The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-05-27
LILLEY AND THE GovERNoRsHrp.

LILLEY AND THE GOvERNORsHIp.
A speculative interest has naturally
been aroused in Congressman Iilleys
chances with regard to securing the
republican nomination for governor,
In vitw of the report submitted to
the house of representatives and APP
proved by majority Of its members
condemnlng him for having brought
charges OF legislative corruption in
connection with submarine appropria-
lions. 1t Is logically assumed, we
take 1t, that his denomination and re-
election to congress are under the
circumstances impossible. The atti-
tude of the house may be resented by
his friends and political supporters,
but 1t is scarcely conceivable mat even
they, in the widest flights of their fl
deity would recommend affronting
that body by returning the member
whom 1t has found guilty of Ill con-
sidered action rejecting upon Its hon.
or. In other words Mr.. Lilley's use
fulness in congress Is at an end how
ever much that may be regretted.
The nomination OF Mr.. Lilley for
governor might or might not offend
the house Of representatives OBJ
viously 1t Is mono Of the business OF
that legislative body who Connecticut
selects for its chief executive. Theo-
retically it is possible for that body.
in event of Mr. Lilley's election. to so
construe the act, as rejecting upon Hts
honor, as to cause 1t TO ignore the de-
mands of the state of Connecticut for
public buildings and deepened water
ways during his term of office IN the
governors chamber. 1t would have
the power to inhict that punishment
and punishment II would certainly be.
Anu Yet toliltCtltul Coulu uOl ne en-
pected to consider the feelings of the
house of representatives II. as has
been somewhat carelcssly stated. Mr..
Lilley's failure to prove his case can
be attributed to the wanton discount
esy of the legislative powers. The
Hartford Times says for example:
THE committee has made the imnres-
sion of shutting off inquiry whenever
1t turned in direction that seemed to
promise results" To offset this pos
sible impulsive impression, the formal
report of the committee of investiga-
ton which we fear the Times has not
read, states expressly that every wit
ness Mr.. Lilley asked to have exam
ined was sent for and examined, and
that every question he wished put was
put If this Is not so 1t is susceptible
of denial. Until 1t is denied, It stands
as the statement of a body whose in
tegrity cannot be lightly considered,
whatever one may think Of It's person.
al attitude towards the man who
brought charges of corruption against
fellow members.
The Times, still laboring apparent
ly under its failure to read the report
Of the committee, says: III ho had
had full opportunity to pursue the
inquiry and had then failed 1t would
have been fair to argue that he
would lose influence and credit
through the failure This Is exactly
what the committee asserts he had
the opportunity to do A careful
reading of the report from the first
page to the last necessarily convinces
one, possibly against ones will, that
while the committee started out In
suspicion of his sincerity and knowl-
edge, 1t bore with his campaign with
patience and with the determination
to give him every chance to submit
proof of wrong doing either on the
part of the offending submarine COM
pany or members Of congress. 1t ex-
picitly states, even in the matter of
its refusal to grant Mr.. Lilley the
right Of private counsel, that Il would
have been violation Of precedent to
have done so, on the one hand, and,
that on the other, he had from the
beginning Of the inquiry until the
close the advantage of able attorneys
In the employ Of the Lake submarine
company, who provided the charges,
prepared the original resolution Of in
curry, phrased all Of the questions put
to witness and supplied him with the
witnesses to be called. In support of
these carefully worded assertions, the
committee in its report quotes volum-
inously from the stenographic report
of the proceedings including the tes-
timony of the Lake company officials
and the companys counsel. And
while 1t may perhaps still be said that