The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-09
Beveridge Opens the Fight on
the Illinois Senator.
Files a Minority Report on Com.
mittee Investigation.
ELECTION is INVALID
Under Any Possible View of the
Law, He Says.
He Then Submits Resolution
to That Effect.

Washington, Jan. 9.-The fight to
prevent Senator Lorimer of Illinois re-
tanning his seat in the United States
senate was opened today with a con-
test between Senator Beveridge of In
diana and Senator owen of Oklahoma,
both of whom contested for the right
to fire the first gun in the cause. Sen
ator Beveridge, by virtue of being u
member of the committee on priv
ileges and, elections which investigated
charges of bribery against Mr. Lorimer,
gained tactical victory by filing Il
OF his colleagues on the committee who
voted to exonerate the Illinois senator
Senator owen, however, introduced a.
resolution to declare the election of
.Lorimer Illegal and void but he was not
permitted to address the senate in it's
support. The senate held that the
resolution. under the rules, would have
to so over until tomorrow. Mr.. Bev-
eridge then submitted his report the
conclusion of which was:
THAT this election was invalid under
any possible view of the law. If the
senate so concludes it is our duty to
so declare. Therefore l submit the
following resolution:
" Resolved, That William Lorimer
was not duly and legally elected to
seat in the senate of the United States
by the legislature of the state of Illi-
inois.'"
Lorimer Speaks.
Before the. report was filed Senator
Lori1ner made a brief speech declar-
ing his innocence of bribery and the
Innocence of his friends of any part1ci-
patton in corrupt practices IN connec-
ton with his election. He announced
his intention to be present during the
discussion of the case. The parliament
tary tangIe III the senate as to which
of the two senators desiring to open
the attack on Senator Lorlmer should
have precedence was not settled until
after an appeal had been taken from
a ruling by Vice President Sherman
and he had been reversed. The Bever-
idge report reviews the testimony bear
ing upon the alleged acceptance or
brides by four members of the ILLINOIS
legislature and the testimony OF these
that the brides had been paid by three
other members. The. minority report
declares it is an undisputed fact or
conclusive force, although the majority
ignores it that the confessed bribe tax
ers were shown to have had in their
possession in bills of large denonlina-
TONS unusually large sums of money soon
after the dates when they swore, to
having received the alleged bribeS. This
statement is made In reply 70 the con-
tention of the majority that the men
who confessed to having received pr1Des
were not to be believed. e7
Senator Beveridge' devotes consider
able attention to the claim of the ma
jority that at least three of those who
confessed having received brides had
been compelled or driven to make
these confessions because of the treat
ment received from Officers of Cook
and rSangamon counties. Ill. In this
connection the report says:
Question of Fact.
2.
whether it believes as matter of fact
that these men actually did receive
the money which they testified to hav-
ing received and large amounts of
which were found in their possession
in bills of large denominations
Mr.. Beveridge said the conduct of
officers of justice had nothing to do
with the case.
The dismissal by the majority report
of charges that three members had
paid brides to four other members of
the Illinois legislature because the
three had denied the charges and the
confessed bride takers were not to be
believed is then referred to by Senator
Beveridge, who asks:
What else did the majority expect
these accused bribe givers to do ex
cept to deny that they gave the
brides? What else could they have
DONE unless they, too, confessed? Did
the majority expect everybody CON
nected with these corrupt proceedings
to confess?"
The explanations of the alleged
bride givers-Browne, Broderick and
Wilson-of their transactions with
other members of the legislature and
of their presence in St Louis at the
time the socailed Jackpot fund is
said to have been distributed, are de-
clared by Senator Beverfdge to be
absurd and grotesque.'
The position taken by the minority