The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-22
Senator Frazier Disagree.

Chicago, December a.-Senator Fraz- ier's statement on the Lorimer case was made public here today It follows:
 Tt is with great reluctance that l differ with my colleagues on the sub-commit- tee, but feeling impelled to do so, I beg leave to state briefly my views and con clusions in this case. AS I understand the precedents established by the Senate and the other branch of Congress, and now recognized as the law governing such cases, they are
 T. If the proof established the fact that member whose seat Is in question be- cause of alleged bribery or corruption practices resorted to in his election, has himself been guilty Of bribery or cor rupt practices, or knew of or sanc- toned such corrupt practices, he may be unseated with reference to the num- Der of votes thus corruptly influenced. 70. If the proof fails to show that the member knew of or participated in, or sanctioned such corrupt practices. in order to justify unseating him the proof must | show that enough of the members of the legislature voting for him were bribed or were influenced by corrupt practices, | that deducting their votes from the total vote received by him would reduce his vote below the legislative majority re- quired for his election.
 Lorimer Not Guilty
 While there are some facts and com binations in this case tending to show that Senator Lorimer may have heard of or knew that corrupt practices were being resorted to, and while Senator Lorimer failed to avail himself of the op- portunity of going on the stand as a wit | ness and denying such knowledge or sanction of corrupt practices if any such were being practiced, still l am of the opinion that the testimony fails to es- | tablish the fact that Senator Lorimer was himself guilty of bribery or corrupt practices or that he sanctioned or was cognizant of the fact that bribery or | other corrupt practices were being used by others to influence votes for hinr
 This being true. the question then arises were bribery or corrupt practices used by others in his behalf to influence votes for him. And If so. were enough votes thus tainted with fraud and cor rupt influence, when eliminated, to reduce his vote below the legal majority required for his election.
 "The legislature of Illinois consisted of 2oi members. There were present and voting on the occasion of the election of Senator Lorimer POP members. A quorum of both houses being present, in my opin- ion. he must have received a majority of all those present and voting, or 102 votes, to have been elected. Senator Lorimer
 
 sary to elect.
 But Others Are Guilty
 The testimony taken by the commit tees satisfied me that four members of the legislature were paid money for vot- ing for, or in consequence of having voted for. Senator Lorimer One senator and three representatives admitted under oath before this committee that they were paid money, and the admissions and the oCfc and af, .as-fo 1R
 tions satisfy me that they received 1t as tribe for or in consequence of theil votes for Lorimer.
 'The four self-confessed bribe-takers duplicate three other members of the leg islature who voted for Senator Lorimer a. the persons who bribed them. The testi rnony satisfies me that the three alleged ? oribe givers were guilty of that offense 2 To my mind the man who bribes another 2 is as corrupt as the one who Is bribed 7 and by his corrupt act of bribery he dem a orstrates the fact that he is none to, . honest to receive bribe if offered him While the proof is not clear or conclusiv that the three alleged bribe givers wer e themselves bribed or corruptly influence, g to vote for Lorimer, when I take into con
 sideration their corrupt conduct a e bribers of others, together with all tn r -acts and circumstances surrounding thi 7 case. I cannot bring myself to agree wit ' the majority of the subcommittee tha 2 their votes are free from taint or corrup :, tion. These three votes added to the fou :. confessedly brbed would make seve U tainted votes Eliminate them and tn . vote received by Senator Lorimer was les . than a majority of the votes cast. , "As stated above, it is with hesitanc U and great reluctance that differ with m , II colleagues upon the subcommittee, but '' have felt impeled to do so after mos
 careful and I trust unbiased study of thi record. In view of the fact that appea | to stand alone in the views herein ex II pressed make no recommendation to tn committee, but do ask that the member n of the committee, not members of tn sub committee, carefully read all the tes n timony before forming an opinion.'