St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-03-08


Illinois on the ground of alleged
bribery in his election.
Failure of the bill fixing canal
tolls and setting the form of govern
ment for the Panama canal zone.
Failure of the congressional re-
apportionment bill based on the new
census.
Popular Election of Senators
senate by vote of fifty-four
ayes to thirty-three nays refused
to adopt the resolution proposing
change in the constitution
for the popular election Of United
States senators. The most solid OPP
position came from New England and
the south. Some of the south
ern senators had expressed them
selves in favor of the popular choice
of senators but when the senate
struck out of the resolution the pro-
election of senators away from the
federal government they turned
squarely around and voted against
popular elections. The New England
men voted from principle and Yer
mont's two senators voted against
| it. Notwithstanding the temporary
check given the cause the popular
election of senators. is near. A ma
jority of the house, representatives of
the people, has declared for it and
majority of the senate, the represen-
tatives of the different states, has de-
clared in favor of it so the minority
of the senate cannot much longer re-
sist the strength of this double de-
mand There will doubtless be
enough new senators in the next
Congress to make the change.
Where The Senate Failed-The
closing days of the short session
showed again that the courtesy of
the senate is really the rankest dis
courtesy to the country itself. With
the important business of the session
unfinished during the closing days
senators who saw the majority of
members we're against their measures
talked and talked in order to pre-
vent votes on the issues before them.
Repeatedly the majority was defeated
by an INSCRIPTIONS minority who
threatened endless talk under the
protection of the courtesy of the
senate" This privilege has been
continuance. If the senate had
shown itself more responsive to pub
lie demands and made a majority in
stead of a minority its ruler there
doubtless would not have been so
strong a demand for a change in the
method of electing the senators. The
| senate owes to the country this
change in its rules.
The Lorimer Case-As came to be
generally expected for a week or
more before the vote was taken, the
senate voted forty-six to forty to
seat Sen. William Lorimer of Illinois.
So far as the general public is able
to see this was a most regretable re-
suit of the investigation of his cleo
ton to the high Office of United
States senator. There has been no
denial that there was fraud in his
election but his friends claim that
enough fraud has not been proven to
show that the purchased votes elect
ed him and that it has not been
shown that Sen. Lorimer himself was
cognizant of the fraud.
Sen. Lorimer in addressing the
senate on his own behalf said: mo
man has ever dared to
charge that 1 was ever remotely gull
ty of bribery or corrupt practices;
and I never did, not only in this
election but in any other election use
one dollar, or allow the use of one
doIIar, nor had the remotest idea or
knowledge of the use of one dollar
for my election, the corrupt use Of it
for bribery, or for any other corrupt
purpose, either to the lower house Oh
to this body" This statement was not
made to the committee investigating
his case and where he could be cross
examined. Doubtless from legal
standpoint Sen. Lorimer has not been
proven guilty of the charges against
! him and the verdict looks more like
legal than a moral victory. In
other words it cannot be denied that
proof is lacking of Sen. Lorimer's
personal knowledge of the corrupt
use of money in his election but the
average citizen feels that all has not
been proven that might have been.
This seems to have satisfied Sen. Dill
bingham SO he voted for Sen. Lori
mer on every occasion and perhaps
| is justifiable from a. legal standpoint.
Sen. Page however looked at the
| question from businessman's rather
than lawyer viewpoint and reached
such conclusions that he voted
against Sen. Lorimer We believe the
large majority of Vermont people