The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-06-23
Ex-senator from Illinois Tells
Probe Committee What He
Knows About the Election
of Lorimer.
DEALS AND BARGAINS
MADE BY WHOLESALE
Hopkins Said He Was Told
He Could Defeat Lorimer
if He Did Right Thing
But He Declined To.
(National News Association)

Washington, June 23.-Ex-Senator
Albert J. Hopkins, OF Illinois. today
told the senate committee investigat-
ing Senator Lorimer's election long
story of the tangles In political af-
fairs In Illinois; describing deals. bar
gains and negotiations among Republi.
cans before Lorimer's election was
formally effected. He told OF many
conferences in his room at the hotel;
how he had been informed that dead
lock could be broken and he (Hopkins)
elected II he would do certain things.
but he replied he was candidate for
the senate, not for the penitentiary.
He also said that State Senator Nc
Cormick told his secretary he had
been offered $500 to vote for Lori
mer.
Received Plurality.
Hopkins declared he had received a
plurality of votes cast in the primary
Of 1908. The Republican vote was:
Former Representative William f..
Mason. S6.596; Representative George
Foss. 121.1lO; Hopkins. 163,3s5. Be-
cause OF this vote he considered he
was entitled to reelection. He des-
cribed the fight In the legislature and
the deadlock which ensued. There
were repeated conferences and eau
cuses In his room at the st. Nicholas
hotel and the situation was discussed.
he said. The morning of the day
Lorimer was elected Senator Hopkins
said that his secretary, Mr.. Pfeffers,
had told him Mccormick. one of his
supporters. had said he had been OFFER
ed $4,000 to vote for Lorimer.
did you make any attempt to Rnd
out who made the offer?"
mo: there was so much excitement
and 40 much going on that didn't go
into the matter"
did Mccormick vote for Lorimer?"
when Lorimer's vote reached 1O1
and mine was n. Mccormick was one
Of my men who went over to Lorim-
err" said Hopkins, There were seven
Of them in all, and that increased his
vote to 1OS. II may have been that
Mccormick was the the 1OSth man to
vote for Lorimer."
Describing the situation immediate.
ly prior to the election Hopkins said
that on the night before the deadlock
was broken there had been confer
ence in his room and his forces seem
ed to be in line.
apples. and smoked my cigars" he
said.
The next morning he was surprised
to find that many OF these men were
about to desert him. He approached
some of them to ascertain the reason
for their change over night. They told
him they thought Lorimer was going
to be elected and they intended to
vote for him.
He Was Surprised.
Further describing conditions at
Springfield. Hopkins said he was sur.
prised at the change of sentiment
among some Of the other members.
"Who?" asked Attorney Marble.
well, Senator Billings and Senator
Ettelson. They were from a section
generally controlled by Chauncey Dew.
ey leading politician who was candl.
date for some federal office.
He was the man who insisted upon
voting for Taft In the Republican ma.
tional convention of 1905 when other
Illinois delegates voted for someone
else. is he not?" asked Senator Ken.
yon.
HE is." replied Senator Hopkins.
"were there any other surprises?
Yes, I was surprised that 53 Demo
crats should vote for Lorimer.'
"Was Governor Deneen your
friend?"
''He professed to be-
Did anyone ever suggest to you
that you might get some Democratic
votes?"
Yes. Senator Landis. a Republican
Of Moline. who supported me came to
me and said that he had been told that
could have ten Democrats II l would
do the right thing. or would do Ger.
tain things
do you know who made that sug
gestion TO Senator Landis?"
Il understand II was Representa-
tive Luke. who Is now dead"