Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-22
Illinois Senator Himself
Says so in Own De-
tense.
SPEAKS IN SENATE
RefrainS From Blaming Any
one Except Governor
Deneen.

Washington. Feb. 22-This was
Iorimer day in the senate. When the
session began it was with the expec-
tation that a number of speeches
would be heard dur1ng the day, the
principal one being by LOrimer him
SELF. The attendance of spectators
was unusually large and many people
were unable to gain admittance to the
galleries.
READ FAREWELL ADDRESS.
The session was begun with the US
ual custom on Washington's birthday
of reading his farewell address. The
reading was by Young OF Iowa. The
kIorimer case came up after brief
finterval devoted to ordinary business
1T is not likely a vote will be reached
today, unless the session should eX-
tend into the night
OUTLINES HIS DEFENSE.
Lorimer. at the outset of his re
marks, indicated the general lines of
his defense by an allusion TO ques
;tions concerning his election as sena-
tor from Illinois which he rec
ognized as having been raised by sen
ators in the discussion of his title 10
his seat and which he evidently felt
called upon TO answer.
Many questions have been suggest
ed by the statements of senators in
the debate on this case the senator
said.
CONCERNS ACTUAL ELECTION
These suggestions or questions
concern mostly the actual condition
80 7frFsl.
Did / organize the Illinois
assembly against Hopkins?
Did l make Shurtleff speaker in
order that 1 might be elected
senator?
did make Lee O'Neil Browne
minority leader?
Was Lee O'Neil Browne my
agent, my corrupt agent?
why did I stay IN Springfield
during the senatorial contest?
why did I sit in the speakers
room?
For what purpose did ! talk
there with Shepperd?
why did the democrats vote
for me?
ANSWERS VARY.
These are some of the questions
tors IN opposition to the committee
report or openly put 10y them in
course of debate. To these questions
many sorts OF answers have been Civ
en- by my opponents Some of these
answers have been fauciful theories
some are guesses and surmises.
ONLY TRUTH COUNTS.
There Is only one kind of answer
that should stand or that should
count in this case. That is the plain
matter OF fact. the simple truth. 1t is
this matter OF fact, this truth. pur-
pose TO lay before the senate today.
Legal argument and abstract deduc-
tion are beyond my purposes. / rise
today simply to tell as one who lived
through it all. exactly how my elec-
tion at Springfield was brought about /.
and to answer the foregoing Ques-
tions with the facts that alone can an
swer them correctly"
NOT GUILTY OF CoRRUPTIoS4~o /
Lorimer denied he had a hand in /
organizing the legislature. nor was he I
guilty of corrupt practices in his own 4
interest. He told OF being seriously .
ill for weeks before the November
NASNeANh "a AsNNs VI eiAN "a ~ AAS NNNn ~ .
the Pacific coast afterwards. and after
another period of Illness went 10 Wash
ington as a member OF the house. He
vas in the national house Jan. :, the .
Gay Shurtleff was elected speaker.
ACCUSES DENEEN.
Lorimer charged Governor Deneen
tried TO defeat Shurtle6 In other
words the governor Of our state un-
dertook 10 dictate who should be
speaker"
Why was not this fact put in the
reCord?" inJerjected Senator Craw-
ford. so Governor Deneen could make
reply as the senator is now making
the statement here?"
I.oTimer said he could not reply
fully as he had not been member of
the Investigating committee.
DID NOT ORGANIZE LEGISLATURE
Referring 10 the allegation he organ
ized the legislature against Deneen,
Lorimer said that of the - republicans
who voted for Shurtlen for speaker Il
voted for Hopkins for senator This,
he thought. was sufficient 10 disprovs
the allegation against him
OWED HIM NOTHING. {
Lorimer declared SbuTtlen owed {
him nothing and that IL Deneen had ,