The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-14
Bailey Champions
Cause of Loriner
CONTINUED from First PaRe)

there was not a word in the testimony
to show that Mr.. Lorimer had had any
knowledge Of any bribery in his be-
half. He asserted that the Chicabo
Tribune had been compelled through
its attorney to exonerate the accused
senator in this respect, notwfthstand-
Ing an unusual effort to connect him
with 1t. True. said the senator. In the
heat Of debate some senators had
sought to connect Mr.. Lorimer, with
the alleged wrongful transactions, but
he was sure that they would repent of
that course.
Mr.. Bailey contended that even II
the seven votes Of White. Browne,
Reckemeyer. Link. Wilson. Holtslaw
and Broderfck were not counted. Mr..
Lortmer still had been legally and
properly chosen.
"Deductins these seven votes from
Lorimers 10s votes would leave him
votes from the total vote OF 202 would
leave 1876. Of which the 101 votes re-
ceived by Lortmer would constitute a
clear majority and he was therefore
duly and legally elected" Senator
Bailey insisted.
CONTENTION RIDicULED.
He ridiculed the contention Of his
opponents that these votes could be
substracted from Lorimer's column
and still retained In the total vote.
declaring that the contrary was so
elementary as to make 1t almost alb
surd to present authorities in sup
port Of Il.
I'VE have the authority Of the text
books and Of the courts for saying
that an illegal vote must be rejected
for all purposes and that 1t canot be
considered for any purpose" the sena-
tor continued. THAT is not only the
law and logic. but it is the rule best
calculated to promote political moral
ity. It treats a dishonest vote as If
the corrupt legislator who cast II
were civilly dead, at least In that
transaction. and it leaves the result to
be determined by the votes Of honest
men,"
Mr.. Bailey would not admit, as Sen
ators Root, Borah and others had
charged, that in demanding the total
exclusion of dishonest votes, he really
was giving effect to such votes. On
the contrary he undertook to turn the
charge upon his antagonists. Sayins
that allegations Of faint had beer
made against eleven members OF the
Illinois legislature, he added:
"Subtracting these eleven votes from
q total OF 201. we have an unchai-
lenged membership OF 191 members
who by virtue Of their position and
their integrity, were qualified to elect
q senator. OF this 1871 members. sc
would be q majority and after deduct
ing every vote against which the sug-
gestion Of dishonesty has been made
Lorimer would still have 81 as against
"a votes for his opponents.
A CLEAR MAJORITY.
Under those circumstances no man
could deny that he was entitled to his
seat In this senate as o matter OF
law and still less can they deny it as
"a matter Of morals because he had d
clear majority Of the honest men In
the legislature. Now let us apply the
rule proposed by the senators from
Idaho, Iowa and New York and what
result do we reach?
by keeping these eleven men In
this equation over they prevent 81
honest men from effecting an election
over "a honest honest men and this
makes 1t plain that they are the gen
tlemen who are giving effect to the
votes Of rascals, because by preserving
those eleven votes we thus prevent ar
honest majority from working out its
will"
Declaring then that the law as he
had propounded 1t, would prove to be
''the best protection against the balefu
influence Of the corruptions In our
politics." Mr.. Bailey went on.
mo matter how honest the gentle
men on the other side may be, it II
still true that in striving to reverse
the presidents Of the senate and over
rule the courts Of the country they are
seeking to establish a doctrine that
will permit q dishonest faction of a
legislature to disable an honest ma
jority from choosing a senator to rep
resent their state"
The Journal Want Ad.
way. is the easy way. ra