The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-02-09
ROOT HITS LQRIMER
NEW YORKER ASSERTS 8RIBEs
WON SEAT FOR THE ILLINOIS
SENATOR.
ARGUES LAW POINT OF CASE
He Says Attorneys for Accused and
for Newspaper Should Not Have
Seen Committee, But That Enough
Evidence Was Obtained.

Washington - The hardest blow
struck in the senate for the unseating
of Senator William Lorimer vas deliv-
cred Friday by Elihu Root of New
York. The New York senator de-
clared that Mr.. Lorimer holds his Of
fee as the result of bribery and should
not be permitted longer to hold his
place in the chamber.
The New York senator held the un-
divided attention of his colleagues as
he discussed the report of the COM
mittee on privileges and elections, by
which Mr.. Lorimer was exonerated.
Mr.. Roots position had been a ques-
ton of much speculation, and so high
is the esteem in which his opinion is
held that it is known that some mem
bers of the senate have held in abey-
ance their own opinions until they
could hear from him.
There was a large attendance OF
senators and the galleries were well
filled. Mr.. Root spoke without notes,
and in the main his address consist
ed of a careful analysis of the testi-
mony taken by the committee. The
argument was almost entirely legal.
The speaker lost little time in indi-
eating the conclusion he had reached,
which was entirely antagonistic to Mr..
Lorimer He took the position that
the investigation committee had been
at fault in permitting either the at
| toruey for Mr. Lorimer or the attor-
ney for the Chicago Tribune to direct
! its course in the matter of connect
ing Mr.. Lorimer with the corruption
of members of the Illinois legislature,
but agreed that even in the face OF
its faults in this respect the commit,
tee had obtained sufficient evidence
efrectually to taint and invalidate the
election.
Citing the resolution under which
the inquiry was directed, Mr.. Root
said that the committee had failed to
find the testimony sufficient to justi-
! fly the conclusion that Mr.. Lorimer's
seat had been rendered invalid by the
employment Of corrupt methods or
practices.
1T is fair to infer" he said, that
the committee was of the opinion that
corrupt methods and practices were
resOrted to, but that their legal effect
was not such as to invalidate Mr.. Lor'
liners election. This view is sus
tanned by the testimony before us and
! regret to say that, after an examina
ton of this testimony, l am con
strained to disagree with the members
of the committee"
Saying that he had been forced to
this conclusion with deep regret on
| account of both his respect for the
members of the committee and of re
gard for Mr.. Lorimer, Senator Root
said that he had been impelled tc
reach an adverse view in the interest
of the state of Illinois and of the
country at large.
II cannot" he said, most earnestly
come to any different conclusion"
Mr.. Root expressed the opinion that
both the state and country had beer
disgraced by the methods of the Lori
mer election.
Senator Bailey of Texas asserted
that If the doctrine of law and prac
tice laid down by Senator Root was tt
be followed there had not been a law
full election of a United States senator
in Illinois for many years. He said he
refused to believe the people Of Hi
nois were rotten 10 the core"