The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-05
He Must Fight Hard to
Retain Place in
Senate.
BATTLE PLANS
BEING DRAWN
Those Who Oppose Illinois Man
Have Three Methods in View.
but No Settled Policy Has
Been Agreed Upon-Bcv-
cridge May Lead the
Opposition.

" dSHiH6 toH, JdHuarE 4-lnre
methods OF challenging the right OF
Senator William Lorimcr, of Illinois to
MS seat in the upper house OF Con-
sress. despite the report of the Senate
Committee on Privileges and Elections
UNFOLDING the Legality of his election.
arc being considered by his foes.
One is to call for n direct vote Of tho
Senate on the adoption of the report In
favor OF Mr.. Lorimer. or upon a minor
ity report In opposition to him Tins
course might also be taken by mo-
,lon declaring his election illegal. az
Senator Borah has suggested.
y second is 10 move that the whole
matter be recommlttcd 10 the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections,
which made the Investigation. for
further consideration. In opposition
20 this plan ii is suggested that tho
committee would decline on the ground
that II has done all the Investigating
1t regards necessary.
Third Alternative Suggested.
third Is to move the appointment
OF an entirely new committee. either to
complete the Investigation or to mako
an entirely new probe. Supporters of
the second plan urge that the third
Plan is too direct a slap at n Senate
committee
y number Of conservative Soma tors
have talked over informally the advaa-
tages and drawbacks of each plan. bu.
they have arrived at no decision. Some
of them want to make a further study
of the record before they determine
upon the course they will pursue. There
is no doubt that many Senator'S have
heen spending much time In porting
over the record and Law presidents
which are cited
One OF the difficulties in the way of
,,,,-i
TO the acceptance of the majority re-
port Is the divergence of the views
upon the Investigation and the con-
oIusions lTsld by, d!feren. Senator's.
Senator Crawford. for instance, says
that he Is convinced by the record that
there was corruption in the election Of
Air. Lorimer. and that his election was
not legal Senator Burton. on tho
other hand. is quoted as saying that tho
investigation lacked thoroughness.
Differences In Committee.
Another divergence of Views WAS
shown In the Committee on Privileges
and Elections which made the repor,
favorable To Mr. Lorimer. The ma
jor!ty held that the number of tainted
votes was not sufficient to cut down
the total number cast for MI. Lorimer
below a majority, and thereby nuliify
the election. Senator Frazier took the
view that sufficient number OF votes
We're shown to be tainted to cut the
total below majority.
1t is suggested by some. also, that
any corruption in the election, even ir
if tainted directly only one vote. was
sufficient 10 nullify the election. on tho
theory that not one vote would DO
tempered with II election Were posi-
BILE without. Others, however, contend
that an election by untainted votes
ought not 10 be made invalid simply
because there was corruption of some
votes not needed for the election.
There are some, too. who are not IN
favor OF the Immediate adoption OF the
majority report, because they believe
there should be thorough airing OF
the whole matter. While the White
House has been officially silent on the
matter. II Is understood that President
Taft is urging such a course. He has
told Senators, 1t is understood, that
he Is strongly opposed to any white
wash. and that the situation can best
be clarified by an open discussion.
object tn Form of Report.
Some Senators who have been porting
over the briefs and records in the case
are making adverse criticism of the
investigation. They say. in the first
place, that the record has been pre-
scented to the Senate In bad form.
thrown at the Senate like n deck of
cards for the Senate to arrange I'm
order. There Is practically no index
of the record. II is contended, and Il
start In an examination of the cases
involves the reading of many hun
dreds of pages Of printed testimony
and legal citations.
Ii is also believed by some that the
committee has not given due consid-
Grafton to general principles of law
involved. There are several big leSa
questions TO be considered In deter
mining tho legality of the election.
they say and they must be regarded In
arriving ut n just decision.
There is also some dissatisfaction
with the precedents which appear TO
have been followed by the investigat-
ing committee. 1t is contended that
some of the decisions cited as pre-
cedents were made for purely political
partisanship, and no weight should be
given TO such decisions. In opposition
10 this view. 1t has been said that a
questioning OF these precedents might
involve retrial OF the old cases. and
such proceedings have no proper place
In the current matter
Nine Senators in Opposition.
Statements made by Senators to-day
and during the past few days indicate
That eight, and possibly nine, Senator'S
will favor one of the three plans or
opposition TO the majority report or
some similar action In opposition. Tho
eight are Senators Crawford. owen,
Borah. Bristow, Cummins, Burton.
Warner and Frazier, Tho ninth. whose
course Is still not known. is Senator
lscveridgc. Tho Indiana Senator has
been dcvotng himself almost cXcIu-
, sivcly 10 a study of the I.orimer inves-
tlratlcn since Congress adjourned for
the recess two weeks ago, lie is going
into every phase OF the case. as he Is
member of the Committee on Privi-
d Cant Iral,.,d ON, .Tlird Do -