The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-07-06
EDWA I'd HINES
ON the STAND
Chicago Man Tells of HIS EFT
forts to Elect Lorimer.
PRESIDENTS NAME BROUGHT IN
Governor Deneen Is Also Mentioned
lumberman Denies Saying He
Had "AII Money Necessary"
to Put His Man Over.

Washington, June 80. = The senate
committee which is investigating
charges or corruption in Senator
Lorimers election was told by Ed
ward Hines of Chicago. president of
the Edward Hines Lumber company,
that President Taft, through Nelson
w. Aldrich, former senator from
Rhode Island, bad favored Mr., Lori.
mer's candidacy and had practically
forced the election upon Lorimer
At first, Mr.. Hines testified. Presi-
deht Tat and Senator Aldrich were
merely in favor of breaking the SEN
atorial deadlock in the Illinois legisla-
ture for five months from January 20
May, 1909, by the election of Repub-
lican sen9tor. Later, he added, the
president and Senator Aldrich must
have o5taired information that Lori
mer was the only candidate upon
whom the opposition could unite ana
then they backed Senator Lorimer's
candidacy.
In reply to a question, Mr. Hines
admitted that he had never seen Pres
;dent Taft personally, but that all his
information in regard to the presi-
dents attitude had come from Sena.
tor Aldrich, who went to the White
House late one night in May. 1909,
shortly before the senatorial election,
to discuss the Illinois situation with
Sir. Taft. The president himself has
denied emphatically that he ever fa-
vored the election of Lorimer He
mas said that efforts were made to
draw min into the Illinois fight, but
he had not gone further than to eX-
press the desire that a Republican be
chosen
Senator Aldrich promised to 90 on
the stand and answer Hines 1t is
charged that the unauthorized use of
the presidents name was a political
trick of the Lorimer forces to ensure
Lorimers election.
Senator Aldrich," said Mr.. Hines
told me that the PRESIDENT was
anxious TO have the deadlock in the
Illinois legislature settled and Re-
publican elected. Senator Aldrich
asked me to telephone Mr. Lorimer,
who was at Springfield and use my
influence to persuade him to become
a candidate for senator l did So"
Mr.. Hines said he went to Chicago
and from a bank there called up Mr.
Lorimer at Springfield again. At this
conversation Mr.. Lorimer asked him
to call up Governor Deneen and ex-
plain to him President Taft's attitude
About this time, Mr. Hines testified
he received a telegram from his office
that Writ H. Cook of Duluth, and Will
liam C'Brien of ST. Paul, wished to see
him at the Grand Pacific hotel Mr.
Hines Instructed the telephone girl at
his office to call Mr.. Lorimer on
long distance at Springfield. Hines
went to the Grand Pacific and talked
with Nr. Lorimer from Cooks room
Hines said he told Lorimer that he
haG just had a phone conversation
with Governor Dencen and that the
governor had promised TO assist him
Mr.. Hines told Lorimer he would
come to Springfield if necessary to aid
his candidacy. This is the telephone
conversation in which, according to
Mr. Cooks recent testimony, Hines
said that he would go to Springfield
With AL the morey required to elect
Lorimer Hines denied Cooks version
of the teiepnone conversation.