Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-11
Mockery on Justice to Unseat
Him, He Declares.
CAN PROVE CLEAR TITLE
Charges Hostile Chicago Dailies Are
"Robbing Public Treasury
HOLDS PROPERTY UNDERTAxED
Bitterly Denounces Victor Lawson.
States Attorney Wayman
and Gov. Deneen.

Senator -Lorimer today began his speech
defending hts right to a seat in the SEN
ate. He followed Senator Reed OF Mis-
souri, who had made a bitter attack
upon him and the character OF his
election by the Illinois legislature. Mr.
Lorimer gained the floor as Senator Reed
concluded. but the small number Of sena-
tors present resulted in a call for q
quorum.
The Senate filled up slowly under the
| call, but only fifty-six senators answered
to their names. Although II had been
known Senator Lorimer would make his
second speech OF defense today. the Sen
ate galleries were not half filed Sena-
| tor Lorfmer had taken a seat at the
head OF the center aisle. AS he began
his speech he read from manuscript and
his voice was for the first few sentences
indistinct and uncertain.
senator Lorfmer declared he proposed
| to give the Senate an insight into the
character OF the men who had tried to
| ruin him.
Can Show No Fraud Existed.
1T is true that the Senate has the
right to deny me a seat in this body
he said, ION the fiimsiest pretext or on
no vote cast for me was influenced
| by fraud"
Senator Lorimer referred to state
ments by certain senators regarding
his case.
Mr.. President" he said. in measured
tones, this is no joke. This is a solemn
and serious question.
IF the Senate decides to follow the
views OF the minority of this investigating
committee 1T will be a travesty on civ
fiized jurisprudence. a mockery on justice
1T will be declaration that the Senate
has decided to follow the red flag: that il
has become the advocate Of anarchy; has
adopted the doctrine OF the recall as ad-
lvocated by its arch-champion.'
! Senator Lorimer dropped his manu-
script for q moment to answer Senator
Reeds comments rpon the Chicago news
/ papers. He ds Il certain Of the Chi
cago newspa ners and publishers
would be in the public prose-
cutors had been sct.ve.
Senate Gives Close Attention.
The Senate gave close attention to the
Illinois senator. He spoke slowly and
with great emphasis. and after discarding
his manuscript took up a place in the
center aisle. from which he dominated
both sides Of the chamber
Back Of him upon the Senate walls
| were two diagrams OF Chicago streets.
One showed the location OF the Chicago
Tribune building. with the valuation OF
other property at the corner OF Dearborn
and Madison streets: the other showed
property on Madison between La Sale
street and Fifth avenue, comparing the
assessed valuation Of the Chicago Daily
News property and that adjoining.
From these diagrams Senator Lorfmer
made his attack upon the Chicago news
papers that had opposed him.
He declared the owners Of the Chi
n n on vi ftHyr~4
had gotten together and decided to loot
the school fund by striking out OF the
| lease OF the property on which the new
| Tribune building stands the clause pro-
each five years. The effect had been, he
said. to cause the Tribune property to be
assessed at $4S per square foot. while
the property across the street was as
4 sessed at $103 foot, with the aggre-
gate result that the city would be rob
| bed OF $6.oO0OO0 under the lease.
4 He charged that while the Tribune
property Is worth from $1,000, 900 TO $lN,.
100000 1t pays taxes only on $4,000.
Robbers Of Public Treasury"
Senator Lorimer charged the news
papers against which he launched his
invective as robbers Of the public treas
ury of the city Of Chicago" He at
tackled Victor Lawson of the Chicago
Daily News. He charged that the Daily
News occupies school land at a rental OF
81 per square foot and pays no taxes.
while less valuable land across the street
rents for $3.50 per foot.
| He displayed to the Senate a large
| photograph Of the home of Mr.. Lawson
in Chicago and a photograph of re-
| ceipt for S17.S2 for taxes paid by Mr..
Lawson. The taxes had been $500 the
previous year. said Senator Lorimer. but
| he declared Mr.. Lawson had gone into
/ the assessors onice. to ''the people he
owned" and obtained the great reduction
of assessed valuation, in violation OF tho
law.
The taxing value of the property, he
| said, had been fixed at $500 for next
| year, but the value Of the Chicago Daily
News had been reduced.
| What they put back on his house
| they take of his newspaper property.
! He declared Mr. Lawson was trying -
drive him out OF public life.
Makes Conspiracy Charge.
"If States Attorney wayman would
treat Victor Lawson as he would treat
William Lorimer II he were the trans
gressor" said Lorimer, Victor Lawson
and the chief clerk in the assessors
office would be in the penitentiary to- !
day for conspiracy to commit fraud"
TT has been said in our state that
the supreme court has passed on these
feeS,t SAID Senator LOrimer.
THE question OF the fees OF Gov
Deneen and his right to retain them has
never been passed on by any court. Some
day 1t will be submitted to the Supreme
Court. Its answer will be that he Is
entitled to s. for each conviction for a
misdemeanor and $40 for a felony, but
that the balance belongs to the school
fund"
He declared Gov Deneen was not prop
erly entitled to more tnan $4,000 Of his
fees.
Some day the people OF my state will
put into the states attorneys offlce," he
said. "a man who will go through the
records and make Gov. Deneen pay back
into the school fund the 100000 or
more that no more belongs to him than
this Capitol building belongs to me-
Senator Lorimer said he had felt COM
PEELED to tell the Senate about Gov.
Deneen. Victor Lawson and ''the McCor-
micks and Patersons who control the
Tribune" In order to show the character
Of people who had been fighting him.
Mr.. Lorimer declared that erroneous
statements had been sent out TO the world
by the newspaper agencies.