to your considera- ton such legislation as l deem eXpedient.
 The first part of that duty can be performed in few words.
 Connecticut Is prosperous, sol- vent, and free. The democratic traditions which we inherit from a noble past are still triumphantly maintained among us. In the words of Thomas Hooker, the liberty of God gave us we have taken" We know that we are still far from the democratic goal, but already we can say that never be- fore has any body of people so numerous as those of Connecticut, so diverse in racial origins and re- ligious creeds, lived more peace fully and prosperously together than we live here, under laws Of our own making.
 Yet now everything we have done, all that we hold most prec- ious, is threatened. The world of our time is experiencing supreme crisis-and Connecticut is a part of that world.
 We meet at time in which democratic principles and meth ods are on trial. In many quar- ters we hear it said that democ- cracy is cumbersome and wasteful. uncertain in purpose, unsound in philosophy, and that, however, well it may have served us in a simpler time, it is helpless before the complex problems of today.
 You and I take office, therefore, with sense of responsibility even greater than that which must al- ways have been felt in the past by thoughtful and honest Americans. In campaign of no ordinary sort we have been chosen to full fill no ordinary obligations. It is our unacceptable task, in this time of worldwide disaster, to keep the torch of freedom burning through the storm.
 This is a time in which all mar row self-mterest ought to sink out of sight. It is time in which all interests of class, real or fan cied, must be merged into the common good. And it is a time, too, in which even our political royalties, legitimate enough in their season, should be subordin- ated to larger considerations. Those who at such time con- tinue to play only the game of politics can scarcely hope to suc- ceed-even as politicians.
 I therefore solemnly call upon the members of this Assembly and upon all the citizens of this State, to realize that major emergency has arisen which demands a new morale. I call upon each of you to fight doYn-first of all within himself and then in others-the forces of fear. greed, hatred and personal ambition, supplanting them by the positive forces of confidence, unSelfshneSS, and ''firmnesS in the right as God gives us to see the right" I call upon everyone to realize that this is time demanding sacrifice from the rich as we'll as from the poor. Only so can internal fraction be avoided. Only thus can Connecti- cut show the world . democracy working as well in times of dan ger as in times of safety and peace.
 Speaking for myself on this matter, shall no doubt be saying what is in all your minds. The people of Connecticut need not expect from me an Administra- ton especially favoring any class or party, any racial group or re- ligious faith, above the others. My determination is to serve all the people of Connecticut to the limit of my ability. I shall not try to be more friendly to business than to agriculture, or to show more favor to capital and industry than to labor. It is my confident belief that the real interests of each group among us are best served when all groups work harmoni- ously together.
 Without attempting to go be- yond the powers of my office, I intend to use these powers at all times in a prompt and vigorous way. An Administration too much concerned to please first this 'presSure group and then that will end in a weakness pleasing to no one You may expect me at all times to remember that the gov ernment of Connecticut is a CO., operative undertaking, and know that you will keep the same fact in mind.
 Connecticut has a highly import ant part to play in the national preparation for the defense of freedom abroad and at home. The. present emergency has given her a chance to show once more those special gifts and abilities for which she has long been famous. Our factories hum, our machines are whirling, paroduction is at capacity, and we see everywhere evidence of new construction and new activity. We should realize, however, that this new industrial life has ''een brought to us almost entirely by world conditions. We hope that these conditions will be temporary. It is now our task to see that 8 prosperity brought to us by an evil chance Is rendered permanent. We must begin at once to built for the coming of peace. And in the meanwhile the hard now rights of the common man, so easily forgotten in times of crisis, must not be diminished.
 Problems of this sort press upon us from all sides. The world that we have known is rapidly chang ing about us, and we cannot fore- .-.. x.,t.ak avNefA,,.Ho o fiN,1e- 2 will