The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-06-09

~
political parties without exception and
their candidates has become one of the
most powerful and dangerous instru-
mentalities in elections'
May Go Over to Short Session.
It is the same committee that is in
vestigating Lorimer, and as precedent
is powerful in the body these former
cases give a clear line on the probable
action on his own. 1t is hardly to be
expected that any conclusion can be
reached during the present session.
Several members Of the committee on
privileges and elections are candidates
in this years campaign, so that the
probable course is the appointment Of
subcommittee composed of holdover
senators who will sit during the recess
either in Washington or in Illinois and
report their findings to the full COM
mittee at the meeting in December
One effect of the Lorimer exposures
has been revival Of the argument for
that former Senator Hopkins had re-
ceived a plurality in the Republican.
state primaries has lent force to the
contention. 1t is not without interest
and encouragement that seventy
members of the majority party in the
legislature felt themselves bound by
this popular mandate and stuck by
Hopkins to the end.
There were stormy scenes on the
floor during that final vote. Charges
of bribery were uttered even then. and
Lee ONeil Browne, the storm center
of the present cyclone, was denounced
by at least one irate member. But
Lorimer was as bland and benevolent
as ever and had good feelings for ev
erybody, including Hopkins. The fresh
flower in his coat lapel looked not more
innocent than he. Benignant he was,
almost fatherly. as he thanked his sup
porters in both parties and smiled in
diligently on his foes. It was long
battle that he had fought and one in
which his enemies had more than once
proclaimed thesdownfall of the .'blond
boss" Have they got him at last?
Has been warwick.
Lorimer claims to have made Hop
kins senator, as aforetime he made
Yates governor. Then when he want
ed to use Yates to beat Deneen in the
1908 primaries he charged Hopkins
with having deserted him. When De-
neen and Hopkins succeeded in the
primaries Lorimer's enemies charged
him with having supported Adlai e.
Stevenson, the Democratic candidate
for governor. Certain it is that Ste
venson ran something like 100000
votes ahead of his ticket. In the sue
ceeding legislature faction Of the
Republicans and the Democrats united
and elected the speaker, and Lorimer
was also held responsible for this.
Then the senatorial deadlock ensued,
out of which emerged the smiling face
of the one time English lad who had
sold papers and blacked boots to keep
widowed mother, had become the
political boss Of the second city in the
Union and had finally been one of two
men to represent a proud state in the
foremost legislative body on earth.
In Chicago they used to call him
Billy, and he looks the name. OF late
they refer to him as senator in quo
tation marks. Whatever the outcome
of the present scandal. there have been
| at least three occasions when he play
ed striking part One was when he
| Joined a bolt for Blaine in the Mime
apolis convention, another when he de.
| fed Speaker Reed and led a revolt in
favor Of declaring war against Spain,
and the third was at the time when
the Yates cause seemed lost in the
state convention Lorimer mounted tbz.
| PLATFORM and waved Yates banner
until he stampeded the convention and
nominated his man.
In Illinois the senatorship to which
| he succeeded has been held but one
term by any one man since the days
| of John A. Logan. 1t is therefore dub.
bed the .hoodoo senatorship.' Is it tc
prove 'hoodoo" to Billy Lorimer, the
'blond boss p