The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-05-16


one oe the biggest problems fac
we the political parties in the state
election this fall IS that Of abser-
ne ballots for men IN the service.
N5s 3 problem that already should
Nnve Che leaders Of the major par
Yves &c least scratching their heads.
The politician, using the word
/ "a Is best sense, knows that every
v1te a important. He doesn't
&mke q chance on missing Q single
ballet. knowing that often just o
few az those ballots mean the dAK-
ference between victory and de-
feat. This year he knows that
absentee ballots are more import
ant than ever, because there are
% many eligible TO cast them and
hscause the election may be close.
1 imagine the Job It means for party
enders in waterbury, for instance, in
Ihe state and congressional elections
his year. BY election time, 1t may
De fairly estimated, between 5000
Ind 1000 Of this city's voters will be
vi the service. They may be in
australia, in ireland, in Newfound-
Hand, In Africa; they may be IN
camps scattered the length and
breadth Of the country; they may
be on q ship Of the line in the Pa
clfic, or on a trim destroyer in the
Atlantic: they may be with the
Marines IN some ocean outpost.
Wherever they are, whatever
Nhey.re doing. It's the job Of party
leaders to see that they get applica-
lions for absentee ballots and then
The ballots themselves. It means
shocking Army and Navy records,
&c means hundreds Of visits and
Kelephone calls to relatives and
friends; It means research and
work Of the dullest kind yet the
party that does It best will have
. big edge as the election starts.
Ttas . Job mot TO be envied. It's
dull, it's tiresOme and In many
cases It's almost thanlxless. But
It's also one of the most import
ant elements in this democracy
chat we're trying to serve.
Every party has . solemn Obli-
gBtIon 10 do its best to see that
every man I'm the service who is
eligible to vote has the OppOrtun-
ity to cast q ballot. IL anyone has
the right to vote, certainly It's the
man who's rislklng his life TO save
cur right to vote. Whatever the
difficulties, whatever the trouble
~ party workers - absentee bal
lots for service men are all-im-
p0ktant this year. The much
raalagmed politician" win be do
ing che state and the country q
reaB service n he sees to II that
eveEy soldier, sailor and marine
wins can be reached gets an abb
1ontee ballot.
Getting down to purely political
considerations, we have q feeling
that the Democrats stand to lose
more in the absentee balloting than
do the Republicans. If the political
affiliations Of local men called into
the service are any criterion Of
state.wide situation. this Is defi-
nitely so. A good majority Of the
Waterbury men called to the colors
are Democrats.
Undoubtedly the figures are some-
what different in small towns about
the state, since Republicans DOM
mate there. Yet even in the towns,
we believe, the younger men called
w the Army probably formed the
nuclei Of whatever Democratic
strength there was.
This win make 1t necessary for
the eDmocrats to make a special
effort to get out absentee ballot
applications and get the ballots
turned in. The Waterbury Demo-
cratic organization did good job
m this field in the city election last
tan, but 1t will have to do an
sven better job this year.
Random notes. Mayor VIM
cent A. ScuHly will probably take
his time about appointing o sue
eessOr to City Clerk Joe Shea
when the latter enters the Army
soon. /. School principals and
teaehers look longingIy LICK at
that nay raise they tho 1T they
might get last fall as they try to
rest mp after the sugar and gas ra-
fleming registrations. Police
msen and fIremen feel much the
Hasne way as they read requests
that they do civilian defense work
- their spare time. Young
Democrats Of Connecticut moved
their state convention from Wa
faxhmry because Of difficulties I'm
Nettimg adequate transportation
and accommodations The con-
eenflon will be held ct Stamford
instead, next month.
II Edward J. Ryan independent
mnndidate for Congress in the JAM
@mry special election gets q place
mn the state ballot this year he
may endorse all other candidates Of
me Of the major parties while rum
ming himself in the fifth district
contest. In fact he might even lean
Democratic this year should Fair
field County continue to dominate
the Republican party. Pres
enc and would-be members Of
ne General Assembly abe wonder
ing how about getting to and from
che capitol when the 1913 session
starts. The Acorn supporters
Al the state COP. are ready to
ulalfn . place on the state ticket
fiyts year.
stlII vacant IL the post Of secre-
sary Of the Democratic State Gem
iEal COMMITTEES. Ditto but for
s naueh shorter period, IL the Re-
MwhHlean vacancy On the fire
A@mRa resulting from Commissioners
yakm ~. BFndie's entrance into