The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-03-07
POPULAR cLAMoR.

In view of the weather vane stunt
pulled off by certain members of the
house OF representatives in North d.
kota in the Cowan matter-because of
alleged indignation" meetings in four
townsville case Of Senator Lorimer at
tracted considerable attention.
The members of the U. 8. senate ap
peared to have been made Of sterner
stuff than some of the North Dakota
legislators. Despite the political pres
sure brought TO bear on them-and
the hysteria created by those who
wanted Lorimer's scalp, the senate de-
clined to unseat the Illinoisan.
The Forum knows nothing in de-
tail Of the evidence either for or
against Lorimer. Much has been print
ed Of the case. In many instances the
bias, both for and against Lorimer,
was very evident.
The Forum assumes that the mem
bers Of the U. S. senate-having heard
all the evidence-were in position to
decide the case on its merits.
1t certainly would have been easier
for the senator's, personally, to have
drifted with the mob and to have
blacEballed Lorimer. The majority
was not so cowardly-and forty-six
voted Lorimer was entitled to remain
while forty took the opposite view.
For North Dakota, Senator McCum-
Der stood for Lorimer and Senator
Gronna was oppoaed. The Forum as
sumes each man was honest in his
convictions in the matter.
Commenting on the Lorimer case
The Washington Post had the follow
ing editorial: .,
Against violent and persistent clam
Or mucn OF 1t manufactured. the
United States senate has demonstrated
It's courage and sense of justice by re-
fusfng to sacrifice William Lorimer in
order to save itself from criticism. It
refuses to find Senator Lorimer guilty
In the face Of conclusive testimony to
the contrary. 1t stands firm and will
not punish the innocent because of the
howl for the punishment of the guilty
The Lorimer case was one in which
the frmness of the senate was pecu-
liarly tested. 1t would have been good
news to thousands of men to hear that
Lorimer had been unseated. Yet as
Senator Bailey pointed out. not one
man in 10000 has ever read the testi-
mony In the Lorimer case and the con
clusion that he was guilty of Some
Kind or corruption was chung to ever
after senators opposing him had de-
clared that he was absolutely limo
cent OF wrongdoing. 1t was a case in
which it was easy to yield to ienor-
ance and prejudice, skillfully aroused
so as to appear as a popular protest
against the senate itself. Moral co,Ir-
age was required to vote for Lorimer
but none was required to vote against
him.
And IL 1t required moral courage to
vote for Lorimer, how much more did
II require to stand up in the senate
and champion his cause? When tha
people of the United States take cain,
judgment of this remarkable episode in
the senate's history, no small share of
the glory will fall to the lot of Senator
Bailey, Of Texas. In his whole career
as a stateman he had never before been
the superb figure he appeared when
eloquently defending q colleague he
believed the victim of persecution. The
laurels Of great victory belong large
" to Joseph Weldon Bailey.
The senate has performed a. great
public service in refusing to be budped
1t was created for the purpose az
standing between the victim and the
mob, and 1t does its work well. n n
had sought popular favor bv sacrificing
Lorimer. there might have been iusti-
ficafion for the demands for a change
of the structure of the senate. That
would have been proof that senator's
were not acting according to the die
tates of their consciences, upon oath.
but we're mere servants OF the noisiest
crowd outside. When the senate
reaches such a pass, 1t will be time to
change the method OF choosing sena-
.0rs, or abolish the senate altogether.
If those who disagree with the sem
ties action in the Lorimer case will
carefully read the testimony, as SEN
tors have done. and weigh the mat
er as Jurymen, they will not fail to
perceive that this was a case In which
{ was proposed that the misdeeds Of