The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-07-06
BELIEVES HE WAS
ELECTED HONESTLY
Says he Could Have Bought
Votes, But Was Running for
the Senate Instead of Jail
Charges Treachery of
Colleagues.


Ex-senator Albert J. Hopkins. the
first witness to testify before the SEN
ate committee investigating Senator
Lorimer's election, gave a long &C
count of the tangled political affairs
In Illinois, describing the deals, bar
gains and negotiations among the Re
publicans before Lorimer secured his
election to the Senate.
Senator Hopkins described at some
Iength conditions in Illinois, leading
up to the election OF Senator Lorimer
he declared that he had received a
plurality of the votes cast in the SEN
atorial primary in 1908.
The Republican vote was: Former
Representative William Il. Mason
$3.50; Representative George e.
toSs, 121,11O; Hopkins, 163,S35. Be
cause OF this vote he considered that
ne was entitled to reelection. He
then described the fight before the
Legislature and the deadlock which
enSued. There were repeated confer
ences and caucuses in his roOm~at the
81. Nicholas Hotel, and the situation
was discussed. on the morning of
the day LOrimer was elected Senator
Hopkins said that his secretary, Mr.
PETERS, had come TO him aud said
that he had been offered $4,000 to
vote for Lorimer.
Did he say who made the offer?"
No; he did not"
Did you make any attempt to find
out who made the offer?"
mo; there was so much excitement
and so much going on that L didn't
go into the matter"
Did Mccormick vote for Lorimer p"
When LOrimer'S vote reached 1Ol
and mine was n Mccormick was one.
OF my men who went over to Senator
LGTimer. There were seven of them
In all and they increased his vote 10
los. II may have been that McCor-
mick was the one hundred and eighth
man to vote for Lorimer."
Charge of Treachery
Describing the situation Immediately
prior to the election, Senator Hop
kins said that on the night before the
deadlock was broken there had been
a conference at his room and ihs
forces seemed to be in line.
They sat there and talked, ate my
apples and smoked my cigars. During
this time one of the legislators, who
was bit eccentric, but good story
tertaining. That niht. when they left
tertaining. 7 hat night, when they left
my room at IL o'clock, everything
seemed all right. learned afterwards
that they had gone from there TO SEN
ator Lorimer's room"
Senator Hopkins told the names of
several men who were at the confer
ence in his room the night before the
election and who had voted for him
on every ballot. on the next morn
ing he was surprised TO find that many
Durfee was one, Logan was another
He approached some Of them to ascer-
tain the reason for their change over
night. They told him they thought
Iorimer was going to be elected and
they intended 10 vote for him. There
was SO much confusion and excite
ment that he did not see others Some
he had never seen.
Some Chaunccy Depcw I'm Ii.
Further describing conditions at
Springfield, Senator Hopkins said he
was surprised ut the change of senti-
ment among some OF the members.
Who asked Attorney Marble.
We'll. Senator Billings and Senator
Ettelson. They were from section
generally controlled by Chauncey
Depew, leading politician who was
a candidate for some Federal job"
lie was the man who insisted upon
voting for Mr.. Taft In the Republican
National Convention in 1908. when the
other Illinois delegates voted for some
one else. is he not?" asked Senator
kenyon.
I think he is" replied Senator
Were there any other surprises?"
Nes, l was surprised that Hfty-
three Democrats should vote for Lori
mer.''
Was Governor Deneen your
friend?"
He professed to be-"
Did anyone ever suggest to YOU
that you might get some Democratic
Votes?"
Yes. Senator I.andie. a Republican.
OF Moline, who supported me through
out the contest. came to me and said
that he had been told that / could
have ten Democratic votes if I would
do the right thing or would 90 GER
tain things"
DO you know who made that sug-
gestion TO Senator LANDER"
Il understand il was Republican
Luke. who is now dead"
What did YOU tell Senator Lam
die?"
Candidate for Senate, Not Pcnitentiary
Il said 1 didn't want Democratic
votes; that l was n candidate for
the Senate and not for the peniten-
tiary." replied Hopkins.
What impression did you get from
Senator Landie?'
That it was TO be money con-
sideration."
Continuing. Hopkins said Lorimer
was out TO eat him (Hopkins) for
the Senate, and would use any instru-
mentality to accomplish ii, even to
taking the men himself, but Hopkins
said he thought at that time that Lor-
inner was the last man who could be
elected.
In answer to questions Hopkins
went back and described the election
of Shurtleff as Speaker by a combina-
ton of anti-Deneen Republicans and !
Tire OG4llOCIdlSs anu It's DGdIlHS ana
effect upon the senatorial election.
Attorney Marble asked Hopkins
what he knew about a story publish |
ed to the effect that some of his Chop
kinsD friends had offered $4,000 each
for seventeen Democratic votes in the
Legislature.
Hopkins said there was absolutely
no truth in that whatever.
Hopkins insisted that he was not
after Democratic votes. What he
wanted to do was to hold the Repub-
lican vote.
Hopkins was asked if there was
not an attorney for a Northwestern |
railroad, named Harris, and another
man named Blair, who had sought to !
get Democratic votes for him. He
had never heard of any such thing. |
He got none of the Democratic votes
in the Legislature.
do you recall that man named |
Cermak was mentioned in connection !
with an attempt to purchase Demo- |
cratic votes for you?" asked Attorney
Marble.
Il do not" shouted Senator Hop |
kins Indignantly, and 1 resent any
such imputation on your part"