The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-06-01
L0HIMER SAYS CHARGES lies"
DENOUNCES ACCUSERS BEFORE,
NATIONAL SENATE.
Illinois Senator Charged With Obtain
ing Seat by Corrupt Use of Money
Bitterly Assails Governor Dencen
And Medill Mccormick, of Chicago
sibic For Publication OF Charges.

| tanned his seat in the United States
senate through bribery and corruD-
ton was made before that body to-
day by William Lorimer, Of Illinois,
personal privilege, and made his re-
| ply to the corruption charges. After
concluding his address, Mr.. Lorimer
offered a resolution for senatorial in
vestigation of the charges against
him.
In opening, Mr.. Lorimer detailed
the fact of the Chicago Tribune's pub
licatiOn, on April 1 last, of a story
over the signature of Charles A.
White, a member of the Illinois leg
islature, in which it was alleged he
had procured his seat in the senate
through bribery and corruption. 81
have been compelled" he went on,
Ito defer my return to the senate ow-
iHg 20 the fact that the story was tim
Cd and published with a dell ate
purpose to destroy new banking as
sociation in Chicago, which I have
been organizing with some of my
friends. The assault was made to
prevent the bank from opening. II
utterly failed Of it's purpose, but it re-
Quired my constant attention to build
dn hnpregnabie bulwark around the
bank to safeguard the interests of
| those who have entrusted their funds
to the care of my associates and my
self against any malicious or vicious
assault that may be made against it
by The Tribune"
Relating that it had been charged
that the bribe had been paid through
Leonard FL Jwne, the Democratic
leader of the Illinois House of Repre-
sentatives, he defended Mr.. Browne
as entirely above participation in such
a proceeding. lie declared that Med
i'll Mccormick, of the Tribune, had
|
open. and also asserted that White did
not write the story, as had been
claimed, but that it was "the work OF
q trained newspaper hand, skilled in
the art Of creating scandal out of lies,
when it is thought necessary to black
en- the character Of one whom the
newspaper cannot control.
''It is also plain to be seen," he went
on, that every word was passed upon
by a lawyer before it was signed by
that poor, low creature, White, who
does not hesitate to commit forgery
for a few dollars, and to whom per-
jury is no crime, who is a part of the
lowest fringes of depravity, and who,
to secure money to satisfy his instinct
for debaucEery, sold what little was
left Of his manhood and became the
plant tool Of the Tribune in this
timed and malicious attack
| Defending Charles Luke, a deceased
member Of the legislature, against a
charge that he had been a beneficiary
Of his Iorimer's) bribery, the Sena-
tor told how Mr.. Luke, a Democrat,
has risen from practically his death
bed to vote for him, Republican, but
without other motive than friend
ship.
standing in this historic chamber,
departed friend did all in his power
to assist me, ] would" he said, "be
untrue to our friendship and my re-
gard Tor him if L did not hurl this
malicious. heartless, satanic lie back
into the foul mouth that uttered it,"
There is no language to character
ize such despicable conduct"
Senator Lorimer then proceeded
with unmeasured words of bitter in
vective and epithet an attack upon
Medill Mccormick personally.
He asserted that Representatives
Link and Beckmeyer had not made
confessions, as has been charged, but
on the contrary, said that the charges
stand as they stood on April 80, the
uncorroborated lies of the Tribune
supported only by the bought sigma
ture of their weak tool, White.
Senator Lorimer went on with vehe-
mence to assert that the Chicago pa
per lied, and knew it lied" in charg-
ing that money was used to purchase
his election.
Not one dollar was paid to a sin
gle member Of the General Assembly
for his vote for me-" the Senator de-
ciared, and he added that when the
! truth Was known everybody would
| understand that the DUblica alton of the