Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1911-01-20
LORIMER FIGHT NOW
ON IN THE SENATE
BeVeTIdge and Owen Seek to
Gust Illinois Man.

Charging that ten of the votes that
elected William Lorimer to the senate
were bought with bribes, Senator Rob-
ert L. Owen, of Oklahoma, introduced
in the senate a resolution asking that
the Chicagoan's seat be declared
vacant.
Immediately afterward Senator AL
bert j. Beveridge, of Indiana, pre-
sented a minority report of the COM
mittee on privileges and elections
which made the same charges and cor
tended that Senator Lorimer was hold.
ing his seat illegally.
After Mr.. Owen presented his reso-
luton there was a clash as to whether
he should be allowed to make speech
in support of it. Mr.. Beveridge in
sisted that under the rules the resolu.
tion must lie over for one day and
that the senate should hear his minor
ity report, filed prior to the introduc-
tion of the Owen resolution.
Vice President Sherman ruled with
Mr.. Owen, but the senate overruled
him and Mr.. Beveridge presented his
report Afterward Mr.. Owen was per-
mitted to speak to his resolution. In
his address he named the ten Illinois
Legislators whose votes in the election
of Senator Lorimer, he said, were
tainted, viz:
d. w. Holstlaw, John Broderick, H.
J. c. Beckemeyer, Michael S. Link,
Charles A. White, Lee O'Neil Browne,
Robert E. Wilson, Charles S. Luke, JO-
seph B. Clark and Henry A. Sheppard.
Before the report was filed Senator
Lorimer made a brief speech, declar.
ing his innocence of bribery and the
innocence of his friends of any par
ticipation in corrupt practices in colt
nection with his election He all
nounced his intention to be present
during the discussion OF his case.
Senator Lorimer said:
Il know ] am not guilty and no per-
son was guilty of corrupt practices in
my election to the senate. My obliga.-
ton to my state and to myself le-
quire that l should be present in this
body and hear what 1t said. l hope
no senator will be embarrassed by my
presence here. At future day l ex-
pect to have something to say myself
on this subject"
Mr.. Lorimer prefaced these remarks
by recalling that he himself had asked
the investigation of his election cop-
Quoted by the senate and said that
there was now before the senate ma
jority report exonerating him and Civ
Ing him his seat in the senate.
The parliamentary tangle in the
senate as to who should open the at
tack or Senator Lorimer was not set
tied until after an appeal had been
taken from a ruling by Vice President
Sherman and he had been reversed.
The Beveridge minority report re-
views the testimony bearing on the al
legged acceptance of bribes by four
members of the Illinois legislature and
the testimony of these men that the
bribes had been paid by three other
ihCuiDCIos hG uOCuihCHL uCCldIco
that at is an undisputed fact of COLI
elusive force, although the majority
ignores it," that the confessed bribe-
takers were shown to have had In
their possession, in bills of large dc.
minations, unusually large sums of
money soon after the dates when they
swore to having received the alleged
bribes.
This statement is made in reply to
the contention of the majority that
the men who confessed to having re-
ceived bribes were not to be believed.
Senator Beveridge devotes attention
to the claim of the majority that at
least three of those who confessed to
receiving bribes had been Compelled"
or driven" to make these confessions
because Of treatment received from Of
ficers of Cook and Sangamon coun.
ties, Illinois.
Senator Beveridge discusses the
statutes or the subject of election
frauds and says they uphold his con-
tention that Mr.. Lorimer must have
received 102 "untainted" votes in or
der to be elected. AS his total vote
was 10S, the seven votes. which many
agree were tainted, were sufficient,
Senator Beveridge holds, to invalidate
the election
I'VE can not consider the pers onal
fortunes or even the feelings of a can
ddate, he adds THE candidate is
not on trial The election is on trial.
The candidate is nothing, except as
the representative of the people"
Even if the corruption fund came
from sources "higher up" Mr.. Lori
mer, in law, must be held, Senator
Beveridge holds, to have knowledge
of these transactions in his behalf.
The report concludes with a resolu-
tion declaring Lorimer's election in
valid
Senator Coe Crawford of South Da-
kota denounced the alleged methods
employed by agents of Senator Lori
mer in the legislature of Illinois, and
declared il his conviction that Mr.. Lor-
inner was not entitled to retain his
seat in the upper branch of congress.
The senator carefully analyzed the
evidence of the alleged bribery, which.
he said, proved to his satisfaction that
money was used in the garnering Of
votes for Mr. Lorimer. Shurtleh and
Browne were the active agents in the
campaign of corruption, contended the
senator, and he charged that Mr. Lor-
inner knew of what was transpiring.
Mr.. Crawford concluded by announce
ing that he stood ready to vote for
resolution to unseat Mr.. LOrimer.