The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-21

a martyr and the special Investigating committee as wholly In tho wrong, l Personally l do not believe that the committee was either wise or justified In renectng upon MT Lilley's motives and good faith although the similar reflections upon the committee which 1 had previously emanated directly or Indirectly from Mr Lilley must be admitted to have been a cause of nat ural exasperation, In this respect the bad Judgment shown by Mir. Lilley dur l ing the conduct of the case was to n degree repeated by the committee In l framing It's conclusions. Nor do ] see how any man with the slightest 1u- dIcial sense can justify tho action Of the house, when on the motion of Sere- no F., Payne of New York It voted lit erally without consideration to formal ly adopt as its own the conclusions in which the committee referred to MT, Lilley in such whitening terms
 But all this does not alter the fact that under the circumstances the com mlttee could not have avoided report Ing (and 1t might well have been con tent with so doing) that Mir. Lilley had l absolutely failed to make out case. He had evidently had difficulty In dis tinguIshIng between evidence and mere | hearsay. for while there was abundant hearsay the evidence was lacking. As for the complaint that he should have ] been made member of the investi- gating commttee--lts chairman in fact and have been allowed In that ca pacity 10 conduct the Investigation, nothing more irrational could be con- ceived, The moment that MT, Lilley in a preliminary statement politely sug- | gested the presence of foot rot and ''scabes" among the membership of the house he necessarily disqualified him self from sitting as judge on the question at Issue. The burden of prose- cution properly fell upon him because of the manner in which he approached the affair. The congressman who voted against the formal adoption of the con clusons of the committee did so not be- cause they thought that Mir Llley had in any degree made out a case but because they felt that the committee l had been too severe and that the adoption of such blasting report as distinct from a motion that it be merely received for possible subse- quent action, demanded very careful consideration of MT. Lilley's course for which adequate time was denied by the motion of MT. Payne. That this was the attitude of large number, If not of practically all who voted against the re- port, is matter of my own knowledge gained from personal conversations i'm mediately after the house had acted.
 The most significant thing brought out during the whole course of the in- vestigation was the testimony of Con- gressman Hobson that he had been ap- preached by a representative of the submarine boat company who offered to use influence to have Hobson put on the naval committee provided Hob son was right in regard to sub marines. But the expectation of fur ther disclosures was not fulfilled and those who, like myself, thought atsthe time of capt. Hobsons testimony thai Mir. Lilley was beginning to establish case were forced to remodel thell opinion. In common with many others have regretted that Mir, Lllley's de mand that the submarine boat com pany be called upon to produce 1t! books could not be granted. But have since become inclined to accept thu judgment of good lawyers, who. al though predlsposed in MT. Lllley's ia vor, were strongly of the opinion tha in the absence ot sufficient presump tive evidence the committee was cor rect in it's ruling
 The most unfortunate feature of tn ilasco, when seen from the larger pub lie viewpoint, is it's virtual assurance that, however malodorous conditions may become there will be no furthe' congressional investigations for per haps a. decade This Is where Mir LII of good government. By indiscreetl, inviting, even though not Justifying the excoration of the committee, hi example will be powerful deterrent tt any member who with more iudgmen and with actual evidence might other wise call for an Investigation of thi' same subject or of any similar subject Instead of punishing wrong, the effec of Mir. Lilley's course has been tt largely assure immunity to grafters il congress If unfortunately there arr any such in that body--whIch it Is q least to be hoped there are not. This | the chief reason why Mir. Lilley shoult seek to go back to his sear
 There are many people both in an' out of the house of representatives wh although convinced that he failed Ia mentally to make out a case are a the same time not yet thoroughly con vinced that there have not been doubt : ful dealings in the very matter whic' he sought to air At Washington h would hereafter be in the position o man with nothing to lose and all { } gain. Although he would meet preju , dice. he could hardly he refused TO , hearing if he once secured actual evi , dence. while his return to congres would of itself inspire faith in his de . termination and in the sincerity of hi purposes,
 . RICHARD HOOKER ! Chester, N s., July IT,