Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-04
.L0R|MER NOW FOCUS
Fight Against Accused Sena-
tor Center of Interest.
ORGANIZING OWN DEFENSE
Senator Kern to Open Fire on Him in
Speech Late Today.
FATE UP TO NEW MEMBERS
Illinoisan Reiterates Refusal to Talk
of Resignation-Case Repfete
With Sensations.
FATE UP TO NEW MEMBERS

With Senator Lorimer holding confer
ences with his friends and organizing
his defense and Senator Kern of Indi-
ana ready to open the fight against him
with speech in the Senate late today.
attention has focused upon the noted
election case. which is likely to be the
principal topic Of consideration in the
Senate for at least the next two weeks
and possibly may prolonS the session of
Congress.
Senators Lea and Kenyon. who. with
Mr.. Kern. are the minority of the Lori
mer investigating committee, holding
that the Illinois senator's election was
brought about by corruption. are ready
to join in the fight against the majority
report, which completely eXonerates
Mr.. Lorimer.
Hinges on Reopening of Case.
While the whole question of the va
lidity of the election is the principal con-
sideration before the Senate. an impor-
tant feature which promises to precipi-
tate the first fight and the first test of
strength is the contention that Lorimers S
case, in legal parlance. is res judicata"-
or has been once decided by the Senate
and cannot be reopened. a ma jority of
the committee which made the second
! investigation holds that Lorimer cannot
be tried again on practically the same
charges on which the Senate. by a vote
of 46 To 40. acquitted him. March 1, 1911
The minority holds that this reasoning
does not apply to Senator Lorimer's case
at all.
But the complexion of the Senate has
been altered considerably since Mr.. Lori
mer's vindicaton and this condition leads
to much speculation. 1t has been re-
ported that a poll made by Mr.. Lorimer' 8
friends convinced them they could not
expect more than forty supporting votes.
and so many senators had declined to in
dicate their views now that Mr.. Lori
mer was advised to resign. 1t was even
said that Vice President Sherman recent
ly carried that advice to Mr.. Lorimer I'm
Chicago. Neither. however, has con-
firmed it. and Senator Iorimer today re-
iterated his refusal to talk about resign
ing. He will be in his seat during the at
tack and defend himself with speech,
IL his health permits.
Case Furnishes Sensations.
In the two years that Senator Lorimer's
election has been under fire it has fur
nished probably more sensations and sud-
den developments than any other case OF
it's kind. Mr. Lorimer was elected by
the Illinois legislature May q, 1909. after
a prolonged deadlock, in which the names
of more than 100 candidates. democrats
and republicans, had been presented un-
successfully. However, 1t was not until
nearly a year later that the validity OF
his election was challenged when the now
famous confession" of Charles A. White
a member of the Illinois legislature. was
published. charging that he received
$1,000 from Lee O'.>eill Browne, demo
cratic leader of the Illinois house Of rep
| resentative. in return for his vote for
Geo to-. r ny.SvV nt,1 leo hsaS-~
of general corruption fund.-
Then in rapid succession followed a SEN
sational series of confessions by other
members of the legislature. These con-
fessions. however. were later modified or
repudiated, with the exception Of Whites.
The other men claimed they had received
the money out of a general fund and not
in return for their Lorimer votes. and in
some cases charged intimidation by Cook
county authorities to wiring the confes-
sions from them. However. Lee O'Neill
Browne, who was charged with distribut-
ing "LOrimer money! was acquitted by
jury and other indictments were Quash-
ed. Charges of jury brbing In the Browne
case were unsustained in court.
Held Title to Seat Valid.
A committee of the United States Sen
ate reported that the charges Of corrup-
ton were not proved. and held Senator
l2OTiIHeF litIe 10 MS seat NdllQ. IIl-
| mediately after the Illinois senate ap-
pointed a committee of its own to in
vestigate. and this committee reported
| that Lormer would not have been elect
ed without bribery and corruption. and
the Illinois senate by a vote OF 80 to 10
| indorsed that view.
In the meantime, after a series of nota-
BILE debates in the United States Senate.
| MIR. Lorfmer was yndicated there, 46 10
~. with i've senators not voting. The
quota of senators then was ninety-tWo,
| and there was one vacancy in Colorado.
Since then by the admission of New
Mexico and Arizona, the quota Of sena-
/ tors has increased to ninety-siX but the
| Colorado vacancy still exists and there
are ninety-hve men to vote on the case
| this time. But Of the forty-six who voted
! to retain Mr.. Lorimer. eleven are not
| now in the Senate, and four of the five
| who refrained from voting are also no
I longer members. The ranks of the forty
who voted against Lorimer have been
depleted by only five and these places
| have been taken by men who seem to
| have indicated that they will follow the
\ views of their predecessors.
Fate UP to New Members.
Senator Curtis of Kansas, who voted