The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-04-03
Political Chips
BY EDWARD UDELCWITZ
By EDWARD UDELOWITZ

By EDWARD UDELOWITZ
Walter Brooks, in his propaganda
column in the Sunday Republican
of a week ago shed some alligator
tears over the collapse of the pri-
mary that was to be held and the
apparent fading out of the Re
organization committee of the Re-
publican party. He then went into
one Of his standardized seances and
came out of it with the conclu-
sion that the reason for the afore-
said collapse was that the reorgan-
izerS were bunch of crackpotS. He
did not say that directly, but used
the old Snide formula of saying it in
the third person. Somebody told
him that the others were crack
pots, etc., and the crackpotees told
him that the crackpotttors were
crackpots. Walter did not have to
be so cute about the whole thing.
He could have come out and said
it outright as it is well known to
most Of us that he considers anyone
who opposes the existing order a
crackpot.
-
His side kicks on the American
went him one better by character
iziny the Reorganization group as
riff raft. Well, why worry? 1t is
no reflection on anyone to be
termed crackpOt or riff raft by
the political Journalists of the
Republican and American. Their
bigOtry in the handling of the
news matter in the campaign was
so pronounced and their profess
siOnaI ethics were of such a low
order, it is not any surprise that
they wound it up with this last
gush of billingsgate, but was rather
to be expected.
Before I close with this matter
of crackpots and riff raft I would
like to draw another comparison
between the reorganization move
ments of 1914 and 1884. The 1884
movement had as it's moving spirits,
VIM. j. Pape, Fred Palomba, j. War
rem Epson and James o. White. The
'@junta of that day against whom
they rebelled was made up of Ned
Goss, Thebald E. Conway and the
"a city court crowd of that day. The
reorganizers of 1884 with the eX-
ception of James A. White and the
addition of Theobald E. Conway,
now judge of the city court make
up the junta of today The moving
spirits in the 1914 rebellion were
Arthur E. Blewitt, Warren Hitch
cock, Mortimer Calvin, Henry Cor
den,, James A. White, Morris Grus-
kay and until the last few days,
Harold K. Hadley.
Whether the aforementioned
81 group deserve the appellatiOn of
=, crackpots and riff raft, 1 will leave
to the readers of this column to
determine. will, however, grant
that Walter Brooks is consistent
and impartial in this matter. He
. would have as soon called the
p re0rganizers of 1884 crackpOts as
/. he did those of 1914 had he dared
to do so. With his boss the prin-
ciple hacker 1t was not safe and
polite for him to make any such
characterization then.
I have mentioned Harold K.
Hadley as one of the moving spirits
in the reorganization until the last
few days. Harold then enVeloped
himself in fog, came out long
enough to get on as delegate on
the junta's own sacred college, the
town convention, and wound up as
the chairman of that holy body
= That must have required consid-
cradle acrobatic ability. However,
i win not comment on this de-
q velopment as it is still quite foggy
around the junta's environs and 1t
!, is better to wait until it clears up.
I believe, however that Harold de-
serves credit for the part he played
, in bringing about the reorganiza-
ton movement as his contribution
to it was considerable.
The conventions did not bring
about any surprises outside of the
selection Of Harold X. HadIey over
Judge Conway as chairman Of
the town convention. Mrs. Anne
lung defeated Mrs. Allan for the
state central committee. There is
nothing to get hot and bothered
about in her victory. 1t is case
of substituting one type Of nepOt-
ism for another. She is replacing
Mrs. ROwley Phillips, is the
mOther-in-Iaw of ]. Warren Up
sons brother in-Iaw. Mrs. Ame-
+ lung is nObOdy's mOther-in-law
that know of but her husband
is a director in a local business
institution together with J.
Francis Smith, James Fl. Darcy,
business manager Of the Repub-
1ican and American, and Judge
TheObaId e. Conway. There are
only three others on the board Of
!, that institution. That makes it
> chubby arrangement and while
= the concern is not a political one
it is quite possible that the direc-
:. tors discuss politics In their spare
time.
? Mrs. Amelung has been the
;. president Of the WOmen's Repub-
lican Club for over a year and
has not been a ball Of fire there.
. At least 1t would not seem so from
: the accomplishments Of that or
ganizatiOn. So one cannot he
!. blamed for not getting excited
An~~ka-.a