The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-08
Fletcher Says Wording OfRe-
 port Misunderstood
SAYS LOR|MER IS INNOCENT
People Need Not Get Excited Over Dan- gers to Republic Which Calamity HOwIers Have Voiced, For There Is No Peril

l Washington, February 7.--Contend- ing 1t had not been concluslvely shown that one corrupt influenced vote had been cast for Senator Lorimer in tho Illinois legislature. Senator Fletcher of l Florida. a member of the committee | on privileges and elections today ad- dressed the Senate in support of the committees report, exonerating MT. Lormer. MT. Fletcher would not ad- init that even four members or the leg 1 islature had testified to receiving money as consideration of their support as stated In the report of the committee.
 T called attention to that clause and said did not so understand the testi- mony," he said. but stated that while they testified to receiving money each of them said he voted for MT. Lorimer without consideration of any kind be- Ing paid or promised. I understand the chairman and the committee to agree with that and the chairman to state he would have the wording cor rected. I find that the language car ried into the report and think it is mistake"
 All the trouble was traced to Charles
 
 denounced that member of the Illinois Legislature as the limit in many dis reputable directions"
 Defends Lorimer
 Mr. Lorimer was stoutly defended against the charge of knowledge of any bribery that may have been practced as he was against all plotting with Browne and others in connection with the sena- torship. Mir. Fletcher could not find any | (rft th1 stances that the democratic leader Browne, had insisted upon being assured Of Lorimer's election as a candidate of his support
 This was not an unusual or unreason- able condition he said. '"rhere was noth- I Ing in that stipulation either strange or ! new. It does not at all follow that the i effect of it was to increase the market price of votes."
 Calling attention to the fact that MT. Lorimer did not come into the contest un- til after the senatorial deadlock in the Illinois legislature had continued for four months, the speaker contended that Ior- inner had been the natural candidate, say ing on that point:
 'tThe logic of the situation led straight to Lorimer. He was no stranger. He was not person unheard of, save for his money. He was known In public life He was not without merit and strength | ous occasions and he had made record in Congress. He had personal. a party and non-partisan following We may say he was no novice in the game of politics.
 tWhy, under the circumstances, should the facts that democrats, as did repub- licans, turn to MT. Lorimer give rise to suspicion of wrong-doing? Was there anything extraordinary in such course ? Plainly crisis had been reached when either there would be election or a compromise candidate must be decided upon.'
 Dwelling at length upon the unsavory character of some of the transactions of the Illinois legislature. the Florida sen ator urged that no one was justified in concluding that on this account MT. Lor- inner was a beneficiary of this boodle"
 "We must remember he said, that the legislature had more on it's hands than the election of a senator. There were furniture contracts, probably some public utilities proposals; maybe some prohibit tion proposition. The means of supply ing the customary jack pots were likely ingeniously devised There were mem- bers of that legislature who were not as white as snow. Quite a few of them had no sprouting wings. I will go so far as to say some of them were no credit to the great state of Illinois. I will go further and say it Is almost inconceiv- able that some of these men could have been chosen to make laws for their state. No law they could make they were not willing to break.
 But 1t must not be presumed that Mir. Lorimer had supplied the necessary even though some of these boodlers would not vote without 1t. It must not be for gotten that the presumption at the out set was in Lorimer's favor. No act of his has been shown to cause it's forfei- ture. No conduct on his part contribu- ted to procure 1t fraudulently or cor ruptly He had right to aspire to the office. He had legal right to be in Springfield and to listen to and even en- courage his friends in legitimate plans and steps which might lead to his eec- tion"
 Lorimer Not Proven Innocent
 Reviewing the testimony MT. Fletcher declared that it had not been unimpeach- ably shown that Lorimer's election had been influenced by corruption.
 'If we admit" he said, that lament able condition obtained, I cannot feel justified on such testimony In holding that deplorable state of things extended to and involved the senatorial election and that corrupt practices were induged in respect to that election. If it be argued that when 1t was shown that Holtsaw had money, that White had money and Link had money. that 1t was somebody's s money. the burden shifted to Mir Lorimer to show by his testimony or otherwise that 1t was not his money. I submit that the testimony of Messrs Alschuler. Shurt- Jeff. Clark and Shepard-all clean-all friends of Browne. all voting for Mir Tor inner, saying nothing of the testimony of Browne. Broderick and Wilson. would fully meet that burden. Even Link, Beck meyer and Hotslaw swear they had de- , termtped to vote for MT. Lorimer before any money was promised or paid them, and Link swears 1t was not Lorimer moneq' that was paid him.
 MT. Fletcher had a word to say in de- fense of Illinois:
 "We need not be taken off our feet by exciting predictions of dangers to the re- public. The state of Illinois will go for , ward in line with her glorious past. no matter what decision Is reached in this ! case The Senate Is anchored here and } there Is no peril.
 , White. Beckmeyer. Holtsaw and Link } are not dangerous people. They are sim , ply weak with no moral or physical cour- } age and no scruples. Illinois will take . care of them and of her local condi-