Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1912-07-19
EXIT LORiMER.

The Senate's vote Saturday to un-
seat William Lorimer shows what can
be accomplished by genuine cam
paign of education. In March, 1911,
when the Senate decided that Lori
mer's title was valid, it lightly put
aside conviction formed By the great
majority of the voters of the country,
The voters had studied the evidence
presented and were satisfied that Lori
mer's election was tainted with corrup-
ton. 1t was plainly accomplished
through the activities of the bipartisan
Jackpot" combination. in the Illinois
Legislature, and that was sufficient in
the eyes of the public to condemn it
as irregular and improper.
The Senate has not been noted for
its quick appreciation of what is going
on in the mind of the average citizen.
It takes longer to educate the Senate
than it does to educate the public. But
the upper branch of Congress usually
catches up with the procession in
time, and after much delay and rumin-
alton, it reversed itself and by virtually
a two-thirds majority fell into line with
the judgment reached by the public
over sixteen months ago..
The second trial of the Lorimer case
was really trial of the Senate. The
result of the first inquiry put that body
on the defensive. The vote in favor of
Lorimer uncovered a remarkable bipar-
tisan alliance in defence of a member
whose title was dubious and whose
political associations were under a
cloud. When Senator Bailey rushed to
Lorimer's aid and became his leading
apologist the country naturally be-
came suspicious of the influences
which were urging the Illinois Senator
to retain his seat, instead of recogniz-
irg t-a gravity of the charges against
him, Essigning Is commission and ask
ing tie people c: Illinois to give him
a new Gill Ct health. If Lorimer had
had the moral sensitiveness OF moral
courage to seek at once the popular
verdict on his case which he now says
he is going to seek, if it takes all the
resources at his command and all the
remaining years of his life, he would
have relieved himself of much oppro-
5rium and his supporters in. the Senate
of much embarrassment But in that
case the Senate would have lost the
benefit of valuable schooling. It
knoys better now the cost Of supercili-
GUS or purblind resistance to awakened
moral sentiments. cost which has
been emphasized in the extraordinary
list of fatalities among Senators who
ranged themselves last year on the
wrong side of the Lorimer issue.
IN March, 1911, forty-six Senators
were fer vindicating the beneficiary of
the Springfield Jackpot Saturday
only twenty-eight were for vindicating
him. OF those twenty-eight three have
been defeated for denomination or re
election, two have announced that they
will not be candidates for another term
and eight more are pretty certain to
retire to private life when their pres
ent terms expire. No Senator who vot-
ed forELorimer in 1911 has secured a
reelection, and it will be remarkable
if any. considerable number Of those
who voted for him will be able to sur
yiye the almost universal disapproVal
of their conduct in trying to keep In
Office a man who has shown himself so
insensitiye to the standards of honor
and propriety which should govern a
Senator of the United States. Getting
rid Of gLorimer is an important gain for
the Cause Of cleaner politics. But a
still greater gain is the evidence given
in Saturday vote that the Senate is
capable Of realizing and repenting an
error and cutting loose from the sway
Eof evil political influences which the
country at large is determined to sup
press.