Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-10
THE FOX CHARGE
Against Governor Elect Lilley Das Caused a Sensation
 Throughout Inc SiaIe
ULLMAN LAUGHS AT IT

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 keen to-day over possible develop ments in the action of George l.. Fox of this city in pressing his com plaint that certain candidates Tor ol- l fees in the recent state election, or their financial agents, failed to oD- serve the corrupt practices act passed by the general assembly foul years ago. So far as known the On'E su ubpoena served is that upon Con gressman George l.. Lilley of Water bury, the governor-elect, who will be | inaugurated on January 6. Reports are current and have been for some days that a number of cases are to 1 be brought before the election court which was granted to Mr Fox by Judge w. l.. Bennett of the superior court.
 1 Never before in the history of Con netccut, it is believed, has gov 1 ernor or governor-eleCt been placed in the position which Congressman Lilley now finds himself, He accept ed the service of papers at his apart ments in Waterbury and simply an swered Thank you' to the deputy sheriff who read to him the notice Of ! the action.
 The complaint comes as climax to long and very trying campaign for him, in which although success ful he was fought without quarter by a group of men in the republican party who based their opposition 'H him on the ground that his attitude 1 l, ho ripn hn1t at Washington indicated that tenn peramentally he was not fitted to be governor of the state. These antf Liley republicans spent about S.", 1 900 to defeat him.
 In the constitution of the court which is a very important branch of the matter. the appointments rest with Chief Justice Baldwin of the supreme court of errors who can name two judges of the superior court (which term includes also the supreme courD that power obvious ly concluding Judge Bennett and Judge Baldwin himself should he care to serve, and 1t is understood among the supporters of Mr Fox there is a strong desire to have Judge Baldwin serve, both on ac- count of his early retirement from the supreme court through age lim- itation and his long familiarity with interpretations of law
 These interpretations of the legal points in the case will form and eX- tremely important branch of the trial as the corrupt practices act is hnt n ,inaio and hDS CT in detail or in generally been in terpreted A most vital point in this off shoot of the procedure will be the question of what constitutes bri- bery under the act. This has been the great question in England in the proceedings to unseat members of parliament and the English prece- dents will undoubtedly come in for interpretations of the act.
 It is aScertaned definitely that the legal counsel for Mr Fox intend to try out the law in all it's features both as a matter of statute and fact, and hep roceedings will reach far beyond the charges against Govern or-elect Lilley or Mr Ullman. One feature of this phase of the proceed ings will be the investigation of the extent, if any, tow hich money was placed in the saloons of the state by the brewery interests.
 It is understood that owing to po- litical reasons a number rof Connec- ticut lawyers were unwilling to take the case notwithstanding the great prominence which it is expected to assume in the legal and political an nals of the commonwealth. In this connection the supporters of MT Fox point out that Governor -elect Lilley after his induction into office and during the session of the general as sembly will have to make many ju- dicial appointments.
 Some comment has been caused herre by the fact that the Cheshire cases for alleged bribery do not fig ure in the complaint. But it is un- derstood that these as well as other allegations of direct and indirect election bribery in any part of the state will be part of the proceedings
 In the final aspect of the case the decision rests with the general as sembly of the state after the finding Ul ldCt duu Oi law are DN lftp court and filed with the secretary of state at Hartford, the general assem- ply having full power to do nothing on the one hand or on the other hand to nullify any election and order q new one.
 Washington, Dec 10.-"It is ridicu- lOus for me to make a reply to this charge" declared Colonel Ullman of New Haven, who is in this city, when his attention was called to state ment to the effect that he had dis tributed money during the recent campaign in Connecticut for the pur- pose of treating voters. Colonel Ull- man declared he had not been in Waterbury, Conn, since MT Lilley was nominated for governor. He said he was Mir Lilley's political agent at New Haven during the campaign and that he was not in Waterbury, nor had he had any dealings with any politicians there during the cam paign. He said that he had filed his statement of expenses after the cleo ton.