The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-01-14
DECLARE THAT ELECTION OF H.
LINOISAN WAS INVALID.
Indiana and Oklahoma Senators
Have Contest as to Which Shall BE-
gin Attack-Beycridge First Sub
mits His Minority Report, After
which Owen Delivers Speech
Both Arraign Manner of LOrimer's
Election and Oppose His Holding
Seat.

tee on privileges and elections, in
which he declares that the testimony
was conclusive that far more than
enough bribery was practiced to in
validate the election Of Senator Lori
mer'
The fight to prevent Senator Lori
mer from retaining his seat was open
ed with a contest between Senators
Beveridge and Owen, Of Oklahoma,
both of whom contested for the right
to fire the first gun in the same cause.
Mr. owen was first recognized. He
presented a resolution similar to
that which Mr.. Beveridge had incor.
porated in his minority report. 1t
was read, as Mr.. Owen was prepared
to speak upon it. when Mr.. Beveridge
demanded the regular order, which
was the introduction of morning busi-
ness. The Vice President ruled that
the Owen resolution was of highest
importance and that Mr.. Owen, hav-
ing been recognized, had the right of
the floor. Promptly appealing from
the Chair, Mr.. Beveridge was sup
ported by a majority Of the Senate in
his contention that the Owen resolu-
tion would have to lie over one day
under the rules. This permitted Mr..
Beveridge to submit his report and
have 1t read in the open Senate The
position taken by the minority report
is that there were seven tainted votes
shown to have been cast for Senator
Lorimer and is in line with that Of
Senator Frazier, who dissented from
the subcommittee report filed in the
case.
The Beveridge report goes further,
however. 1t says:
But those seven votes, which un-
der the statute and the precedents are
enough to invalidate this election,
were not all the tainted votes cast In
this transaction. The testimony
shows that at least three additional
votes were cast-those Of Clark, Shep-
pard and Luke"
The report says that Sheppard and
Clark did not confess, and Luke could
not because he died before the in
vestigation. but 1.-The evidence convicts
them Of having the plumber at the
same time. place, from the same
hands and for the same consideration
as their fellow members, who re.
peatedly testified to having received
1t, and who were afterwards shown to
be in possession Of it,
After all morning business had been
concluded In the Senate, Senator
Owen again gained the floor and made
the speech which he attempted to de-
liver earlier in the day.
scathing arraignment Of the man
ner in which Mr.. Lorimer was elected
was made by Mr.. owen, who assert
ed that the testimony taken by the
subcommittee which investigated the
case showed that at least ten votes Of
the l03 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 claimed that more than
seven votes were tainted. The ten
votes condemned by Mr.. owen and
the reason assigned by him for his
belief that they should not have been
counted were as follows:
Senator ID. w. Holstlaw, who con-
fessed that he received money from
Senator John Broderick; John Brod-
erick, because Of his refusal to testify
in the investigation, on the grounds
that his testimony might incriminate
him; Representative III. j. c. Becke-
meyer, who confessed to an alleged
agreement with Minority Leader Lee
O'Neill Browne, and to receiving mon
ey from Representative r. E. Wilson;
Representatives Michael S. Link and
Charles a. White, who confessed
that they received money from
Browne and Wilson; Messrs. Browne
and Wilson. because Of the testimony
of others that they handled the al
legged corruption fund; the late Rep
resentatives Charles S. Luke, because
Of his presence in st. Louis at the
time of the corruption fund was said
20 have ben distributed, and the fact
that he was known to have received
sum of money at about that time.
for which his wife was unable TO ac-
count; Representative Joseph B.
Clark, who was also at st. Lotus at
about the same time, and because Of
conversations with others about the
alleged corruption funds, and Repre-
lyf.s ,N.,tf Ig,,,x n.