The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-14

Of forty years for truth and veracity, as
testified to. not by my statements. but
by the statements Of my enemies. VIII
You believe this bribe-taker. who time
and time again has perjured his soul, or
will you believe Lorimer%
As Lorimer neared the close Of his
speech he walked down the center aisle
OF the Senate. His voice was becoming
weak with exhaustion. His hair was wet
with perspiration, and he looked haggard
and csre-worn. Raising his right hand
above his head. he solemnly called upon
God to witness the truth of the statement
he was about TO make.
Swears Before Maker.
'As God is my Judge" said he. land
as some day 1 must be judged by Him,
I know no man cast a corrupt vote for
Lorimer."
Senator Tillman and several other Sem
ators were deeply affected by this state
ment. moment later, however. Lori
nrer resumed his defiant attitude, and
without mentioning any names referred
to the efforts that have been made TO get
him to resign from the Senate and save
himself the humiliation of being forced
out. Everybody knew he was referring
particularly to the hurried visit that Vice
President Sherman made to Chicago re-
Gently.
Resign in the face of the knowledge
that no corrupt vote was cast for me"
exclaimed Loriner. Resign in the face
OF that conviction! Why should l resign?
Because they say the Senate has been
canvassed, and, right or wrong, enough
votes have been secured to turn Lorimer
cut? Why resign? Because defeat stares
You in the face?
''Oh, such an argument exclaimed
the Illinois snafaat
in the face. What sort of a man is he
that would yield to such an argument.
II the men who built this country and
made II what II is had to run when they
saw defeat before them. We would have
had no flag, We would have no Stars and
Stripes to pray for and preach about, we
would have had no country. And he who
is so cowardly as to run because defeat
stares him in the face surely has no
place in this body. This chamber is no
place for towards. 1t was not founded
on fear or cowardice. II every vote in
the Senate had been canvassed and de-
clared against me. still while / had
strength and life would have fought on.
.win Not Resign"
NO. No. No! will not resign II I
go from this body 1t will be because
more Senators vote in favor OF that reso-
not be for fear. My exit will not be be-
cause I am a coward. 1t will be because
Of the crime of the Senate of these
United States. l am ready"
AS Lorimer uttered these last words, he
turned and calmly mopped his brow with
his handkerchief and walked down the
center aisle and around 10 his seat in
the last row to the left of the Vice Presi-
dents desk.
Not ~
speech from the galleries. and not a
Senator stepped up to him to offer his
congratulations. This may have been
due, however, TO the excitement OF the
moment Everybody realized that the
vote for which Lor!mer's enemies had
been struggling for months was about
to be taken. and that the reputation of
the Illinois Senator hung in the balance
One Of the Senators on the Democratic
side was on his feet raising the point
OF no quorum. This was intended, Of
course. merely to insure the presence Of
all Senators in the chamber when the
vote began. As the clerk droned through
the roll call the hundreds in the gall
leries had their eyes conferred on Lori
mer. who leaned back comfortably in
his seat apparently the least worried
man on the floor. The roll call dis
closed that eighty-two Senators were
present.
Dixon Makes Denial.
The result had no sooner been an
nounced than Senator Dixon Of Mon
tana, Col. Roosevelt's manager. was on
his feet He arose to make his state
ment before his vote was recorded. He
wished to record his answer to the affi-
davits that had been submitted by Lori
mer two days ago. These affidavits were
signed by Taft delegates to the Chicago
convention from Georgia and charged
that Roosevelt men in Chicago had at
tempted to bride them to vote for the
colonel. One Of the affidavits mentioned
Senator Dixon by name as having been
in room with two Of the Roosevelt
men just before the offers were made
Il want to say TO the Senate, as a
United States Senator. on my honor"
said Senator Dixon. that this whole
recital iii the so-called affidavit is abso-
lutely a malicious and deliberate false
hood. l know no such man as Holland