Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-22
TAFT IS IN DANGER
' Trumbull" Says He May Lose Connecticut if lilley is
 Nominated.

lican ticket will be jeopafdlzed Ill this state next fall if Congressman Lilley is the gubernatorial candidate. Here is what Trumbull says:
 I am aware that l have been se- verely criticised for what l have writ- ten in the Connecticut edition of the New York Herald with regard to the depressing candidacy of Representa- tive Lilley for the gubernatorial nom- ination this fall at the hands Of the republican party. One would con- clude from the things that have been said of me that l had personal mo- tive in discussing MT Lilley's eligl- bility in a discouraging spirit. As matter of fact have been moved Dy no personal motive at all, unless a feeling of personal friendship for MT Taft and desire to make his run in Connecticut as smooth IS possible and as free from unnecessary oDsta- cles as possible constitutes personal motive. If that is personal motive then I must stand convicted.
 No matter what the republican politicians say who committed them selves to the Lilley movement nearly two years ago, the wayfaring man on the street does not believe that Mir Lilley's nomination would strengthen the republican ticket, and in the last analysis it is the wayfar- ing mans vote which is needed to settle and determine elections. The reason for this is not far to seek. Granting for the sake of argument that there was fire concealed back of the clouds of smoke which his sen sational charges gave rise to; grant that the committee of investigation did as little as possible to aid him ill his search for the truth and that it did all it could to embarrass him in his search for the truth; grant that the report of the committee was inexcusably fierce and vicious; grant whatever one wishes to grant in MT Lilley's behalf, the fact remains that he disclosed in that connection an at titude of mind so fraught with indis- cretion, to say the least, ;aat an ap- proval of it-whieh would be in- cluded in his nomination for gov ernor-would cost the republican general ticket thousands of votes and to that extent endanger the success of MT Taft in Connecticut.
 I apprehend that the real friends of MT Taft will give this aspect of the situation their serious considera- tion before many weeks have gone by. Their personal desire to gratify the aspirations of Mir Lilley, which is en- tirely creditable, win have to give way to an unselfish consideration of the welfare of the party as a whole. again repeat that l am not moved by any other motive, if motive it be, than to attempt to read the signs of the times as they should be inter- preted, and l am as innocent of un- friendly intent as l was when l op- posed the acceptance of his invitation to the Connecticut editors to visit him at his home in Washington. It is simply fact, which cannot be ob- served too soon for the good of the republican party this fall, that the Lilley temperament is not the one fitted to best administer the duties of the office of governor of the state of Connecticut for the next two years.
 The proposed elimination of Mir Lil- ley from the race this fall naturally suggests the advancement of MT Lake. However worthy that gentle man may be for the post of governor, the friends of MT Lilley will not be disposed to retire him and leave MT Lake in possession of the field. That is not the way the Connecticut mind works as a rule. They are more like ly. if they exercise the good judgment for which. on the whole they are we'll known, to make the retirement of Mir Lilley condition of the renomina- tion of the present state officers. This would be the easiest way out of bad situation and would at the same time add immensely to the popularity of the republican general outfit. The practical politicians may not like him. but throughout the breadth and length of the state of Connecticut Governor Woodruff is popular and is regarded as the personification of cer- tain improvements in government which are generally favored. I may be way ahead of the game. but that some such view as this will finally commend itself to the republican or ganization l have not the slightest doubt. There is a lot of simmering below the surface of what appears to the eye to be an unruffied body of po- litical water, and in the ironing out of conflicting ambitions the line of least resistance is likely to become