Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-08
FLETCHER DEFENDS LORIMER
Florida Member of Committee Ana
lySes Evidence in Case.
GIVES ILLINOIS MAN CLEAN BILL
tic says Testimony Does Not Conelu-
sivcIy show that Any Tainted
vote Was Cast for Mr..
Lorimer.

vote Was Cast for Mr..
Lorimer.
WASHINGTON. Feb 5.--Contending that
Il had not been conclusivelv shown that
even one corruptly influenced vote had been
cast for Senator Bormer In the Illinois
legislature. Senator Fletcher OF Florida, a
member Of the committee on privileges and
elections today addressed the senate In
support OF the committees report eXoner-
ating Mr. I.orlmer Mr. Fletcher would not
admit even that -four Of the members Of
the legislature had testified TO receiving
money as consideration Tor their votes"
as stated in the report OF the committee
81 called attention to that clause and
said that did not so understand the testi-
mony" he said. but stated that while they
testified to receiving money, each Of them
said no voted for Mr.. Lorimer without con-
Sideration OF any kind being paid or prom
Used.
80 understood the chairman and the com
mittee to agree with that and the chairman
to state he would have the wording coz.
rected. 7 find that language carried into
the report and I think Il is a mistake"
All the trouble was traced 70 Charles A.
White by the Florida senator who de-
nounced that member of the Illinois legis-
lature as THE limit" in many "disreputable
directions"
Mr.. Lorimer was stoutly defended against
the charge OF knowledge OF any bribery
that may have been practiced he was
against all plotting with Browne or others
in connection with the senatorship
Mr. Fletcher could find no ground for
criticism in the circumstances that the
democratic leader. Browne. had insisted
upon being assured Of Lorimers election
as condition OF his support.
! This was not an unusual or unreason-
able condition." he said. There was moth
II ing in that stipulation either strange or
new. It does not at all follow that the eff
feet Of It was to increase the market price
of votes"
LOrImer Natural Candidate.
| Calling attention to the fact that Mr..
Lorimer did not come into the contest until
after the senatorial deadlock in the Illinois
Legislature had continued for four months,
the speaker contended that Lorimer had
been the natural candidate, saying on that
point:
1.-THE logic Of the situation led straight to
Lormer. He was no stranger lie was
not a person unheard Of save for his
money lie was known in public life.
He was not without merit and strength.
He had been before the people on numerous
occasions and he had made a record in
congress. He had personnel party, and
nonpartisan following. We may say he
was no novice in the game Of politics.
J why under the circumstances, should
the fact that democrats, as did republi
cans, turn to MIR. Lorimer, give rise to
suspicion of wrong doing?
WAS there anything extraordinary in
such a course? Plainly a crisis had been
reached when either there would be no cleo
In
decided upon
Dwelling at length upon the unsavory
character Of some of the transactions of
the Illinois legislature, the Florida senator
urged that no one was justified in
GLIDING that on this account Mr.. Lorimer
was a beneficiary OF this Doodle.
I'VE must remember" he said, that the
legislature had more on It's hands than the
election OF senator. There were fur
niture contracts; probably some utilities
proposals; maybe some prohibition pro-
position. The means OF supplying the Gus
tomary jackpot were likely ingenIously do
vised.
There were members of that legislature
who were not as white as snow. Quite a
few of them had no sproutng wings.
will go so far to say some of them were
no credit to the great state OF Illinois.
will go further and say II is almost in
conceivable that some OF those men could
have been chosen 20 make laws for their
state. No law they could make they were
not willing TO break
Presumption FavOrs LOrImer.
! But 1t must not be presumed that Mr.
Lorimer had supplied the necessary even
, though some of these boodIers would not
vote without It, II must not be forgotten
that the presumption at the outset was in
Lorimers favor. No act OF his has been
shown to cause it's forfeiture No con-
duct on his part contributed to procure II
fraudulently or corruptly. He had a right
! to aspire to the office He had a legal
right to be in Springfield and to listen to
/ and even encourage his friends in leglti-
mate plans and steps which might lead to
his election"
, Reviewing the testimony, Mr.. Fletcher
0 said it had not been unimpeachably shown
that Lorimer's election had been influenced
by corruption.
IF we admit" he said, that a Iamenta-
BILE condition obtained. l cannot feel justi-
0 fled, on such testimony, in holding that
deplorable state OF things extended TO and
involved the senatorial election and that
corrupt practices were INDUCED In In re-
, spect to that election.
III II be argued that when It was shown
that Holstlsw had money, that White had
money and that Luke had money, that n
0 was somebody's money the burden shifted
to Mr.. Lorimer TO show by his testimony
or otherwise that 1t was not his money.
submit that the testimony OF Messrs.
Alschuler, Shurtleff, Clark and Shepard
all clean, all friends Of Browne, ali vot-
) ing for Mr.. Lorimer saying nothing OF
y of the testimony OF Browne, Frederick
n and Wilson-would fully meet that burden
o Even Link, Beckmeyer and Holstlaw swear
o they had determined TO vote for Mr.. Lori
q mer before any money was promised or
y paid them, and Link swears It was not
'Lorimer money that was paid him"
Mr.. Fletcher had word TO say in de-
r Tense OF Illinois:
Il I'VE need not be taken off our feet by
- exciting predictions of dangers 70 the re-
!, public. Illinois will go forward In line
il with It's glorious past, no matter what de-
= csiOn is reached in this casa The senata