The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-07-21
WITNESS DECLARED HE DID NOT
SAY TAFT FAVORED LORI.
MERS ELECTION.
TAFT ASKED TO Send MESSAGE
Statements Made From The White
House Last March Brought Out
Wiehe Tells OF Activities Of insur-
ance Agent in Collecting Atfidavits.

Washington. July 21.-The story of
the administration attitude toward
the election Of Senator Lorimer as
told BY former Senator Nelson w. AL
drich of Rhode Island, and the activi-
ties OF R. J. Shields of Superior, Wis,
an insurance agent, in collecting affi- |
dayits for witnesses in the investlga- |
ton, featured the Senate Lorimer COM
mittee hearing yesterday
Instead Of sending Edward Hines,
the Chicago lumberman, to Springfield
with word from the Washington ad
ministration that Lorimer should be
elected, Mr.. Aldrich testified that he
told Hines that President Taft was not
supporting the candidacy of anyone,
but that Iorimer was not objection
able to him The former Senator said
he told Hines previously that the Pres
ident had no objection to Albert ].
Hopkins or Henry S. Boutell for the
Senatorship
statement from the White House
last March in regard to the election
was read to the witness The only
point concerning which he said he
k7ow nothing was the declaration that
. request had been made on the Presi-
dent 10 sign a telegram stating his
views ON Lorimer's candidacy,
The White House statement, given
,r 1rauh % was as follows:
"The facts with reference to the
Presidents relation to senator Lori
nar- election is this
"r.at dring the tariff fight, gen
famu came to him and expressed
f.t. Interest in passing the tariff bill
and said that it had been suggested
from Illinois that it would be wise for
tbe President to express an opinion in
u,yor of the election of Mr. Lorimer.
Tie did nor know Mr.. Lorimer we'll
although he knew that he was an in
1,autfal member of Congress but he
did know Hopkins He knew very
little about Illinois politics, but eX-
messed desire that there should be
.yo Penulluan Senators from Illinois
..rr when asked to put that in the
f,,m of telegram urging the elec
lion of l'r Lorimer, he declined tc
20 so.
THE statement by Mr.. Hines that
,he President was anxious for and was
nreing the election of Mr.. Lorimer Is
wholly unfonnded.'
G 2. Wiehe secretary of the Ed
ward Hines Lumber Company. said X
I Shields had collected the affidavit'
of the Witnesses who testified yester
dov that Wiehe did not remark to VIII
ZION, Burgess on the winnipeg Flyer
los, March that he subscribed $lo,oo'
n Lorimer election fund. Wieh'
.sfd mo- arrangement had been made u
n,, shields anything but that he ha'
asked him to collect the affdavit
inst rs ! would ask the Senator u
hand ne a fan"
Wiehe Cross-Examlned'
CF Wiehe, secretary of the EuW"r'
Hines Lumber Company, of chicago
vas subjected to sharp cross-amins
,.or TODAY before the Senate Lorlme
Committee Is to the part he and Hine
,,,vad IN electing Lorimer. pirecnh
,t,.ntion TO the night when wien
s.,,,5 W f. Cook and William o'Brie
>, keen ont of the way of the gran
;., in Chicago. Attorney Marol
l..,d the witness if he knew 1t was
,ioiorion of law I didn't think apoV
., thgt time. was just a messei
,, for Hines" said Wiehe wien
.id tbe Hines company tried to optal
r,t of the contributors to the repu'
uao, national campaign fund IN l9V
IN order to ascertain if cyrus Meco
-. contributed to Taft's elec'io'
~. soid the Secretary of State at a
'nr advised him the list had bee
,.troyed as it was only kept on ~
sf,een months. zTsigee eo|
said wiehe, z
,,on Albany saylnB {ll< |
- 49, 80 - -