Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-28
Democrat Accused oi Being Only Paper iD Si3ie Tbat look. cd With Favor on ihe
 BOuleIl Report
EDITOR OSBORN JOINS

cdoe ol lolioW the leader With a
 number of them. Now Editor Os-
 born of the New Haven Journal
 Courier, one of the ablest newspa-
 per men in the state, says the very
 same thing, and it tells the Hart
 ford Times editor that he has reach
 ed his conclusions in the case with-
 out thorough reading of the doings
 of the committee. Here is Editor
 Osborn's criticism in full:
 A speculative interest has natur.
 ally been aroused in Congressman
 Lilley's chances with regard to se-
 curing the republican nomination
 for governor, in view of the report
 submitted to the house of represent
 atives and approved by majority
 of its members condemning him for
 having brought charges of legisla-
 tive corruption in connection with
 submarine appropriations. It is
 logically assumed, we take it, that
 his renomination and reelection to
 congress are under the circum-
 stances impossible. The attitude of
 the house may be resented by his
 friends and political supporters, but
 1t is scarcely conceivable that even
 they, in the widest flights of their
 fidelity, would recommend affront-
 ing that body by returning the
 member whom it has found guilty
 of i'll considered action referting
 upon it's honor. In other words Mr
 Lilley's usefulness in congress is at
 an end, however much that may be
 regretted.
 The. nomination of Mir Lilley for
 governor might or might not offend
 the house of representatives. Ob-
 viously it is none of the business of
 that legislative body who Connecti-
 cut selects for its chief executive.
 Theoretically it is possible for that
 body, in event of MT Lilley's elec-
 tion, to so construe the act, as re-
 fecting upon it's honor, as to cause
 1t to ignore the demands of the
 state of Connecticut for public
 buildings and deepened waterways
 during his term of office in the gov ernor's chamber. It would have the power to infllct that punishment and punishment it would certainly be. And yet Connecticut could not be expected to consider the feelings of the house of representatives if, as has been somewhat carelessly stated, MT Lilley's failure to prove his case. can be attributed to the wanton dis courtesy of the legislative powers. The Hartford Times says for exam pie: The committee has made the impression of shutting off inquiry whenever it turned in a direction that seemed to promise results" To offset this possible impulsive impress sion, the formal report of the com mittee of investigation which we fear the Times has not read, states expressly that every witness Mir Lil- ley asked to have examined was sent for and examined, and that every question he wished put was put. If this Is not so 1t is suscep- tible of denial. Until it is denied, 1t stands as the statement of body whose integrity cannot be lightly considered, whatever one may think of its personal attitude towards the man who brought charges of corrup- tion against fellow members.
 The Times. still laboring appar- ently under it's failure to read the report of the committee. says: If he had had full opportunity to pur- sue the inquiry and had then failed it 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 i careful reading of the report from 1 the first page to the last necessar- fly convinces one. possibly against | one's will, that while the committee l started out in suspicion of his sim cerity and knowledge. 1t bore with | his campaign with patience and with l the determination to give him every ! chance to submit proof of wrong do- Ing either on the part of the offend ing submarine company or mem | bers of congress. IL explicitly states. ] even in the matter of its refusal ;o grant Mir Lilley the right of private l that it would have been a l violation of precedent to have done SO, on the one hand. and. that on he other, he had from the beginning of the inquiry until the close the advantage of able attorneys in the employ of the Lake Submarine com pany, who provided the charges. pre- pared the original resolution Of in- puiry, phrased all of the questions I put to witness and supplied him with the witnesses to bs called. In 1 support of these carefully wordcd the committee In Is re- port quotes volumin0usly from the 4 s.enographie report of the proceed Ines. including the testimony of the Lake company officials and the com pany's counsel. And while C may perhaps still he said that the iu- 1uirv did not proceed as Mr LiileF and his advisers planned t. thereby 1 them and giving to Dthers the impression which the Times lays stress. it Is ret To be demonstrated 10 an impartial l mind that Mir Lilley was actually In { any material manner deprived of chance to prove his case.
 |, is this situation. and not any I iisirust of Mr Liliey ss a man. that ] has provoked and must continue to provoke a speculative concern ia his ambition to become a nominee for he governor of Connecticut. It may be as the Times says. tha. thus far fhe sentiment of the stare appears ] Id he for rather than against Mr T.iIiev If the report which the committed submitted 10 congress Is | accurate tn fts statement of facts. md it is within easy reach of any sodv uho uishss to read if. it is 10 .s seriously questioned if any pcIitt- .at marty could safely nominate him 'or governor arf cc1nersicut lf. ca