The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-21
Illinois Senator Is Not Quite Clear of Charges
PROCEEDINGS KEPT SECRET
Senator Burrows Reports Findings of Subcommittee to the Whole COm- miftee Hut the Action Is Not
 Generally Satisfactory

Washington, December 20.-What will prove formidable opposition to the adop- tion of any report in the Senate for the exoneraton of Senator Lorimer as the result of the investigation of charges of bribery In connection with his cleo ton by the Illinois legislature to suc- cee6 Senator Hopkins Is said to have de- veloped on the Senate floor today.
 Several senators are declared to have agreed that they would compel post ponement of the whole subject until aft CT the holiday recess in order that all members may have an opportunity to di- gest the testimony as well as the report of the committee on privileges and elec- tions.
 Chairman Burrows called the commit tee on privileges and elections together today and soon after the adjournment 1t was reported that he had been author ized to report the Lorimer matter to the Senate in accordance with the findings of the subcommittee. Great dissatis- faction is said to have been expressed because of the failure of the committee to have printed the findings of the sub committee. It is asserted that there never had been an investigation in which such diligent effort has been made to keep the proceedings secret.
 According to authoritative information the subcommittee was a unit in de- claring that there had been no evidence that Senator Lorimer had been involved ir any manner in purchasing votes of in dividual members of the legislature, but there is some difference of opinion as to -l.saf Aa.v flaA Nf of the votes cast against which there was taint had been eliminated.
 Views of Members
 It was developed today also that some me mbers of the full committee be- lieved that the subcommittee should have reported merely if bribery had been resorted to in the election in which MT Lorimer was successful and that the instructions given by the Sem ate in the resolution authorizing the investigation had not called for 8 re- port of exoneration for MT. Lorimer Regardless of this fact no one could be found who was willing to bring in a minority report.
 Although Senators Frazier and Hey burn, who were members of the sub committee, filed individual statements they did not disent from the findings of the sub committee that there was
 
 party to corruption if any was prac- ticedu In the election. Their individual statements dealt wholly with the tes- tilnony involving members of the H. l.nois legislature. There were POP votes cast on the ballot on which Lorimer was elected. Of these he received 10S and opposition candidates 94 votes.
 Speaker Shurtleff had declared a con- stitutional majority of the legislature to be 102 memhers The tostinOny a duced by the subcommittee of the com mittee on priveleges and elections brought in the names of four members of the legislature as having received bribes and three as having paid money to influence votes. Without bringing MT. Lorimer into the transaction at all Senator Frazier has filed a statement in which it Is said that he declares that seven votes should not be count ed for Lorimer.s Several other sena- tors are said to share this view, but tbere Is a difference of opinion as to whether their elimination would have affected his election.
 Conflict of Opinion
 If the seven were subtracted it would reduce the constitutional majority Some are said to contend that such would be the case, while others assert that a con- stitutonal majority is. unalterable, "Hetner aHecled Dy corruption or any other means.
 The statement filed by Senator Hey burn is said to be an argument against eliminating votes of such members of the legislature confessed to receiving bribes on the grounds that the state ments of self-confessed perjurers should not be permitted to overthrow the elec- ton.
 Several senators, not members of the committee on privileges and elections, are reported to have said that pressure has been brought upon individual mem- bers of the committee to not file minor- ity reports No confirmation of this re- port could be obtained, although it ap- pcared probable that the Burrows. report would not receive the unanimous sup port of the committee. Nevertheless nothing could be learned of the reasons ol individuals for not submitting their dissent in the form of minority findings
 Senator Burrows completed the report Of the committee during the day. but not until after the Senate had adjourned No effort was made today to have the in- dividual senators sign the document, al- though they may be asked to do so be- fore the report is presented tomorrow