The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-03-13

Continued from page y

tee as confirmatory Of his suspicious
against the Electric, Boat Compan,
the incident related BY to the com
mittee ON rules wherein an intimat,
friend OF his. u large manufacturer il
his home town. told him (the manu
facturcr) had promise OF large order
il he (Lilley) would vote for the sub
marines, and that lawyer Of hi'
own city came to Washington ant
stayed with him and endeavored &c
influence him in favor OF the Electric
Boat Company,
Mr.. L.illey called the attention o'
the committee to the fact that his
charges do not embrace the accusa'
ton or inference that any member OF
congress had been actually bribed oI
knowingly participated or been intlu'
enced by wrongful efforts on the part
of the electric Boat Company to sec.
ure legislation. His purpose, he said
was to set on foot and assist the car
rying out OF an investigation which
he believed il properly conducted
would show that wrongful methods
had been used by the electric Boa,
Company TO secure legislation in con-
gress. Mr.. Lilley said he was now
prepared to furnish the committee
with the addresses OF all witnesses
whom he desired to have called. He
said that whether money had been
improperly used to secure Legislation
in the interest of the Electric Boat
Company could be shown only by the
examination of the officers, attorneys
and agents of that company and a
careful scrutinys OF the company
books, vouchers, checkstubs and ac-
counts.
Il now insist" said Mr.. Lilley,
that you summon witnesses Isaac
Rice, president of the Electric Boat
Company; Elihu B. Frost. vice-pres-
ident; Maurice Barnett, treasurer;
August Treadwell, assistant treasurer,
and that they be required to lay be-
fore the committee documentary evil
dence in their possession. The call
ing OF these witnesses is necessary to
disclose methods used by the COM
pany to secure legislation and money
disbursed by it.
81 never knew continued Mr..
Lilley, "of an important and success
full investigation begun by INFORM
ing the parties to be investigated OF
the precise character OF the evidence
they would or could be produced to
show their corrupt practice
"And having informed this commit
tee on my responsibilities as mem
ber of congress of the witnesses, ex-
hibits, etc. and from who and which
can be obtained the necessary inform
alton to show that the charges now
being investigated are and it is for
this committee and not for me to de-
termine whether or not these wit
nesses shall be brought before the
committee and examined A con-
spiracy to corrupt public morals or
unjustly influence legislation of Of
ficial action cannot be proved by the
testimony OF one witnesses. The
practices are not conducted in open
day or in public views. Their meth
ods are secret and the aim always is
to so carry on such an effort that no
proof will be left from which their
real character can be disclosed. Not
being an attorney and not in any way
experienced in developing and pre-
senting testimony, | am not qualified
in person to examine witnesses and
therefore | requested that | be placed
in a position to develope the facts.
This request has been by the COM
mittee refused.
"The witnesses | have named to
the committee are nearly all officers,
attorneys, agents and representa-
tives of the Electric Boat Co, or have
been such and they are the persons
if any--who have been engaged in the
improper efforts to influence con-
gressional action, if any such inn
proper efforts have been made. They
are what the courts recognize as re-
luctant and adverse witnesses and the
facts resting in their knowledge alone
connot be fully brought to light ex-
cept by careful and thorough exam
ination of each witness by an attor-
ney qualified to conduct such exam
nation.
"The committee on rules, in its res