The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-23
Illinois Senator Makes ElO- quent Personal Plea Be-
 fore Crowded Senate
WAS HUMAN INTEREST TALE FULL OF PATHCS
Hearers Moved To Tears-Speech's Effect Unknown But Impression Is That Lorimer Will Be
 Acquitted

Washington, February Civilian Lorimer of Illinois today in person mads his defense against the charge that his election to the Senate of the United States was accomplished by bribery and corruption of the legislature of Illinois. His defense was a general and emphatic denial delivered with more than ordt- nary eloquence and fervor.
 No vote was taken today Immediate ly upon the conclusion of MT. Lorimer's speech the Senate went into executivs session of the Japanese treaty and the answer to the Lormer speech which Senator Beveridge was prepared to make went over until tomorrow.
 With almost every senator in his seat and in the presence of great crowd of members of the House of Representa- tives on the Senate floor. and of specta- tors in the densely packed galleries. Mir. Lorimer made a speech of four hours duration, and even his bitterest oppo- nents admitted that 1t was a very able, well sustained and dramatic utterance.
 Some of those who heard the speech and who have been in and about the Senate for many years said there never had been anything just like it.
 
 Human Interest Story
 Mir Lormers speech was distinctly a human interest," story. For example. in explaining the votes of democrats for him in the legislature which elected him to the Senate, he told of the beginning of his acquaintance with 'Hinky Dink' Kenna in Chicago forty years ago. It was homely story of one newsboy helping another. but it was most effect- lively told and there were many other touches of human nature in the speech which held the interest of the great audience from beginning to end. More than once there were evidences that the speech was moving some of his hearers to tears.
 What effect. if any. the speech will have upon the vote in the Senate 1t is impossible to say. The general impress sion about the capitol tonight is that MT. Lorimer and his trends have safely pledged the votes with which to defeat the resolution which would declare his seat vacant and that if the matter comes to vote the result will be a Lorimer victory.
 Beveridge Answers Today
 Senator Beveridge is expected to make a Mir Lorimer. How much time the Gen. ate will be willing to give to this sub feet in the present crowded condition of the Senate calender remains to be seen. It is not impossible that Lorimers oppo- nents may be able to prevent the matter coming to vote at all before adjourn ment. It was said today that this was in fact the plan which the anti-Lorimer people would try to carry out.
 During the four hours that Mr. Lort- mer occupied the floor he reviewed prac- tically all the charges that have been made against himself. His statement was in the nature both of testimony and of pleading. He refrained entirely from attempt to analyze the testimony. but devoted his attention entirely to argu- ,nents of other senators against him.
 He took up in turn the opprobious in- ferences drawn from his intimacy with Speaker Shurtleff and Lee O'Neil Browne, his attendance upon sessions of the Illinois legislature and his presence in Shurtleff's rooms, undertaking 70 show that in each instance his course had been natural and in the line of the performances of other public men under like circumstances.
 Explains Support
 He explained his democratic support on the grounds of long standing per- sonal friendships for himself and of an- tipathy for Senator Hopkins, who was his principal antagonist in the senatorial contest.
 In the former connection he related more than one story going to show att tachment running over many years. This portion of the address appealed strongly to the feelings of senators. but when Senator Crawford jntimated that the Tlli- nois senator was making bid for sym pathy he resented the iinputation and turned the question to his own advan- tage by declaring that his only purpose was to set before the Senate the truth. It was not a matter of sympathy. hs said, but of right and wrong.
 MT Lorimer undertook also to show how his advocacy of the lakes-to-the- Mississippi waterway had caused many members of the legislature to be partial to him. He said he had made an effort to induce Governor Deneen to become Q candidate to break the senatorial dead- lock- and in effect. he declared, that if Deneen had been so Inclined he could have elected Hopkins by throwing his vote to him. One two allusions were made to the prosecution of the case and his enemies were referred to as ''assas- sins of character.
 There were occasional pointed ref erences to the speeches of opposing senators Messrs. Root and Crawford coming in for especial attention. MT. r,orimer asserted emphatically that not only had he not used money to influence his election. but that on his honor, he knew of none having been so employed
 The address of Mir Lorimer consumed so much time that Senator Beveridge could not find opportunity to. proceed with his remarks and permission was given him to do so tomorrow. There is general expectation that other sem "a tors will ask to be heard and 1t 10 predicted that the aftermath of the speech Will be quite as interesting az the beech itself. #
 Senate Galleries Crowded
 The galleries would hold only small proportion of those who sought admit tance. Hundreds stood in line through- out the speech, devouring every word that filtered through the gallery doors and waiting for the seats of those who might weary and leave. There, were few however. who did not stsv fl the last word.
 The number of spectators and would- be spectators were not the only un- usual characteristics. Society," as known in Washington was out in force 4, Mrs. Taft and a party occupied seat in the executive gallery. The diplomatic
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