National Affairs: Backfire

When Connecticut Democrats nominated Abraham Ribicoff as their candidate for governor last June, some Democratic Party leaders held their breath. In all of Yankee and Catholic New England, no Jew had ever been elected to a governorship. But no one sought to raise the religious issue against Ribicoff until the final week of the campaign. Then a 68-year-old Milford realtor named John F. McCoy, a Democrat, sent out some 200 letters (which he signed “Friend Bob”) attacking Ribicoff on the basis of his religion, and condemning New Haven’s Democratic Mayor Richard C. Lee for having appointed the first Negro as that city’s corporation counsel.

Last week, in defeat, members of Governor John Lodge’s Republican team, proud of the high-level campaign they had conducted, did more than deplore Democrat McCoy’s discordant note. At the request of a Republican state’s attorney in New Haven, McCoy was charged under state statutes with four counts of ridicule by advertising, based on religion, race or color, and one count of breach of the peace (all misdemeanors). If found guilty, “Friend Bob” could be punished by fines up to $700 or 240 days in jail, or both.