The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-08
THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.

THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
 More than ordinary interest and concern attaches to the republican state convention which assemblies thls evening in this city for the purpose of nominating a state ticket. Were t not for the fact that Connecticut has of recent years been sure republican state 1t might be considered imperti- nent to comment In advance of the probable action of the conve ation, but as there is likelihood of the nominee of the convention becoming the next governor of the state it Is duty which self-respecting citizens owe themselves to warn the party leaders of what may happen If they insist up- on the proposed arbitrary course of action.
 The nomination of George L. Lillcy for governor by the dominant party is fraught with serious consequences for all concerned and for a great vari- ety of solid reasons. The moment he is placed before the people of this state as a candidate he will be rec ognized as the product of machne dic. tation. No amount of political sophistry will modify that fact for a moment. The fact will grow more and more abhorrent as the campaign progresses and may even involve tho fortunes of William H. Taft, who is unquestionably the choice of the vot- CTS of Connecticut for president op- position 10 his election will be based, not upon personal objection to him, but upon a profound desire to protect the good name of the state from na- tional criticism on account of things which he politically represents.
 rrt,n t~L l. in the state and which have returned Lilley delegates to the convention have not been representative of free republican thought. The compara- lively few who have been registered and who have easily lent themselves to machine control are greatly out numbered by the thousands who have declined to enroll themselves, and who have retained the right to expres. their convictions at the polls The Connecticut caucus enrolment law was not enacted in response to a need for purer and better politics; 1t was conceived in the mind of the machine to meet an emergency which was crc- ated by machine competition and har ever since operated to reinforce ma chine domination. It has done nor, than any other one thing to stimulate the movement for the enactment of a direct primary law.
 The proposition to nominate Mir Lilley involves the abandonment oi an efficient governor who has not beer able to complete the work cut out fol him and to which he willingly devoted himself In spite of machine opposl tion He stood in the way of the re- demption of contracts which were o machine origin and had the courage to interpose a veto every time 1t wa. proposed to further prostitute tht powerful machinery of the state tt political ends. There is no reason tt believe that Mr. Liley favors this at titude of mind nor is there reason t, believe that he has other views upo, the subject of state needs than will p, supplied him by the platform maker tomorrow. Not in a gener Ation ha such a spectacle of machine domin ation been presented, in that 1t no only sets aside capable and tested me, for one who has in no sense of tn word popular enthusiasm back of hin but also in that 1t shows witherin contempt on the part of the machiu