The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-23
TAM NOT GUILTY"
LOrimer Closes a Four Hours
Speech in the Senate
With a Sweeping Denial of All
the Charges.
HIS VOTES.
Democrats We're Actuated by
Feelings of Friendship.
They Have Been Supporting Him
for Years, He Says.

Washington, Feb. 2S.-There was
no vote on the Lorimer case yester-
| day. Immediately upon the conclu-
sion of Mr.. Lorimer's speech the SEN
ate went into executive session on the
Japanese treaty and the answer to the
Lorimer speech which Senator Bever-
idFa was prepared to make went over
| until today. Nobody knows when
| vote will be reached.
He made a speech of four hours,
| and even his bitterest opponents ad-
mftted 1t was able, we'll sustained and
| dramatic.
Mr. Lorimer's speech was distinctly
a human interest story For ex-
ample, in explaining the votes of
Democrats for him in the legislature
which elected him to the. senate. he
| told of the beginning of his acQuaint-
ance with "Hinky Dink'' Kenna in
Chicago 40 years ago.
It was a homely story of one news
boy helping another. but it was most
| effectively 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.
What effect, if any. the speech will
| have upon the vote in the senate, it is
impossible to say.
The general impression about the
capitol is that Mr.. Lorimer and his
friends have safely pledged the votes
with which to defeat the resolution
which would declare his seat vacant
and that if the matter comes to a vote
the result will be a Lorimer victory.
1t is not impossible that Lorimer's
opponents may be able to prevent the
| matter coming to vote at all before
adjournment. 1t was said this was the
plan which the anti-Lorimer people
would try to carry out.
During the more than four hours
that Mr. Lorimer occupied the floor
he reviewed practically all the charges
| which have been made against him
| self. 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 the arguments of
| other senators against him.
/ He explained his Democratic sup
I port on the grounds of long standing
/ personal friendships for himself and
IF antipathy for Senator Hopkins, who
| was his principal antagonist in the
senatorial contest.
Assassins of Character.
/ one or two illusions were made to
the prosecution of the case and his
enemies were referred to as "assassins
/ of character" There were occasional
| pointed references to speeches Of op-
posing senators, Messrs Root and
Crawford coming in for especial at
tention.
Mr., Lorimer asserted emphaticaIly
that not only had he not used money
to influence his election, but that on
his honor he knew of none having been
j so employed.
Senator Lorimer attributed his Dem
ocratic strength largely to his activity
in favor Of the Lakes to the Gulf deep
waterway project. He emphasized the
nonpartisan character of this move
ment and showed how it brought him
into intimate contact with men of all
parties. He said he was in Springfield
at the time he was elected senator to
urge upon the legislature the passage
4 of a waterway law
at would like to know from the SEN
ator from New York. said Lorime1,
turning to Mr.. Root, whether he has
ever been identified with such a work
and whether he did not find that under
such circumstances it was necessary to
make friends of men of all parties. The
work that I have done was generally
recognized as one that meant much to
! Illinois and some of my Democratic
friends conceived the idea that #
elected to the senate I could do much
to promote the enterprise"
His Democratic Friends
Mentioning the Democrats who had
been friendly to him, he gave the
names of Representative Blair, whora
he quoted as saying he wanted Lort-
mer to be governor" of Sidney Espey
who went SO far as to say that Lori
mer should be PRESIDENT" of Michael
have been bribed to vote for Lorimer,
and of others. Taking up the charge
that he had been much in Illinois about
the time of his election Mr.. Lorimer
said:
Suppose had organized the election
and then suppose had been in Spring
field for several weeks and suppose ]
had been a candidate, is that an evil
dence of corruption and bribery?
Has any senator here ever been at
- I,5e e-<, $e.x %1,axr
!. discussing his election? Is it crime?
If it is, then I am guilty. Why, Mr..
President, it is like the talk of a child
. and no man of experience will pay any
attention to it,
Mr.. Lorimer also dwelt on the case
of Lee O'Neil Browne, declaring that
; he had exercised no influence in max
ing that man minority leader. In sup
port of this contention, he said that
Brownies rival, Tippit, and seventeen
Gorimer). There was. therefore,
nothing in the whole history of the
: case to justify the statement concern
ing nv conciliation either with Shurt-
left or Browne"
Deneen's Candidacy.
Sneaking of Governor Deneen's can
didacy. Mr.. Lorimer reviewed the con-
. test for senator, saying that If the fif-
| teen Deneen followers had voted for
) Hopkins he would have been elected
| and there would have been no dead
| lock. All of the members of the leg
islature with which he was supposed
to have influence had voted for Hop
kins. These included ali the Republi-
cans from his congr essional district
Tt should be borne in mind, Mr.. Lori
9 nler said, that DeneeE hadgbeen the
? father of the direct primary law. ''He
: was for it and he got 1t and when the
l roll was called it was found all the
5 members of Deneen districts had voted