The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-10

ldNNs " llli tOuHlNlluHtt " ie related that once upon a time a Lilley horse participated In trotting meet, There were present and highly excited. several citizens of Winsted, equipped With sporting procllvitles, These held consultation with the congressman who predicted that his horse would win. In- vestments were made upon this as- sumption, Subsequently the horse lost
 The story ends here, with the con clusion left to the indignation of the nearer. Presumably the assumption Is that the congressman, with malignant designs upon the Wlnsted pocketbooks, threw the race, but possibly 1t Is ln- tended to convey the idea that a states man who cannot forecast the result of a horse race With accuracy Is men tally unqualified to fill the high office of chief magistrate.
 It seems like pure invention to re- late these things as arguments serl- ously advanced against political can didacy, but they are nevertheless In service. The responsible heads of the club stick close to the submarine argu- ment, with its details of bad falth," poor Judgment" and "unbecoming con duct" But the rank and Ale go abroad With many contentious, even more strange than those reclted. Undeniably there Is a current of personal dislike for Mir Lilley which may be founded on nothing more substantial than hill towns jealousy of an outsiders suc- cess. but which gains dignity and im- portance by reason of its connection with the organized opposition of the business interests.
 Most of the old-time politicians, the men who are ordinarily permitted to conduct the caucuses in their own way, seem to be still arrayed on the Lllley side. Colonel Wellington B. Smith. who embodies large portion of Winsted's political brains, sits in his law office and says nothing. Post master Glynn is apparently busy i'm proving the mall service and the voice of Colonel Samuel B. Borne Is said to be heard in the land proclaiming the virtues of Lieutenant Governor Lake. But most of the modernized Jethro passes are for Lilley.
 One of the closest political observ- CTS In the borough said yesterday: If | the caucus were held tonight the antl-Lilley men would win, because | they have organized early and be- cause their vehemence has carried in- itlal conviction. But before long the reaction will set in, I thnk our dele gates will be for Lllley"
 Now Mir Lilley, among his other ex. tensive real estate holdings, Is the pos sessor of Winsted's two leading hotels Both of these have bars, therefore, Mir Lilley. a collector of rentals, becomes | ipeo facto. liquor dealer. This in 1t. self, makes him objectionable tono in. considerable part of an intelligent vot. ing population. Again. when one Of his hotels was seriously damaged by fire 6 few years ago. he utilized the other tc banquet the Winsted Fire Department offering to his guests such dinner wines as he deemed suitable and grati flying. There followed a series of pro. testing letters 10 the Winsted Citizer and Mir. Lilley was denounced from ont pulpit. Again he is an Elk; and it 1, not long ago that the Rev. Mir. Kiddel of the Methodist church, followed by z band of believers. started a bitter agl tation against Elks as men who in dorsed the use of intoxicants by ad hitting saloon keepers to their ordel and permitted liquor in their lodg' rooms.
 MT. Kidder's crusade assumed for. midable proportions, too In com. munity which visits social ostracisn upon the midest wine bibhler-unles. his or her position he such ns to mak, the bibbling merely dashing reckless ness-it may he understood that al things count. The Anti-Lilley Clu! as an organization may not indors, l thom. but the arguments are in servic, on the street.
 On the other hand the officers of thu club insist that they want the caucu delayed as long as possible. Thus fa no call has been issued. They say tha they propose 10 hold personal inter. views with every Republican in towi and that they are confident of success
 This concentrated opposition to on, candidate when not coincident witi support for any other Is unique In Con necticut politics where the stubborn negative Is usually coincident with ; hilarious affirmative. Some of 1t seem! to be based on nrinciple; much of 1 obviously Is based upon spite, That f should make It's appearance In a towI In which MT, Liley has such extensiv, business interests and with whose cit izens he has maintained such close re- Ilations Is surprising. It will be inter. estng to watch the outcome.