The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-25
Political Chips
BY EDWARD UDELOWITZ

The mandamus action that was
brought by Atty. Gruskay against
Republican Town Chairman Vernon
Hall that was decided last Satur-
day, was the sequel to a series of
discussions that were held at meet
ings of the Young Mems Republic
can club since last June and at
casual meetings of groups of re-
publicanS held during the months
Of April and May, 1913.
At these earlier meetings, it was
the consensus of opinion that the
existing setup in the republican
party was detrimental to the
party's interests, since it was
clearly evident that its leaders
were in cahOOts with the demo-
cratic machine and were at that
time plotting to assure the latter
another victory in the city cleo
ton that was held last November.
After insistent and persistent de-
mandS on me to work out some plan
of action against the party leaders,
agreed to do so. And after con-
sidering the matter from prac
tical standpoint, I found that one
of two courses was open. One was
to make q direct attack on the
leadership and demand the resig-
nation of the town chairman and
the four state central committee
men through a resolution to be in
troduced in the Young Mems Re-
publican Club and the other was
to attack weak spots in the setup
through the same channel.
After considering the matter in
its various angles, decided that
it would not be possible at that
time to succeed with the first
plan. So brought in three resO-
lutiOns; the first of these was a
demand they deal out the iniquit-
Gus rule of charging a fee of
S25 district on any group of Re-
publicans outside of their own
select clique who wish to put in
a slate of delegates in caucus to
be voted on by registered epubli-
cans, a rule which they aped from
their senior partners, the Demo-
cratic machine. The second resO-
luton called for the repudia-
ton Of practically all the legiSla-
ton that had been sponsored by
Senator Summa and J. Warren
Epson in the last session of the
General Assembly, which the
legislature passed and which the
governor later vetoed. The third
resolution called for the scrapping
of the autOcratic control of the
party by the town chairman
through his stOOge district leaders
and the restoration Of the prin-
ciple of open caucasus.
The first and third of these reso-
tons were adopted by the Young
Republican club last June and
committe was appointed to meet
with the town chairman and to de-
mand the resembling of the rule re-
quiring the payment of the $25- fee
and to also make survey of the
party,s leadership in regards to its
activities in the coming city cam
paign. The committee met with
the town chairman last July, pre-
scented the vote of the club on the
question of fees to him and made
three other recommendations to
him. One of these was to scrap
the prevailing method of hand
picking the delegates to conventions
and go back to holding open eau
cuseS, another was to appoint a
committee OF 20 to be divided equal
ly between the town committee
group and other Republican organ
izations in the city to supervise the
running of the coming campaign,
and the third was to Immediately
raise minimum sum of $4,000 for
the purpose of opening up head
quarters and take up the prelim-
mary work of running a campaign.
After considerable jOckeying
around, the junta finally decided
to lower the fee from $500 to
$500 and refused to consider the
other recommendations.
The campaign stopped further
action by the Young Republican
Club in the matter. After it was
over and 1t was plainly evident that
the junta helped the democratic
machine to another victory the dis
cuSSions were resumed and they
grew in intensity. It was finally de-
cided to engage the jun5a in prim-
airy fight. was opposed to a prim-
airy fight as I did not believe that
the Young Republican group could
defeat the junta in primary and
believed that a more effective
method Of combating the jllrta
could be found. But since the others
were for a primary, I went along
with them. The story of the prep
arations for the primary is the same
as that OF preceding primaries and
of the early conduct OF the war by
the Allies. Everything was either too
little or too late. or both. SO when
the date of the primary was draw
ing near 1t was evident that the re-
organization group could not hope
to make a good showing and 1t APP
peared useless to give the town
chairman the $500 a district. So
when Atty. Gruskay mentioned the
proposition of giving the junta q
court battle, Immediately put it
into a motion and it was carried
in the face of opposition by Chair
man Blewitt
The mandamus action that fol-
lowed reflected the all around in
eptithde Of the reorganization
group in the entire proceedings.
The case. IL seems to my lay mind
should have been tried by &C