The morning journal-courier., 1908-06-05
Friday, June :, 1908.
AN UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT.

 The more chapters there are added | to the Lilley investigation, in the way of irrelevant statements and counter charges of bad faith the more unpleas- ant becomes the impression of the whole proceeding from first to last fl | the last may be said to have been reached. Congressman Boutelle the chairman of the Investigating commit tee, in an interview based upon MT, Lilley's statement, shows himself to be still laboring under the excitement or his disappointment at Mir Lilley's fall ure to make good, and to be ready, fl 1t Is so desired, to continue the contro. versy indefinitely, an outcome not to be encouraged by the real friends of the congressman from this state.
 After all has been said and done that ought, in the common run of things, to be said and done the controversy must 
 narrow itself down to the question. whether MT Lilley was justified in making the serious charges he made, on the one hand, and whether, on the oth CT hand, the committee of inquiry treated him with proper courtesy and consideration. The Hartford Courant insists, in manner to compel us more than ever to doubt its knowledge of the facts. that "Messrs. Boutelle, Stevens, olmstead, Howard and Broussard did not treat their fellow congressman fair ly or justly, or decently,' very strong language to use without the greatest provocation. It has been the position of The Journal Courier that until the re- port of the Investigating committee, which, while unnecessarily vicious in tone, is of character to make neglect of 1t impossible, Is answered, It's con clusions should not be disposed Of lightly. They need not be accepted, but they cannot be ignored If the actual truth is to be established. Thus far Mir. Lilley has declined to comment upon the report, and has been content to deny that he was moved by improper motives in forcing the Investigation, a point which has not been raised in connection with a local consideration Of the case.
 To return again to our position MT. Lilley must meet the allegations of the committee, which are enveloped In tes- timony which. on the face of things impresses one as having tended to give him every chance in the world to prove his case, if he had the facts In his pos session. or knew how to elicit the facts necessary to the conviction of the all legged offending boat company. We agree with the Hartford Courant, that the personal character and standing of
 
 the members of the Investigating com mittee have nothing to do with their work, but by the same token the per sonal character and standing of Mir. Iilley should not be invoked to preju- dice a just and rational understanding of his part in the unfortunate transac- ton. So far as the personal character and standing of the men concerned, who are involved in the case, in their own communities, it Is a stand-off In the meantime MT. Lilley is an avowed candidate for the nomination of gover- nor of the state of Connecticut and has the support of the republican organiza- to say it in no spirit of unfriendliness to MT Lilley, or in behalf Of any oth- CT candidate, that the people of the state have a right to know and MT I.illey ought to want them to know wherein the severe report of the com mittee is lacking either in the truth, ot in it's fair treatment of him. A candi- date for governor of Connecticut ought not to occupy a nerveless position ir this connection and allow the loyalty o' political friends to make assertions ir violent conflict with a report which ought to be susceptible of answer Mir I.illey should meet the accusations witt proof of his original charges