Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-04
NEW YORKER SAYS ILLINOIS
MEMBER HOLDS SEAT THROUGH
BRIBERY AND SHOULD NOT BE
CONTINUED IN SENATE.
PURITY AND HONOR
OFLOUNTRYATSTAKE.
SENATOR STATES THAT COMMIT
TEE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN
INFLUENCED BY PART NEWsPA-
PERs PLAYED IN CASE.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 3.-That
| Senator William Lorimer of Illinois
holds his seat in the house through
bribery and on that account should
not be permitted to continue in the
senate is the conclusion reached by
Senator Elihu Root and announced by
him in an argument on the floor Of
the senate today.
The New York senator held the un-
divided attention Of his colleagues as
he discussed the report OF the COM
mittee on privileges and elections by
which Mr.. Lorimer was exonerated.
Mr. Roots position had been a qpes.
ton of much speculation and 80 high
is the esteem in which his opinion is
bers of the senate have held In abey-
ance their own opinions until they
coula hear from him.
There was a large attendance of
senators and the galleries were we'll
filled. Mr.. Root spoke without notes
and in the main his address consisted
~. - M TIC
taken BY the committee. The argu-
ment was almost entirely legal.
criticses Committees Methods
The speaker lost little time in In
dicating the conclusion he had reached
a conclusion entirely antagonistic to
Mr. Lorimer. He took the position
that the Investigating committee has
been at fault in permitting either the
attorney for Mr.. Lorimer or the at
torney for the Chicago Tribune to d.
rect it's course in the matter Of con-
Meeting Mr. Lorimer with the corrup-
ton of members of the Illinois legisla-
ture but agreed that even in the face
OF it's fault in this respect, the com
mittee had obtained sufil cient evidence
effectually to taint and invalidate the
slection
Sees State and Country Disgraced.
Citing the resolution under which
the inquiry was directed, Mr.. Root said
that the committee had failed to find
the testimony sufficient to justify the
conclusion that Mr.. Lorimer's seat
had been obtained by the employment
of corrupt methods and practices.
'It is fair to infer" he said, that
the committee was Of the opinion that
corrupt methods and practices were re-
sorted to, but that the legal effect was
not such as to invalidate Mr.. Lorimer's
election. This view Is sustained by the
testimony before me, and regret to
say that after an examination of the
testimony I am constrained to disa-
gree with the members Of the com.
mittee."
Saying that he had been forced to
this conclusion with deep regret, both
on account of his respect for the mem
bers Of the committee and of regard
for Mr.. Lorimer, Senator Root said
that he had been 'impelled to reach an
adverse view in the interest of tho
state Of Illinois and of the country at
large.
Il cannot" he said most earnestly, !
come to any different conclusion" He
expressed the opinion that both the
state and country had been disgraced
by the methods Of the Lorimer elec-
tion. Not only did the senator differ
as to the conclusions, but as to the
methods of the senate committee.
senate's Honor and Purity at Stake.
He did not believe that that organi-
zation had properly interpreted the
3CODC OIS1Ib lHSlIuCIlOl, UuI lOlS SAhI IL
had gone too far in Interpretation Of
The charges Of private complaint by
The Chicago Tribune The committee
should, he thought, have borne in mind
hat the responsibility, the honor, the
purity and the authority Of the senate
were involved.
when" he asked earnestly. did
we entrust the guardianship of our
1onor and integrity to any newspaper
or any man? 1t was the duty of the
committee to investigate what COR
,upt methods and practices had been
escorted to, as directed by the senate,
ind not to decide whether the Tribune
lad established case"
It was clearly shown, Mr.. Root con-
ended, that in following the leader
hip of the Tribune, the committee
allied to take advantage Of many per-
sons to testify. Avenue after avenue
lad been voluntarily closed. One ef-
ect of the committee course had been
o create the feeling that this was a
rather than prosecution,
ind the speaker confessed to sharing
he view that the work was not one in !,
,,h ;cb a poupanor rmioft prOnnr1v an. |,