The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-07-19
ELECTION OF ILLINOIS STATES.
MAN IS DECLARED INVALID
~ SENATE DECISION.
WAS ONCE INDICATED
End Of Fight Comes After Six Days
Of Protraeted Debate-Many
Sensations In
Case.

IS to 2S. the United States senator I'M
seated William Lorimer, the Junior
senator from Illinois. and declared his
title to his seat invalid.
The end of the long fight to Gust the
senator came after six days of pro-
tracted debate in which Senator Lori
mer himself had occupied the floor for
three sessions. making an imprisoned
defense of his election.
The final vote was upon the resolu.
ton offered by Luke Lea, senator
from Tennessee, declaring the Lori
mer election by the Illinois legisla.
ture In 1909 invalid. The adoption Of
the Lea resolution carried with II the
senate's verdict that corrupt meth
DDS and practices were employed In
the election of William Lorimer."
making his election invalid.
The senators voting to unseat Lori
mer were: Asherst. Bacon. Borah.
Bourne. Briggs. Bristow. Brown. Bry.
an. Burton. Chamberlain. Clapp,
Clarke Of Arkansas, Crowford. Cullom.
Cummins. Curtis, Dixon. Fall. Gardner,
Gore. Gronna, Hitchcock, Johnson.
Kenyon. Kern. La Toilette. Lea, Lodge,
Martin. MARITIME. Meyers. Nelson. New.
lands, O'Gorman. Overman. Page.
Poindexter, Pomerene. Rayner, Reed.
Root. Sanders. Shively, Simmons,
Smith Of Arizona, Smith Of Georgia.
Smith. Of Michigan, Smith of South
Carolina, Stone. Sutherland. Swanson.
Townsend. Watson. Williams. Works.
Those voting for Lorimer were:
Bailey, Bradley. Brandegee. Durham.
Catron. Clark Of Wyoming. Crane. Dill
bingham. Fletcher. Foster. Gallinger.
Gamble. Guggenheim. Johnston. Jones.
Lippitt. McCumber. oliver. Paynter.
Penrose. Perkins. Richardson. Smith
Of Maryland. Smoot. Stephenson.
Thornton. Tillman, Wetmore.
OF the senators voting against Lori
mer. twenty-seven were republicans
and twenty-eight democrats.
In the two years that Senator Lori
mers election has been under fire IL
probably has furnished more sensa-
| tons than any other case Of its kind
Mr.. Lorimere was elected by the ILL
nois legislature on May %. 1909. after
I prolonged deadlock In which the
names Of more than one hundred can
didates, democrats and republicans.
had been presented unsuccessfully.
However. II was not until nearly a
year later that the validity OF his cleo.
ton was challenged when the now IA
nous confession" of Charles A.
White. q member Of the Illinois legis-
lature. was published. charging that
he had received $1,000 from Lee
O'Neill Brown. democratic leader of
the Illinois house Of representatives In
return for his vote for Senator Lori.
mer and also 5000 as share Of a
general corruption fund"
Then In rapid succession followed
q sensational series of Confessions
by other members Of the legislature
These confessions. however. were later
modified or repudiated with the excep
ton OF Whites. The other men as
serted they had received the money
out of a general fund and not in re
turn for their Lorimer votes, and. In
same cases. charged intimidation by
Cook county authorities to wiring the
confessions from them.
Lee ONeill Browne was charged
with distributing "Lorimer Money
but was acquitted by jury and othel
indictments were quashed. Charge,
of Jury bribing In the Browne cas-,
were unsustained In court.
A committee Of the United Statei
senate reported that the charges o
corruption were not proved and hell
Senator Lorimer's title to his sea
valid. Immediately afterward tn,
Illinois senate appointed committe,
OF It's own to investigate and thi
committee reported that Lorime
would not have been elected withou
bribery and corruption and the ILL
nois senate by a vote Of 80 to 10 in
dorsed that view.
. In the meantime Mr.. Lorimer wa
indicated in the United States ser
ate, 46 to 40. with five senators no
, voting. The quota Of senators wa
90, with one vacancy in Colorado.