The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-05-22
Friday, May ~, zoos.
THE LILLEY REPORT.

THE LILLEY REPORT.
The more one considers the report
made to the federal house Of repre-
sentatlves by the committee appointed
TO investigate the charges made by
Congressman Lilley from this state in
connection with submarine legislation,
the more the pity of It becomes that
such a chapter of tragic errors should
have been written into current his
tory, No matter what view one may
take of the justice or injustice Of the
report, and the two views are express
ed, It is not a light thing to be thus
condemned by a majority of that leg
islative body, 1t must have its in
furious effect upon the political career
Of Mr. Lilley no matter what the at
titude of his personal and political
friends may be. That is the tragic
side of the controversy, for after all
has been said that can be said 1t
should be stated clearly that Mr.. Lii
ley has, since he entered public life,
conducted himself on the whole with
becoming dignity and usefulness.
We spoke In yesterdays issue of
The Journal-Courier of the manifest
deception of which Mr. Lilley was
made the victim and of the clrcum-
.tances which tended to encourage
sef deception. While there was moth
ing iirrroper in seeking evidence of
wrong do'Sg from the particular sub
marine boat builders, who considered
themselves a,-grieved over the I'M
friendly treatment they had received
at the hands of the naval committee,
1t was questionable judgment for Mr..
Lilley to accept their statements as
necessarily statements of fact This
he did to an extent admitted by him
on the witness stand and by the coun-
sci in the employ of the protesting
company. He was not in other
words, at any time in possession of
the facts essential to his mission, nor
is there anything more than conjec-
ture that an examination of the books
of the Holland Boat company would
produce them. This of itself consti-
tutes the "injudiciousness and indis-
erection" of which many, who are.
friendly to Mr.. Lilley, believe to be
the extent of his guilt Whether un-
der such circumstances he was right
in expecting to be either a member
of the investigating committee or bet
ter yet its chairman is largely mat
ter of personal opinion, with infuen
tial authorities to be quoted on both
sides Having been denied both adj
vantages he was then deprived by the
committee of the right to appear with
counsel 1t was evident that 1t was
to be chapter Of tragic errors until
the end in which obviously Mr.. Lii
ley's hostility to submarine boats Of
every kind played a controlling part
AS for the investigating committee
It is difficult for an unpreiudiced
party to accept its conduct as reflect
ing fair treatment, or an open consd-
Grafton of serious subject From
the first it made it increasingly diff
cult for Mr.. Lilley to proceed Re-
sentng his insinuations as regards the
integrity Of members Of congress, It
not only did absolutely nothing to
aid him in digging out the truth, If
there was ugly truth to be dug out,
but It placed obstacles in the way of
his digging it out in his own way. Its
reluctance to let him get at the books
of the Holland company though he
had not shown perhaps that they CON
tate his charges and on that account
It had no moral right to subject the
company to that indignity, did, how
ever, give color to the impression that
II was Mr.. Lilley who was being tried
out and not the company charged
with offending, and the congressman
in sympathy with it. The final re-
port of the committee and the man
ner In which vote was forced upon
Il further justifes the opinion,
whether It materially helps Mr. LII
ley's case or not from the point of
view Of his justification in having
brought the charges originally that
tho committee was in petulant and
resentful mood from the start and
was unable at the finish to shake off
III INV