St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-04-05
SEN. DILLINGHAM; EXPLAINS.
Tells Public Through Randolph Her
aid and News Why He Voted for
LOrimer.

Tells Public Through Randolph Her
aid and News Why He Voted for
LOrimer.
There has been so much discussion
and comment on the vote of Senator
Dillingham; in favor of Senator Lori
mer (the Caledonian included) that
we publish the following correspond
ence in justice to Senator Dilling-
ham.
Hon. w. P. Dillingham;,
Montpelier, VT.
Dear SENATOR
You have doubtless seen a good
deal of comment in Vermont news
papers concerning the votes of our
senators on the unseating of Senator
Lori1ner. I have not taken a decid-
ed stand in this matter, believing that
the questions at issue were rather
those of fact than of morals. That
is, if it were established that Lori
mer was improperly elected he should
be unseated, of course, and the only
way to determine that was by an in
vestigation of the circumstances.
note that you were on the. committee
which heard the evidence, and with
this in mind I have been inclined to
think that the facts may not have
been brought out quite clearly here
in Vermont. / do not urge it, but
if you wish to use my columns to dis
cuss the matter, or set forth your
position, or say anything whatever,
/ shall be very glad to tender them
in a friendly way.
veryitruly,
L. B. JOHNSON.
Randolph, VT, March 20, 1911.
Mr.. L. B. Johnson.
Randolph, Vermont.
My dear Mr.. Johnson
am in receipt of your letter of the
goth instant and am touched by it's
courtesy and it's candor. 1t is true, as
you suggest, that I have seen the
comments in the Vermont news
papers upon my action in voting
against the unseating of Senator
Lorimer, but / have contented my
self in the possession of good con-
science and in the expectation that
some time others like yourself would
come to look at the question in issue
as one of fact rather than of morals.
But upon>y suggestion that the
grounds upon which a majority of
the senate favored the retention of
his seat by Senator Lorimer have not
been we'll understood in Vermont, !
am glad to set forth, with such BREW
ty as I can, the reasons which gov
erned my action. s5H
Mr.. Lorimer, a resident of the
state of Illinois, represented his dis
trict in the United States House of
Representatives continuously for IL
or 3 years, having received from the
people six consecutive elections. He
was substantially the lniriator of the
project for a great public waterway
between the Great Lakes and the
Gulf of Mexico and for years so de-
voted himself to the development of
that undertaking that he gained a
large personal following among both
parties in the state of Illinois.
The legislature of Illinois of 1909,
having balloted 85 times without
being able to elect a senator to sue
coed Senator Hopkins, whose term
had expired, looked about for a COM
promise candidate. On the seth ball
lot, Mr. Lorimer's name first appear
ed and he received one vote, as he
did also on each ballot down to the
Gath, but on the 95th ballot he re-
ceived 108 votes, So of which were
democratic and IS republican, and he
was declared elected. He took his
seat in the senate June Is, 1909, and
for year held it unchallenged and