The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-01-12
CRAWFORD SPEAKS
PLAIN ! LANGUAGE
AGAINST L0R|MER
South Dakota Senator
Vigorously Opposes
His Recognition.
CALLED INFAMOUS
CALLED INFAMOUS

|SF A60N0 SAAk AsAS
Election Was the Result of
a Deliberate Plot.
Warrington. d. C.-Senator Coe
I. Crawford, republican, OF South
Dakota. Joined the antiLorimer
forces today in . speech in the Sem
ate. saying Lorimer must have
known OF the corrupt practices en-
ployed to influence the democratic
members Of the Illinois legislature
to vote for him.
Crawford charges that Lorimer
organized the legislature against Al
bert ]. Hopkins, the primary nomi-
inee for the Senate. the election Of
Edward Shurtlen as speaker and the
choice Of Lee o'Neill Browne as mi
nority leader. being part Of the plan.
Crawford reviewed the testimony at
length.
With the aid Of democratic votes,
Crawford charged, the legislature
was organized by Lorimer against
Albert ]. Hopkins. the election Of Ed
ward Shurtlen as speaker being the
FIRST step in the corrupt program.
"The next move" he said, was to
install Lee O'Neill Browne in the po-
sition Of leader of the democratic mi
nority in the house. Chas. White
was one Of Brownies ardent support
ers. So were the following men,
whose names, along with that Of
White are STEPPED In indescribable
infamy: NJ. J. c. Beckemeyer, NJ. 8.
Link. ]. s. Clark, r. Wilson, S. A.
Shephard, Charles Luke, ]. H. Dew
elf, John Griffin, Nanny Abrahams,
and others of their kind.
Senator John Broderick, saloon
keeper from Chicago, their handy
man in the Senate, and men like
Senators Holstlaw and Pemberton,
were not hard to reach. Broderick
was close personal friend and ad-
mirer Of Mr.. Lorimer and Holstlaw
loves the filthy lucre more than he
does honor"
Crawford reviewed the testimony
of the men who confessed accept
ance Of bribes and said with regard
to It.:
Testimony of Criminals.
"The strength Of this testimony
is not broken by the assertion that
White, Beckemeyer, Holstlaw and the
like, are self-confessed criminals.
They are contemplate people. l
readily grant that. But there is
something here when we consider
this testimony as whole, SO consis-
tent with the theory that their votes
for Lorimer were purchased votes
and so completely antagonistic to the
theory that they were honest votes
cast in honor for him, that cannot
escape from the absolute conviction
that these men betrayed their honor,
blackened the fair name of their state
and for few paltry dollars permit
ted Browne and Broderick to sell
them like pawns to Shurtleff and
Lorimer.
"1f it be true as to White, Beck
emeyer, Holstlaw, Link, Clark, Shep-
herd and Dewelf that they sold their
eight votes to Wilson Browne and
Broderick, then the votes of the three
bribe-givers were equally corrupt
and dishonored and the whole eleven
should be taken away from the man
who profited by their casting them. I"
Crawford devoted consideble time
to the testimony in the investigation
introduced on behalf Of Lorimer. ills
conclusion was:
This testimony miserably fails Of
It's purpose and it's only tendency is
to further confirm and corroborate
the proof that Mr.. Lorimer was not
lawfully elected to the high Office Of
United States Senator
| Crawford characterized White and
Brown as bad men. In tracing
Whites course, Crawford went fully
into Whites attempt to blackmail
Lorimer before he sold his informa-
ton to q newspaper.
"Can one conclude after q careful
reading Of all the testimony here.
that Mr.. ,Lorimer himself did not
know that q fraud was being com.
mitte?" asked Crawford.
II wish could believe that he did
not. because I bear him no Ill will
ana would not DO him the smalles,
injury or ,injustice knowingly"
Iorimer Must Have Known.
Il C.~-An.S AA>. S>A>n.S Y>.f..,.