Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-14
Piled WITH QUERIES
Deneen Cross-Examined Be-
fore Lorimer Committee.
CONTROL IN ILLINOIS
Effort to Get Witness to Rate Re-
publican Leaders.
REGARD FOR PRIMARY LAWS
Organization of Legislatures During
Deneen's Administration
Discussed.
REGARD FOR PRIMARY LAWS

fortunes in Illinois, the cross-examination
of Gov. Charles S. Deneen as a witness
before the Senate Lorimer committee be-
gan today. Elbridge Hanecy, counsel for
Senator Lorimer. piled the witness with
questions, aimed largely at showing that
Deneen and his friends were the control
ling powers in Illinois politics rather than
Lorimer and his friends
At first an attempt was made to have
| the witness testify that it was Mr.. Lori
mer who was responsible for Deneen's
start in politics, but the governor was
| not willing to give the senator all the
| credit. Next an effort was made to show
that Deneen disregarded his own primary
laws, while Lorimer obeyed them, and
finally that Deneen had been the organ
izer of recent Illinois legislatures and not
Lorimer. These met with denials from
the witness.
Mr.. Hanecy led Gov. Deneen by long
series of questions to give q rating to the
political standing of most of the repub'f-
can leaders of Chicago for several years
past At one point Gov. Deneen said
Lorimer supported him for states attor-
ney, but declined to give the senator all
the credit for his nomination, either for
the first or second term.
The political leanings of the Chicago
newspapers were discussed.
A long line of questions about the
evoked a protest by Senator Jones
against the materiaity of the testimony.
Passage Of Primary Laws.
Mr.. Hanecy argued that Gov. Deneen
had claimed credit for passing the pr-
mary laws as reform measures, in the
| face of the opposition of others, and yet
the governor had continued to WELD
power in making states in caucuses or
| conferences
Gov. Deneen said he did not know that
Senator Lorimer sent word In 1906 that
he (Lorimer) refused to attend confer
ence after the passage of the law. be-
| cause he intended to obey the law.
| Deneen in his reply argued that the
| spirit and letter of the laws were not
| interfered with by candidates being rec
commended to the voters at the primaries
Attorney Hanecy sought to show thai
it was not Lorimer but Dineen who or
| ganized the legislature during Gov. De.
! mems administration
Support of Shurtleff.
Gov Deneen denied this. although his
| friends supported Speaker Shurtleff fol-
head of the house until 1909. The speak
ers popularity, which led to his receiv-
ing sixty democratic votes in 1909, was
explained by the governor as being be
| cause he had agreed to an Investigation
| of state institutions to get campaign
material against me and other reasons "
Mr.. Hanecy wanted to know if his
popularity and his democratic support
| were not because Speaker Shurtlen was
| regarded by democrats and all others as
the fairest speaker for years.
| II don't want to make any invidious
comparisons replied Gov. Deneen.
Further Contradiction.
| Gov. Deneen, in his testimony at yes
terday afternoons session Of the com
mittee, contradicted Edward Hines as tc
the substance of the alleged telephone
conversation between Deneen and Hines
over President Tafts attitude toward
Lorimers election.
Mr.. Hines had testified that he tele-
phoned from Chicago to Mr.. Deneen al
Springfield, saying that he was on his
way to the capital with a message from
Senator Aldrich and President Taft, urg-
ing Deneen to do all he could to bring
about an election of senator, and that
they understood that Lorimer could be
elected if Deneen helped. Mr.. Hines also
testified that he understood Deneen to
say he would help in Lorimer's election
and would see Lorimer in ten minutes.
Gov. Deneen. IN MS version OF tne con-
| versation, said that Mr.. Hines told him
Deneen) that President Taft had sent a
message to support Lorimer. that the
| message was sent through Senator
Aldrich and George Reynolds of the Con-
| tinental Bank.
No Message From Aldrich.
"Did you receive a communication from
Senator Aldrich or Mr.. ReynoIds?" the
| witness was asked.
| mo, SIR replied the governor.
Did you tell Mr.. Hines that you would
assist Mr.. Lorimer?''
II did not
Did you tell him you would see Lor-
imer?"
II did not
Gov Deneen admitted he had talked
| over the incident with the President
later, but declined to give the substance
| of the conversation unless the President
! was called as a witness.
"Are you willing to stake your reputa-
| ton as governor on there having been a
Jackpot in the legislature" Senator
Kenyon asked the witness.
81 think any one would be safe In do
ing that" was the governors reply.
DENIED BY REYNOLDS.