The Calumet news., 1911-01-09
Senator Owen Fires Hot Shot at
Opening of Fight to Reject
Report and Gust llli-
nois Man.
MINORITY REPORT PRESENTED
Revsridqe Attacks Position of Com
mitteemen Who Voted to
Exonorate Mr..
Lorimer.

Washington, d. c., Jan. 9.-The fight
TO prevent Senator Lorimer of Illinois
from retaining his seat in the United
States senate was opened today with
a contest between Beveridge and owen
OF Oklahoma, both of whom contested
for the right TO fire the first gun I'm
the same cause. Beveridge by virtue
of being a member of the committee
on privileges and elections, which in
vestigated the charges of bribery
against Lorimer, gained tactical vic
tory by filing a minority report at
tacking the position of his colleagues
on the committee who voted to exon
crate the Illinois senator. owen, how
ever, introduced a resolution to de-
clare the election of Lorimer illegal and
void
A scathing arraignment of the man
ner in which Mr. Lorimer was elected
was made by Mr.. owen, who asserted
that the testimony taken by the sub
committee which investigated the case
showed that at least ten votes of the
los received by Mr.. Lorimer should not
have been counted. other senators
who are known to oppose the retention
By Mr. Lorimer OF his seat have not
claimed that more than seven votes
were tainted. The ten votes condemn
ed by Mr.. owen and the reasons as
signed by him for his belief that they
should not have been counted yere as
follows:,
Senator ID. w. Holtslaw, who confess
sed that he had received money from
Senator John Broderick; John Brod-
ericlk, because of his refusal to testify
in the investigation on the ground that
his testimony might incrlminate him;
Representative II. ]. c. Beckemeyer,
who confessed to an alleged corrupt
agreement with Minority Leader Lee
O'Neil Browne and to receiving mon
ey from Representative Robert j. VIII
son: Representatives Michael 5. Link
and Charles A. White, because OF con-
fessions that they received money
from Browne and Wilson; Messrs.
Browne and Wilson, because of the
testimony OF others that they had
handled the alleged corruption fund;
the late Representative Charles :.
Luke. because of his presence in st.
Louis at the time the corruption fund
was said to have been distributed and
the fact that he was known to have
received an unusual sum of money at
about that time for which his wife
was unable TO account; Representative
Joseph B. Clark. who was also at st.
Louis at about the same time. and be
cause of conversations with others
about the alleged corruptions fund and
Representative Henry A. Sheppard,
who is said to have agreed to vote for
MIR. Lorimer because of the latter's
promise TO prevent the appointments
Of certain men as postmaster at Jer-
5eyville. Ill.
The testimony Of these men or that
OF others i'm relation to their conduct
was analized by Mr.. owen at great
length and he said that in his opin-
ion the record of bribery and corrup-
tion set forth by him could not be
broken down "on the theory that the
men who received the bribes were un-
1
and their testimony against the bribe
givers was unworthy Of credit" He
contends that the tissue of suostan-
tial and circumstantial evidence sur
rounding the case made 1t impossible
to resist the belief that the confess
sions were substantially true.
Under the circumstances attending
the election of Mr.. Lorimer 10y the leg
islature Of Illinois, Mr.. owen said that
he believed IL to be his duty 20 the
people OF oklahoma. to the senate OF
the United States and 10 the Amer
lean people to move the senate To de-
clare the "so-called election OF Mr..
Isorimer void, on account of the COR
rupt practices above set forth"
AT the close of his speech and in
presenting his resolution declaring the
election of Mr.. Lorimer TO have been
illegal and void. Mr.. owen said
Il believe that there was wholesale
corruption and bribery used in pro-
curing the election OF Mr. Lorimer
and that il has been abundanuy prov
en-, and that the effort TO break down
the corroborating pass OF interviewer
, evidence above cited by rcbuttal has
failed
II believe Il Mr.. Lorimer should re-
tain his seat under these painful cir.
/ cumstances IL would lower the Unit
r ed States senate I'm the esteem OF th'
American people believe the time hat
come when the American people vii
approve stern measures in dealing
with bribery and with corrupt con
y duct i'm public affairs. and I think 1
Z oetter for all the people that ther'
n shoui5 be an end made to the election
Y Of SENATOR'S hv the sinister CONNER