The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-17
Conservative Bridgeport Paper Hits His Method of Vindi- eating Himself With
 Steel Darts.
CANNOT IGNORE WOODRUFF
Contrasts Latter as Strong Man Await ing Chances to Continue Battle for Right, With Llley, the
 Stricken, Fleeing.

the United States and well known through its long history as a conser- vative and reliable journal, contained the following interesting article on the Connecticut political situation in its columns Friday night:
 IL is many q long day since the republican machine in Connecticut has been placed in such an unhappy position as that in which 1t now finds itself. through the announcement made by Governor Rollin s. Woodruff of New Haven that he is a candidate for the republican nomination for governor
 Tint announcement unfortunate ly for the republican bosses of the state. can no more be ignored than can the promise they have already made to an unpopular ofiiceholder that they will back him up in his fight for the nomination, no matter what the ordinary voters of the party may think about the man they are to have forced down their throats by the engineers now in charge of the road roller party.
 George L. Lilley of Waterbury, congressman at-large from the state of Connecticut, returned from Wash ington whipped with at least the stg- ma of making reckless assertions which would not bear republican in- yestigatlon against his name, No one really doubts that his intentions were honest mentioned enough, but there are a great many who doubt whether he ever had any clues to questionable transactions in the congressional lob by. Mir. Lilley trying for a grand stand play was shown up by the mem bers of his own party and. practically kicked out of Washington.
 And now, Mir. Lilley, reciting a long tale of abuses perpetrated against him by his own party in Washington, comes back to the machine which sent him down there to represent it, and asks for vindication
 Iilley wants vindication,
 Does he ask the republican ma chine fo re-nominate him for con- gressman- at-large go the party can ask the voters to give him a vindlca- ton by sending him back to Washing . ton Wlln UlSEFi NVlt lllttil iiN '~NN'' ed on his first trip down there?
 Does he ask to be returned go that the members of his party at Washing ion who he alleges abused him and refused him a fair hearing, shall see that in this grand old state of Con nectIcut voters, irrespective of party like fair dealing, like honesty and ap- nrova of the Grht he made2
 Not Iilley He doesn't want to go hack to Washington and face that proun of members he sought to have investigated whose actions he ques- tioned and whose fair names he came so near to smirchlng He has no de- sire to have any such vlndlcation as that. He wants to be elected gover- nor for his "vindicatlon He wants to be able to yell back at congress through the long distance telephone, that he's vindicated to stay at home. His "vindication." If he can work it, will be right here in Connecticut where congress can't get at him.
 That's the kind of a fighter the pros pective nominee for governor on the republican ticket is. That's the kind of a backbone he has No sand to face the men in Washington again, aftef they knocked hm down, even though he might know he had the whole state of Connecticut backing him up. Not he He'll quit that fight as soon as he can and get h's "vindcatlon' by staying at home and doing the bidding of the republican bosses of the state. And that will satisfy the gentleman. But all his friends are sorry for him others who don't know him pity his lack of back bone, and still others come out and frankly tell him to his face that he's a uuitter; a fighter who won't fight, a champion of nothing who can't sus- tain one blow, without even the per- sistence and belief in himself of a Quixote to furnish an excuse for his congressional ioustng at the wind mills
 There is another man who wants a vndication at the hands of the re- publican party, a fighter. who strug- gling manfully through whole legis- lative session, insuted and humiliated bv the members of his party during an entire meeting of the legislature Is anxious to resume the same posi- ton to renew the fight for an honest government free from corporate domi. nation.
 That man is Governor Rollin s Woodruff of New Haven.
 He isn't asking the republicans tc send him to Europe as "vlndlcatloh' He isn't asking the republicans ma chine to send him to congress as "vndication.' He is asked for hit vindication before the state, where h' started his fight, where he met humi liaton after humiliation at the hands of leaders of his party Governor Woodruff wants his vindication right where his battle began.
 It's in marked contrast with th' "vindication" which Congressman LII ley is seeking It is laughabe, ye pitiable, too, this contrast between strong man, fighting for what he be lieves right, and waiting for the op portunity to continue the struggle, anC the weak man, struck once, running away and asking to be protected iron the hornets nest he stirred up, ant trying to make a discerning people be lieve he was right, by staying awa' from the battle, instead of going int, 1t and fighting until he won,
 But the republican machine wei