Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-30
IND TIE CHECK CAME BACK
The Bartenders Union Wouldn' t
 Handle Lilley's Money.


 He Sent the Union a Check for S100
 for Alleged Services Rendered on
 Election Day-The Bartenders Re
 turned the Check With Thanks, Say
 ing They Were Not To Be Bought.
 The Bartenders' union did some thing at it's last meeting which entities the organization to place in the ranks of the best societies of the community, if anybody ever questioned it's right to such position. Mention is made of the matter here in the hope that other bodies will take the hint and thus give us cleaner politics and teach candi- dates for public offices that they must stand on their merit.
 Tn figuring up the campaign ex- penses of the Hon George l.. Lilley, the successful candidate for congress- man at large in the last election con test, MT Lilley's private secretary, Colonel John B. Doherty, informed him that he owed the Bartenders' un- ion $100 for service rendered. Of course MT Lilley was much pleased to learn that all the bartenders had sported his buttons and peddled his pastors and in that straightforward way. he has of doing business he forth with made out a check for $100, pay able at the Manufacturers' bank, and mailed it to the union. The receipt of the communication was a big sur prise to the members of the Bartend- CTS union. for the union as a body was not out for the local agent of the meat trust or anybody else. although it is hinted that most of them voted for Hon MT Cummings of Stamford, the peoples candidate. But be that as iC may the boys got their heads together and after a little investigation learned that the congressman-elect was led to believe that the union voted for him to a man and had endeavored to induce others to do likewise with the under standing that there was something in lit. This put every man in the organ ization on his mettle and probably none of them were madder over the af- fair than the few who had voted for him. Of course they didn't blame MT Lilley, because they were sharp enough to see that he was simply do ing for them what, no doubt, he had done for others, but as the Bartenders' union was not for sale on election day, every man in it voting according to the dictates of his conscience, naturally they felt sore at the misrepresen ation, and after looking at the question from every standpoint they decided unanimously that the only honorable course open to them was to return the check to MT Lilley, and 2 committee consisting of John F. Hackett, Thomas Meehan and John Mulcahy were ap pointed to perform the mission.
 Armed with the check for a cold hun dred, the committee called upon the Hon Mir Lilley yesterday and planked it down before him on his desk, adding that the union was not out for him on election day and that whatever the members did in the way of electioneer ing they did it as individuals, and SC far as they kneW, in strict accordance with the oath they subscribed to when they were admitted to the franchise.
 Mir Lilley was somewhat surprised It was the only campaign check sent out by him, and as he had already sworn to his election expenses he was in quandary to know what to do with it and frankly admitted that he would much prefer the organization had kept it, but so long as they felt above that kind of business he thought all the more of them and remarked as he put it into his safe that he was in q hun dred which he believed had gone to make up the sum total of his election expenses. But the committee meant business and when they bid the con, gressman good day the congressman had his check and John F. Hackett was in possession of a receipt therefor.
 Such incidents as this are very rare, and the Bartenders' union deserves credit for the manly view they took of the matter. It also shows, too. that anybody who works for the Hon MT Lilley needn't lose any sleep about get ting his pay, and evidently that's one reason why people who dared oppose him did so at great risk to life and limb.
 Hurrah for the Bartenders' union of Waterbury and the Hon George l.. Lflley, congressman at large from Con- necticut.
 REACHED AN AGR EENTENTs