The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-02-04
ROOT ARRAIGNS LORIMER
SAYS MS ELECTION " rs Pro-
DtCED ny conn., pTJON.
IF II stands the senate cannot stand.
or n tho senate Does stand VITA Wcn.
hers Holding places II, Such Tenure
the Government Cannot stand. Z"

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2. senator Root
Of New York delivered a notable speech
in the Senate to-day ON tn" Lorimer
case For two hours he held the attep-
tion of every Senator and the crowded
galleries. and when he sat down tho i'm
preston was general tha; by his keen
ANALYSIS Of the evidence hc had swept
away whatever hopes MIR. Lormer's
friends had left that he would bc able
10 retain his seat.
Senator Root never appeared more
earnest than he did in his speech to-day
Stepping out into the centre aisle Of the
chamber and the ewes of all fccussod
upon him he warned his COLLEAGUES tha,
unless they arose TO tho occasion ana
pnrged the Senate of the sispicion of
corruption in the election of members
the Senate would soon b" u thing of the
past The Senator from New York de-
clared that the election of Lorimcr. viewed
In any light. was produced by corruption.
IN cannot stand" exclaimed Mr.. Root
"or II |; docs stand the Senate cannot
stand; OF if the Senat" docs stand with
ite members holding their places by such
tenure the Government of III. United
States canno, stand"
Senator Root . speech had been eagerly
awaited by those members of the Senate
who have been trying ~ keep their minds
open on the Iorimer case and il was
acknowledged that Mr. Roots effort had
had powerful effect upon them
In concluding his powerful arraignment
Of the methods by which William Lormer,
a Republican. obtained the votes Of thirty
Democrats for Senator, Mr. Root said
Upon this record there is not one ote
OF tho thirty that is entitled 10 be con
sidered pure and honest vote Upon
this record the whole movement ot the
corrupt-the decidedly corrupt and venal
crowd that followed I.orimers agen,
Browne to vote ought TO he treated "a
an inv aid basis for a scat IN this Senate
MIR. President. II II an uncracious
task TO urge such considerations: il il an
unpleasant duty for Senators To listen.
but for many years the people of tho
United States have been growing an un-
easy conviction tha' seats in the Senate
OF the United States have been obtained
by bribery. and owing to the difficulties
in securing proof, the natural unwilling
ness OF Senators to believe i'll of their
fellows, or owing to whatever cause II
may he. attempts 10 bring home to "A
member charged with the consequences
Of what the people of the country have
believed uniformly fail
1t is this belief. Mr. President. that
has reduced tho honor of seat in the
Senate Of the United States This belief.
based upon the observ alton. sometimes
mistaken. of the people Of the country
whom We represent. has been sappinS
their confidence in the Senate This be-
lief is one Of the great considerations
underlying the widespread demand for
change in the method of choosing Sena-
tors of the United States This belief is
one Of the great considerat ions which is
warping our people away from their con
fidence in the representative government,
established by our fathers II is one of
the things that is making them distrusi
the possibility of pure and honest repre-
sentative government and il is bringing
about long strides toward change in the
system Of our Government. It is carry
ing sections Of our country away from
the old methods of the Constitution
Senator Roots concluding sentences
were delivered with an earnostness that
made a deep impression on the Senate.
IF we would preserve" said he, tho
Government of our fathers. if we would
preserve the honor and integrity Of the
Senate. if we would do our full duty 10
our country under our oath we are not
AZ liberty TO reject the testimony in the
oase. which shows this seat TO be filed
here as the result of corruption. As we
have had fathers who made sacrifices for
our land as we have oar children to whom
We hope TO hand down a government Of
peace and justice ard liberty. it rests
with the Senate of the United States 10 do
this duty now. hard and unpleasant as
IL may be. to purge itself Of the results
Of this foul conspiracy against the in
tegrity and purity Of our Government
For a moment following the conclusion
Of Senator Roots stirring peroration the
Senate was in absolute silence. Then a
wave OF applause swept the crowded
galleries. which vice-President Sherman
promptly quelled by citing the rules Of
the Senate forbidding such demonstra-
tons.
senator Lorimer was not in the chamber
during Mr.. Roots speech. Later in the
afternoon he came upon the floor and took
q seat in the rear row on the Republican
side. His face Was almost pallid and
several Senators remarked upon his mani
fest depressed condition.
Senator Roots speech seemed 70 sur
prise Lorimers friends They had
known that he was going to talk against
Lorimer. but they had expected that he
would at most confne himself 20 dis
cuseion OF legal points involved in the
case. The insurgent Republican Senators
greeted the speech with JOY. Mr. Root
had given no information Of what he
intended TO say.
The Senator from New York held tina,
Senator Lorimer's title to his seat was
invalid upon two distinct propositions so
far as the legal effect of the testimony was
concerned He said that the deduction
Of seven votes. admittedly corrupt. from
the 1903 votes cast for Mr.. Lorimer left
the Senator from Illinois with less than a
majority Of the votes actually cast and
invahdated his election. Adverting to
the contention of Senator Bailey and
other members Of the committee that the
seven votes could not be deducted from
Iorimers majority in the Iepis iat, ,,re