The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-23
Il AM NOT GUILTY.

Continued from Page One)
for some person other than Senator
| Hopkins. So the simple statement of
the truth does away with the charge
of Lorimer's organization for the pro-
motion of his own dark lantern
! schemes to defeat Mr.. Hopkins"
Going more into detail regarding the
senatorial campaign, Mr.. Lorimer
quoted the figures to show that there
had been several roll calls on which
Deneen votes could have elected Hop
kins.
1T was moi a prolonged fight to de-
feat Hopkins" he said. HE was beat
en- on the first day of the meeting of
the joint assembly. 1t became a ques-
| ton as to who could be elected to the
senate. Then began the effort to agree.
talked it over with the governor and
urged him to become the party can
dtdate, believing him to be man on
whom we could unite.
Il labored with him until about the
18th of March, when he led me to be-
lieve that he would accept the place.
After I had so understood. one of the
governors friends came into my hotel
and said the governor could not be a
candidate.
Deneen, Not IlOrimer.
Thus it was Deneen and not Lori
mer that We were trying to elect
Mr.. Lorimer said that in turn he had
discussed with the governor the adj
visibility of electing to the senate one
of several members of the national
house. His own name had been men
toned and the governor had consult
ed several newspaper men who he de-.
clared, were with Mr.. Deneen, all-pow-
erful.
Among others. the then editor of the
Chicago Record-Herald had been in
terviewed he said. This editor had
made the observation he said that Lor-
inner was the one Republican in Hi
nois who could afford to be elevated
to the senate with the aid of Demo-
crat votes because Lorimer had lived
in Democrat community and had
been elected to congress repea tedly
through the assistance of Democrats.
Does this show that months before
the election was conjuring a scheme
for the election of a henchman as
speaker and through the powers of
the office undertaking to foist myself
upon this body?" asked Lorimer
Reverting to Senator Roots remarks
concerning the Democratic votes cast
for him. Mr.. Lorimer said:
History is teeming with testimony
about men who were elected by votes
of the opposite party"
'Hinky Dink" Kenna, it appeared
was the Democratic leader in the dis
trict represented by Assemblyman
John G. Griffin. Mr.. Lorimer explain
ed how this lifelong friendship had
led Kenna to promise and deliver the
vote of Griffin for Lorimer.
The Senate's Duty.
eff the senate" continued Mr. Lori
mer, with a sweep of his arm, taking
in the whole room, "can believe me to
be the low, vile, creature that the SEN
ator from New York and the senator
from South Dakota, and other senators
who have attacked me declare" he look
ed straight into the eyes of Senator
inst ho liclc
is a plain duty staring you in the
face, regardless of the testimony, re-
gardless of this record.
''If 1 could be the foul wretch that
these senators have sought to paint me,
I should be driven from yonder door,
branded with the stamp of infamy. Oh,
no, am not pleading for sympathy;
1 am trying to relate the truth of my
election as it was and not as the SEN
ators from New York and South Da-
kota would have this senate believe"
Mr.. Lorimer. still dramatically re-
lating his personal experiences in Chi 1
cago. traced Nanny" Abrahams'
friendship for him to the interest he
the Jewish peddlers and others of that
race from the time when Lorimer was
a street car employee.
Senator Root referred to Nanny
Abrahams as the bell wether'-as If
there never had been another BELL
wether-there have been bell wethers
in the senate; there is q Democratic
bell wether, an insurgent bell wether,
a stalwart bell wether. When 1 am
out at the beginning of a roll call and
1 ask, when I come in, how Senator
Aldrich has voted and then vote as he
voted he is my bell wether. If he is
away I wait until my colleague, Sem
ator Cullom, has voted and he be-
comes my bell wether. But if 1 find
that Senators Lodge and LaFollette
I
some one else has voted before I Sc
lect a bell wether."
This sally at the expense of the Wis
consin senator caused burst of laugh
ter which did not soon subside.
Thirty-four Democrats, Mr.. Lori
mer said. voted for him because they
were his personal friends and not be-
cause they were delivered" by Lee
O'Nein Browne.
Browne Not Responsible.
why, he did not deliver them; they
delivered him. They would have vot-
ed for me for personal reasons. Sew
enteen or nineteen of them would have
from the beginning, even though Lee
O'Neill Browne had labored with them
not to do So"
The senator took up the remarks
based on his having been in the speak
er's room at Springfield when the leg
islature was electing a senator. This
room he described more as a smok-
ing room than chamber of privacy.
After stating that his first vote had
been cast for James G. Blaine for
president, Mr.. Lerimer said he had
been getting Democratic votes ever
since. Mr.. Lorimer closed this part
of his subject with the declaration that
no Democrat had ever voted for him
except for pure and unadulterated
friendship
He asserted that he had received in
his district $500 more votes than
Presiden Taft.
rs that an evidence of corruption %
demanded the senator. "If so, have
a trail of Democrat votes following me
for quarter of a century. If 1 had
bought them it would have cost me
millions of dollars
Another class of Democrats that
voted for him. he said, We're found