Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-11
sa-.ss.sssi .ssa. --ss PALMER'S APPEAL
New London Man Makes Stale
 ment to Republican Voters.

of Connecticut by George s. Palmer Of New London. The statement speaks for itself. MT Palmer IS [ manufacturer, a graduate of Yale ir the same class, 1873, with William II Taft. the republican presidential nominee, and an intimate friend oi that gentleman, is vice-president oi the Connecticut Agricultural college a park commissioner of New Lon, don, and man actively identified with the charitable and philan- thropic work of that city. The statement follows:
 To thel Republican Voters of the
 Statesof Connecticut:
 You are confronted with a politi. cal situation as unparalleled as il VIII be disastrous to republican su- premacy in this state unless you take drastic action forthwith.
 For more than year the party leaders have been committed to sup port George l.. Lilley of Waterbury for governor at the approaching cleo tion.
 During the past six months MT Lilley by his own words and acts has become so thoroughly discredited throughout the country that, to put 1t mildly, he should no longer be thought available for such a posi- tion. The party leaders fully under stand this and are quite free to ad- nit in private that MT Lilley is not the proper person to become gov ernor of Connecticut, and yet, partly because the time is short to make different political alignments, partly through antagonism to other promi- nent candidates, and partly-it must with regret be said-because our leaders are not sufficiently sensitive to the moral and political aspects of the matter, they are standing pat and will force Mir Lilley's nomination un- less an aroused public opinion pre- vents them.
 Unfortunately they are strength ened in this position by the tone of a portion of the Connecticut press. which angered by the fearful con demnation of MT Lilley by the com mittee of his colleagues in congress, have hastily and wrongly assumed that loyalty to the state demands support of MT Lilley right or wrong. They seem to think that defaming congress exonerates Mir Lilley and that by forcing him into the gov ernorship he will be completely vim dicated. The real truth is that any further attempt to exalt Mir Lilley will only make his abasement more conspicuous, and his occupancy of the governorship will simply shrink that office to his measure and bring Connecticut into the. just contempt of the nation at large.
 Why does not the Connecticut del egation to congress say that although Mir Lilley was mistaken in his facts his conduct of his case was so high minded. his candor so evident, and his efforts to repair the terrible in. Jury inflicted upon the innocent vic tins of his mistaken suspicious so magnanimous that 1t is. but just thar Connecticut should acknowledge them? ,.
 In view of the terrible arraign- ment of MT Lilley's qualities as a man expressed in the resolution of congress, would not the Connecticut political leaders rush into print to say good things of Mir Lilley If they could? They are keeping quiet be- cause discussion of this matter will be fatal to Mir Lilley, and because they have made a political alliance with him which they expect the peo- pie of Connecticut to carry out.
 It should make every conscientious republican voter in the state "hot in ths collar to realize that he is to be the cat's-paw to pull fat chestnuts out of these ill-smelling ashes for certain parties in political deal by being forced to vote tor to leave the partyl for man whose colleagues in the highest governing body of this nation have sbrAnded as a man "mak- ing charges he knew were false, a man acting in bad faith, and a vio- lator of his obligations as a member of congress"
 The innocent. voters of the state should not be asked to sacrifice the good repute of Connecticut in a vain attempt to burnish Mir Lilley's tar nished escuteheon.
 If he thinks he is i'll treated and seeks vindication, let him go back to Washington. If he can. and by a man. ly presentation of his case induce new congress to expunge the record Of the old. Connecticut can never do that and if Mir Lilley is forced upon the voters of Connecticut that record will be blazoned all over this state by, pen and by voice in ways to com mand respect and votes against him.
 What are the salient points dis closed by this report which make SC. yerity of expression justifiable and necessary? Mir Lilley after putting forth in various ways his suspicious of the integrity of certain members of congress, begins a yellow journal | attack and demands an investigation | of the methods employed by the . Electric Boat Co in connection with | legislation before congress, using this language in part:
 The Electric Boat Co has been A i steneh In the nostrils of the country | Tor years, and in my opinion. it has done more to corrupt legislation than | all the other corporations on earth. | think the membership of this house s of the very highest quality and hat they are the best men usnaIlv | rom the districts from which they | come. but with a flock of 3s3 here | would be strange if there were not | tnffc eheQn in fs that had sh. eo-.