New-York tribune., 1911-02-26
washington's Birthday

IN Washington's BrthuaN Nii'"i'
Lorimer. of Illinois. rose in his seat
" in the United States Senate and
offered as his reason for continuing TO oc-
cupv that seat one Of the most dramauc
anneals 20 the sympathy of his fellow
Senators which the walls Of the Senate
chamber have ever heard Unexpectedly
.loquent. it held spellbound for four hours
practically the entire body OF the senate
as many members Of the House as couid
crowd in on the floor and packed gar
lery 1t was not an attempt TO reply to the
legal attack made upon the validity OF MS
claims. but an explanation of the manner
In which he became a political boss con-
trolling votes in both parties il was M
tended IN show tha; tbe Democrats I'm the
Illinois LEGISLATURE who voted for him. a
Republicau. for Senator did so without
heing bribed. Personal loyalty. won
through q capacity for friendship, was its
keynote.
II was. perhaps. as complete story or
,ho way I'm which boss acquires his power
as has ever been told in public. II Is
authentic, for II came from the lips or a
man who is competent TO render such an
account The story cf how the personal
LOYALTY was developed began with an ac-
count Of his early days. when ne and the
lad who afterward became the noted
Democratic Chicago ward leader. 'Hinky
Dlnk" Keuna, were newsboy partners.
Tho story was continued through the
roriod in his life when he occupied place
on the rear platform OK q streetcar as a
CONDUCTOR j carried him through his early
political career. when he won control or
one district after another through the elc-
ment of personal loyalty, and included a
description of the manner in which ne won
the friendship of many of Chicago's Jewish
voters The part that patronage plays in a
political leaders, development was pre-
Sented with al the frankness that one
might ten of a horse trade. In short. his
story was q contribution 10 the history and
analysis Of American political life.
owing T. it's dramatic character and the
interest which Il aroused. and a. an illus
fratioD OF the manner i'm which Lorimcr
presented his defence one Of the most
dramatic portions of tho story is herewith
presented as ne uttered it on the floor OF
tho Senate.
II am not going 20 give all the history
and all the reasons that led up TO the
friendships lthat grew up between these
Democrats and myself over o period Of
forty years but I think it is due TO the
Senate that I should relate one or two of
the circumstances that finally led up 10
the voting Of Democrats for q Republican.
John Griffin voted for me John Griffin
lives i'm the ncighborhood that 1 went into
forty years ago. and / cannot remember
Just when II was that ] made his acquaint-
ancc. IT is 50 far back; and we have been
friends all that time. but that was not the
single reason why Griffin voted for me.
When ] was a boy and started out in the
world the nrst dollar ! made was by selling
newspapers. had been well taken care of
at home-no responsibility. nothing TO look
after brought up as mothers would bring
up their boys If they had aught to do with
IL: almost at mothers apron strings all the
time, and when the time came that 1t be-
came necessary TO get out and earn liv-
ing ] was ten years old.
II had no experience, knew nothing about
where to turn. and my friends in the neigh
borhood suggested that / might make a
dollar by selling papers in the morning.
and I began peddling papers and backing
boots
After ! had been a the work for a time
I remember it as well as II II was yes
terday--I went over to the Tribune Building
and down into the basement and bought
nfty "Tribunes." In those days the papers
were not folded as they are now. They
were counted oUt-frst the heading and
then tho suppement-and showed out OF the