The Washington times., 1911-07-13
DENEEN ADMITS
LORIMER'S POWER
Illinois Governor Tells Committee That Although Choser
by People, He Had to Ask Boss to
Hold Seat.

were Democrats Sixty Of the sixty
four Democrats in the House Voted Ior
him. No, l don't know how 1t was
fixedd. was not consulted; no.od -
enacting those laws to which ! was
pledged; also, he had been strongly op-
Il had made the race on pledges Of
primary law, civil service reform In
the Satte institutions, and law to
prevent collecting political funds from
State employees Shurtef, think was
especially opposed to a primary law.
He was elected speaker In iSoJ, lSOl,
and again in 1909, the session that later
chose Lorimer Senator.
Supported Him.
MY friends favored Hopkins. and l
supported him. | advised caucus for
speaker, and after Shurtleff was elect
ed, 1 asked the State committee to
adopt a resolution urging the perform
ance of out platform plegdes. Then I
urged a Senatorial caucus, and the
State committee adopted a resolution,
presented by me, favoring this plan.
The State committee discussed 1t all
day. 1t was discussed by Mayor Busse,
Postmaster Campbell Colonel Smith, of
Livingston, and others opposed the reso-
luton. All of them, l think, were for
Hopkins. They insisted that the State
committee ought not to advise the Leg
islature.
The committeeman, after the resolu-
ton was adopted, went out to inter-
view the legislators, and learn IL they
would join in a caucus. Many would
not, and no caucus was ever held.
II supported Hopkins throughout in
talking with members. There was a
fight to unseat me as governor, and also
the fight over Senator. Gen. Adlai E
Stephenson, the Democratic candidate
against me. contested. charging that
votes cast for him were counted for
me. and that many persons no. citizens
were allowed TO vote for me. The con-
test committee required that specifica-
ton be filed; they were not filed, and
the contest was thrown out.
Met Lorimer.
"I met Senator Lorimer the day
after the State committee meeting,
pursuant to arrangement made by
Roy o. West, State chairman. West
and some offers had confessed and
asked If l would meet Lorimer. Po-
litically. We had not been friendly;
he had always opposed me for gov
ernor. though before l ran for gov
ernor we had been friendly. He had
supported me for prosecutor in Cook
county and l supported him for Con-
gress, in fact our relations were very
close in that period.
we had a five-hour session that day
| in January when West brought US to-
gether. The conduct of the State COM
mittee and the question of whether l
was to get support in carrying out my
program occupied most of the time
felt that | had not been supported as
! had a right to expect in the speaker
ship fight, and there was discussion of
whether | was to be ousted from office.
| If l was going TO be ousted. | wanted
TO have Ii done as soon as posi- BILE.
who did you expect would decide
| whether you should be unseated or
not?'
why, ! supposed Lorimer or Shurt-
! left would. They had votes enough for
| Shur;leff, together with their strength
| in the senate, think, to unseat me-
! Shurtleff would really decide the mat
ter?'
Yes"
Who did you understand controlled
! ShurtIef-Lor
We'll. they were in very close har-
SO, finally IT depended on Lorimer
whether you should get the office to
which the people Of Illinois had elected
| YOU? Now, what nd been your majori-
ty?""
You have such a political system in
! Illinois that one man can decide who
shall be counted in or out?'
well, 1t would take a majority In
the legislature; but they seemed to
have it