The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-29
SENATOR LOR|MER
DEFENDS HIMSELF
Two-Hour Speech Is Made Be-
fore the Senate
REVIEW OF THE CHARGES
Lorimer Declares That Not a Dollar
Was Paid Out to Secure Votes for
Himself and Accuses Chicago
Paper of FaIsehoOd
REVIEW OF THE CHARGES

Washington, May 2S.-For just two
stood in the Senate chamber and in Wig
orous language denounced as untrue the
charges of bribery made against him in
connection with his election to the Senate
Upon leaving the chamber at the con-
cIusion of his speech Mr.. Lorimer hur-
riedly put his affairs in order and caught
late afternoon train for Chicago
In his address Mr. Lorimer made en-
phatic denial of all the allegations of
corruption and sought to turn the ac-
cusation of wrongdoing upon the Chicago
Tribune, in which newspaper the charges
were first published.
The speech was devoted to review of
charges and Illinois politics for the past
% years. He charged the Tribune with
sinister motives in its attacks and said
that it had been fighting him ever since
1884. He charged that it was inspired be-
cause of its failure to control his course
as a public man in the Walsh railroad
affair.
Mr.. Lorimer gave many particulars
concerning his senatorial election. saying
that after persuading him to enter the
race Governor Deneen had deserted him
and sought to turn against him those
whose support he had formerly procured
for him.
At the close OF his speech Mr.. Lorimer
offered a resolution directing that an in
quiry into the charges be made by the
committee on privileges and elections.
Under the rules of the Senate the reso-
luton was referred to the committee on
contingent expenses to consider the ques-
ton of cost. In case of favorable report
from that committee, of which there is
no doubt, the resolution will go to the
committee on elections for consideration
of the merits of the matter. Upon re-
will largely depend.
Opening Statement
In opening, Mr.. Lorimer detailed the
fact of the Chicago 1ribune's publication
on April last of a story over the sigma
ture of Charles A. White a member of
the Illinois legislature, in which it was
alleged he had procured his seat In the
Senate through bribery and corruption.
IT have been compelled he went on, ito
defer my return to the Senate owing to
the fact that the story was timed and
published with a deliberate purpose to
destroy new banking association in Chi
oago, which l have been organizing with
some of. my friends The assault was
made to prevent the bank from opening.
1t utterly failed of It's purpose, but it re-
quired my constant attention to build an
impregnable bulwarlS around the bank ia
| safeguard the interests of those who have
entrusted their funds to the care of my
lieious or vicious assault that may Be
made against 1t by the Tribune
Relating that 1t had ben charged that
the bride had been paid through Lee
O'Neil Brown, the democratic leader of
the Illinois house of representatives, he
defended Mr.. Brown as entirely above
participation in such a proceeding,
He declared that Medill Mccormick of
the Tribune had threatened that the bank
never should open and also asserted that
White did not write the story, as had
been claimed but that 1t was 1.-THE work
of trained newspaper hand. skilled In
the art OF creating scandalous lies when
1t is thought necessary to blacken the
character of one whom the newspaper
cannot control"
Attack Upon White
ut is also plain to be SEEM" he went
on, that every word was passed upon
by lawyer before 1t was signed by that
poor, low creature, White, who does not
hesitate to commit forgery for few dol
lars, and to whom perjury is no crime,
who IL a part of the lowest fringes of de-
pravity, and who TO secure money to
satisfy his instinct for debauchery sold
what was left of his manhood and be-