The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-21
ACQUITS LORIMER.
Senate Investigating Committee
Submits a Report.
Finds No Evidence That Senator
Bought Any Votes.
HIS TITLE is GOOD.
The Legislators Who Confessed
Should Not Be Believed.
Nothing to Show That COrrup-
tiOn Fund Was Used.

Washington, Dec. 21.-Senator Bur-
rows, chairman of the committee on
privileges and elections, today present.
ed to the senate the report of the in
tVestlgation of charges of bribery made
in connection with the election of VIM
Lorimer as senator from Illinois The
conclusion reached by the committee
was as follows:
That in their opinion the title of Mr..
Lor1mer to a seat in the senate has not
been shown to be invalid by the use or
employment of corrupt methods or
practices
Charges that four rnembers of tbe
llI1no1S legislature were bribed and
that tnree other members paid bribes
are not ignored by the committee. The
| report declares that those who con-
1essed receiving bribes should not be
believed and that the votes of those
VINO were charged with paying bribes
should be counted. In relation to the
charges that there was corruption
Iuno used in the Illinois legislature,
the report says there is no evidence
that 1t was used for the benefit of
Mr.. Lorimer
On the floor Of the senate. Mr.. Bev-
| erldge made the statement that he
| mad not been able to concur with or
dissent from the findings because of
the voluminous character of the testi-
mony. He said he would digest the
proceedings of the investigation during
the holidays
| The statement of views sent to the
! was member of the subcommittee.
was not filed with the report.
| Barnes Memorial.
| The report recites that the mem
orial filed June Z, 1910, by Clifford W.
Barnes, president of the Legislative
Voters league of Chicago, charged
| that 1.-The election of William Lori
rner, senator from the state of Illinois,
was brought about by bribery" Then
| follows the instructions of the senate
given on June 20, directing the COM
mfttee on privileges and elections to
investigate the charges and the fact
that subcommittee was appointed
! composed of Senators Burrows, Gam
BILE, Hepburn, Bulkeley Frazier, Payn-
ter and Johnston. ~. -
The committee set forth as a state
| ment Of fact that Mr.. Lorimer was
elected on May 26, 1909, receiving los
votes out of 202 cast on the joint bal
lot of the Illinois assembly. These
| votes were set out as follows:
Hopkins 20; Lorimer 108. and Strin-
| ger "a.
The report is divided into chapters
each chapter carrying a subhead.
/ Under the head of bribery the
committee said:
IN NUMBER or cases before the
senate of the United States it has beer
held that to invalidate the election ot
| a senator owing to bribery, it mus
be made to appear, either:
First-That the person elected par.
ticipated in one or more acts of bri-
berry or attempted bribery or sanction.
ed or encouraged the same. or,
"Second-That by bribery or cor
| rupt practices enough votes were OBJ
| tained for him to change the resul
of the election
i Not Personally Accused.
Testimony was quoted by the re
port to show that at the outset of tht
investigation counsel for the Chicago
Tribune (who conducted the inquir!
against Senator Lorimer), announced
that he did not expect to connec
Senator Lorimer with any acts of bri
berry. Attention is directed to tht
denial made by Senator Lorimer in tht
open senate of any act Of bribery OF
his part in connection with his cleo
ton and to his demand for his in
vestigation. In this connection the
report quotes the resolution, aftel
which the following is set forth:
"It should further be stated tha
there was no testimony offered during
the investigation which would tend il
/ the remotest degree to implicate Sena