The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-18
Politics in-
 
ss RAYMOND J.F1TzPATRICK

Waterbury Is in for . long siege 9f politics. Instead of the city election marking an end to cam @algning, 1t will instead be fol- Bowed some time later by a special congressional election to fill the Aacancy caused by the nomination of Congressman J. Joseph Smith For Q. s. district court judge.
 The date for the special election will be fixed by Gov. Hurley - 1t enay be months off - but already both parties are drawing up their Cattle lines and the would-be can- Aidates are having their friends put beating drums for them. 1 It would be an interesting test oe sentiment in the fifth con. gressional district If the special election were decided on the is- sue isOlatiOnism, but such clean.cut issue Is hardly likely. The claims by both sides as to public feeling throughout vest eEm Connecticut on the nations foreign policy are 90 contradic- tory that . clear indication of just what the majority think would be invaluable.
 The Republican candidate, whO- ever he may be, can express only personal views since his party nationally is badly split on Amer jean policy. If he takes the isO- lationist side, he will find him. self at odds with Wendell l.. Will kie, still nominally the party's leader and many other leading Republicans; if he takes the in- terventlonlst side he will find himself on the other side of the fence from most of the die-hard Republican minority in Congress.
 The Democratic candidate, on the other hand, can go along with the President and the Congressional majority and favor continuation of the present policies of the ad- sninIstration or, If prudence is deemed more apt to get votes than franknesS and courage, he can fa- vor the present policy, with res- Rrvations.
 There is no question but that the America First Committee, the mothers clubs and other iSOla- tiOnist groups In this part of Che state are far more vocal than the organizations which direct Iy oppose their arms. But an election on the straight issue of isOlationism would show whether they are really . powerful ma- jority or noisy minority. If the special election issue were that Cleag our bet would be that the second alternative would prove tEuN
 In losing Congressman smith as its representative, the fifth district loses one who has served 1t cap- ably for seven years. Perhaps best described as o moderate liberal, MT. Smith has been criticized by somO as being too liberal in his vlews, by others as being too con- servAtive. Each criticism may have been just, at one or another. But Congressman Smiths work on the whole has proven highly satisfac- tory to the voters of his district, as witness his four consecutive elections to Congress.
 The district Rill miss his seefices in Congress; the House will miss his unquestioned knowledge of mili- tary affairs and problems. Yet there will be a feeling of pride that the President of the United States saw fit to choose from this city and district Q judge to grace the bench of one of the highest courts in the land.
 While there are alarms and excursions In the nation and the world our city election campaign goes It's placid, s0mnOlent way. Election is little more than two weeks off but 1t could be cons off for alI the interest that the general public Is showing. The voters seem to know vaguely that there's an election In prospect but they aren't getting excited about it.
 Before each election, you hear talk about the huge amount of ticket-splitting that's going to be done. This year the same story Is heard, but perhaps 1t may be based Dn something. stronger than guess work this time. Only the post-elec" ton tabulations will show whether lt Is or not.
 Tn any event, many newly-made goters seeking instructions at the demonstration machine at the city hall are asking how they can cut for this candidate or that one. It may be only curiosity or 1t may not.
 Political pOtpourri. {. DopesterS disagree as to whether the In- dependent Democratic ticket will hurt the Republicans or the Democrats more. Estimates of Che paFty's vote go all over the lot The meeting of the ad- vlseEy council of the Democratic state central committee last night was the first In well over year.
 Mayor Andrew Nolan of AnsOnia is the most active early candi- datc for the Democratic nOm- inatlOn for Congress The ItR4- ian American Democratic plans several radio programs OnI behalf 0g Mayor ScuIIy and the regular ticket. .. Perhaps the most ac- tive Republican city election can- Aidstc, up to now, Is Peter De- |. Cicco, former city court inter- preter, who is running for 8 place en the board of aldermen.