The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-04
THEY WE'RE PAID
Some Of The Evidence Before the Leg
islaiure and The Courts
in THE IORIMER CASE

! in THE l0RIMER CASE
We Publish Below Extracts Of the
Testimony Brought Out in This
Notorious Case So as Our Readers
Can Judge for Themselves as TO
the Facts.
! From January until the 26th Of
MAY, 1909, the Legislature Of Illi-
nois was engaged In fruitlessly bal
|loting for a Senator to succeed Mr..
Hopkins, who was then a member OF
the Senate. Mr.. Hopkins had re-
ceived a large vote by way of In
struction in the primaries, and Mr..
Stringer was the primary selection Of
the Democratic party, and the votes
ran for many weeks, for months,
with the greater part of the Republl-
cans voting for Mr.. Hopkins.
On the 26th of May there was a
sudden change, and the votes of a
very large part of, the Republicans
and of the Democrats were turned to
Mr.. Lorimer, who up to that time
had not been an avowed candidate,
only an occasional scattering vote
having been cast for him. On that
day there were 202 members Of the
Legislature of Illinois present in the
Joint session of the two houses, MAX
ing 1O2 votes necessary to an cleo
ton.
On the roll call Of the Senate,
there were ten votes for Mr.. Lori
mer, and on the roll call Of the
House there were 81 votes for Mr..
Lorimer, making a total of lOl
votes. Thereupon seven Republican
Senators who had voted for Mr.. H 'p-
kins on the roll call changed their
votes from Mr.. Hopkins to Mr.. Lori
mer, making 10S. votes for Mr.. Lori
mer, and he was declared to be elect
ed. Those 10S votes were So OF
them cast by Democrats and SIS by
Republicans. .
Now there are certain undisputed
facts which bear upon this inquiry
as to these SO Democratic votes. The
| first is that Mr.. Lorimer was present
at Springfield and in attendance at
the State Capitol at the time of this
election, and he had been there for
several weeks. 1t appears that one
lof the Democrats : who had been
asked to vote for Mr.. Lorimer raised
some objection and was requested to
60 into the Speakers room on the
day of the election and see Mr.. Lori
mer.
! He had asked for certain promises
regarding patronage, regarding the
appointment of Federal officers in his
own town. He was requested to 80
and he did go into the Speakers s
room, and there found Mr.. Lorimer;
and he had with Mr.. Lorimer con-
'versation relating to the appoint
,ment of Federal officers in his town,
and it appeared to be satisfactory
when he came out from the inter-
view
The agent selected by Mr.. Lorimer,
the chief agent to secure Democratic
votes for him, was Mr.. Lee O'Neil
Browne. Mr.. Browne was the leader
of one faction of the Democrats in
the Assembly. There were two fac
tions, each with leader. Mr..
Browne had between thirty and for
ty, and another, Mr.. Tippet, had be-
tween twenty and thirty Democratic
members of the Legislature, and Mr..
Browne was called into consultation,
conference, cooperation with Mr..
Lorimer and became plainly Mr.. Lor-
liners accredited and authorized
agent in securing votes from the
Democratic side Of the Assembly.
This rests upon the testimony of Mr..
browne himself, and is not subject
to any dispute.
Mr.. Browne, the leader Of this
icrowd voted for Mr.. Lorimer, and the
er, NANNY Abrahams. He procured
them to vote as the agent of Lori
mer secured by him to act for him,
closeted with him by day and by
night, reporting to him step by step,
having the relation to him Of q mem
Der of a campaign committee. On
the floor of the Assembly, on the
day Of the election before the vote
was cast, Mr.. English, member OF
: the House, in effect charged corrIp-
ton.
Mr. Browne, for the apparent pur-
pose of strengthening his followers
had made a speech in which he had
undertaken to explain what was
about to be done. and he had used
the expression, eve cannot cash
dreams" when that stout Democrat
of the House retorted, But you can
cash votes" and it was under the
aspersion Of that remark in the
open House that the votes were cast
Mr.. Holtslaw, who was a Senator
testified that Senator Broderick, a
!; Democratic Senator, as was Holtslaw
assured him that there was $4,000
in it for him if he voted for Lori
mer, and he did. .Holtslaw has also
testified to the Dayment Of the So.