Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-26
PREFERS FIRED" OUT
Alleged to Have So Informed Vice
President Sherman.
INTERVIEWED AT HIS HOME
Report That He Was Urged to
Avoid an Adverse Vote in
Senate.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, Ill. Nav 25-Despite the
pleadings of Vice President Sherman. who
pointed out the grave situation confront.
ing the republican party. the necessity for
harmony and the elimination of all con-
d1tions liable to create criticism Of the
republican organization on the eve of a
national election, William Lorfmer. iunio,
United States senator from the state OF
Illinois. declines to resign his seat In the
chief deliberative body of the country,
Senator Lorimer prefers to be fired
from the Senate rather than resign. He
was Informed today that a poll of the
Senate showed 40 in his favor to 3q
against. with Is senators in the doubtful
class. This doubtful class has been
carefully polled, but the result has no,
been favorable to the Lorimerites
Il will fight this fight to the last ditch. :
is the reported utterance of Senator Lori
mer. from his bed of illness today. al
though absolute denial was made that Mr..
Sherman had been his visitor during the
day. Il was elected to the United States
Senate honestly, and would rather stand
up and be counted out by my colleagues
than to yield to any pressure to resign
under fire.
Suffering From Illness.
Senator Lorimer. who is president of the
La Sale Street National Bank, has been
confined to his home by illness for sew
eral weeks, the nature of which has not
been divulged. At his residence today il
was stated that the senator was too Ill to
leave his bed or to come to the tele-
phone. AS to the whereabouts of James
Schoolcraft Sherman. Vice President OF
the United States, none of the members
of Senator Lorimer's family had the
slightest knowledge, SO they stated.
AS matter of fact, Vice Presiden,
Sherman arrived at the EnglewooG
station Of the Pennsylvania railroad
In this city shortly before O'Clock
the afternoon. He alighted from Tho
train at Englewood and departed from
the same station.
Elbridge Hanecy. attorney for Senato
Lorimer. and William Lorimer. jr.
were at the station when Mr.. Sherman
arrived. They shook hands with thu
Vice President. but did not leave thu
station with him.
Representative James r. Mann cam,
| on from Washington with Mr.. Sherman
and the two departed from the Engle
wood station together in a taxicab
| Mr.. Mann is said to have figured in tn,
conferences during the day witt
friends of Senator Lorimer.
Vice President Declines to Talk.
When Mr.. Sherman appeared at tn,
| Englewood station shortly after 2:3
| o'clock in the afternoon he would no
deny that he had seen Senator Lorimer
Did your visit have to do with tn
Lorimer case?" Mr.. Sherman was asked.
Il can neither deny nor affirm that.
/ said Mr.. Sherman. II would like to tel
you exactly what the purpose of my visi
was, but circumstances are such that
| am obliged to remain silent"
Did you see Senator Lorimer?' h
| was asked.
Il will have to say also that 1 cal
neither deny nor affirm that" replied MI
| Sherman.
Senator Lorimers friends deprecate tn
| Washington reports that the Vice Presi
dent bore a message from friends O
| the senator at the National Capital to tn
effect that owing to his health he shoui'
resign his seat
They said that he would not resigl
| his place in the Senate no matter wha
| the pressure or influence might be t,
have him do SO. They declared h.
will return to Washington as soon a.
his health will permit, to defend him
| self against the attacks of the in
surgents and to fight for his politica
| life
Denial of Rumor.
A singular report was promulgated
| that the Vice President had come t,
| Chicago to confer with Col. Harry S
New of the convention committee re
specting the attack made on Unitet
States Senator Elihu Root of New
York, who had been chosen by tn
national committee to preside as tenn
porary chairman at the national con
vention. Col New said there coul,
be no foundation for such a report.
II did not know Mr.. Sherman was com
ing to Chicago the colonel said. -
| through newspaper source. I had no en-
gagement with him and do not expect Il
see him II he Is in the city
Nevertheless. 1t Is known that Mr.. Sher
man met and conversed with more thar
one republican national committeeman
before he boarded the return train fo
Washington.
There is much talk today coinciden
with Vice President Sherman's visit I,
Chicago to the effect that Senator Shelb,
NJ Cullom is candidate for Lorimer
seat should it be declared vacant
Alleged Combination.
Culom is ready to resign at once, 1t il
asserted. and permit L. Y. Sherman, VIII,
| defeated him in the primary, to be elect
ed to fill his (Cullom's) unexpired term
! while Cullom in turn, according to thi.
plan. is to be chosen for the Lorime,
| vacancy-a job that would run till 1915.
The Illinois legislature is in specia
session now and If Lorimer's seat Ii
declared vacant, either by resignation O
| by vote in the Senate. the legislator,
would have the power to fill both va
cancies Sherman. if elected to the tenur
of the Cullom seat which would expir
next March, would, under the regula
procedure, the primary election candidat,
| for the Cullom full term of six years {,
| be filled by the regular session Of tn,
| Legislature next January.