The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-05-24
SENATOR LOR|MER
IS EX0NERATED
Majority Report of investigators
Holds Him GuiltleSS.
NO EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION
Views OF Minority, However, Declare
His Election Was Secured Through
Fraudulent and improper
Use of Money.

Washington, May 21.-The case of
Senator Lorimer, whose election was
alleged to have been brought about
through corruption, was placed before
the senate here for final action.
Majority and minority reports were
made by the special investigating COM
mlttee, the former upholding and the
latter condemning the senator.
The majority reported that all the
rules of law, judicial procedure and
justice required that the senate's for
mer judgment in Senator Lorimer's
favor be held final and conclusive, and
that there was absolutely no new and
substantial evidence discovered on
this reinvestigation, his election being
the logical result of existing political
conditions in Illinois,"
The minority reported that the evil
dence presented at the second investi-
cation was broader and more far
reaching than the previous inquiry
brought out and that it conclusiyeiy
established that at least ten of the
votes cast for Lorimer were corrupt
and that his election therefore was
invalid
The minority report was signed by
Senators Kern and Lea, Democrats,
and Kenyon, Republican.
The majority report upholds the
plea of res adjudicata, which is in
effect that the case, having once been
decided by the senate, cannot again
be brought into issue upon the same
evidence. In this connection it is
strongly pointed out that the claim of
newly discovered evidence was not
substantiated. In brief, the basis Of
this newly discovered evidence was
the allegation of Clarence w. Funk,
general manager of the International
Harvester company, that Edward
Hines, friend and hacker of Senator
Lorimer, had told him that 100000
had been expended in putting Lori
mer over" and had told him that he
(Hines) had personally contributed
$4,000 toward such fund.
The report sustains the plea Of res
adjudicata, but in the event that the
SSudIS SuOulO uSClluS W dCCSpI H. buS
committee submits it's conclusion upon
the evidence and finds in favor of
Lorimer. The report says in this re-
gard:
1T is charged that Senator Lorimer
was elected corruptly. This is the is
sue. Is this charge true or is it false?
If true he should be denied seat in
this body; if not true we should so
declare. We have heard the evidence
under OATH we have seen the wit
nesses as they testified; they have
been fully cross examined; their evil
dence has been carefully weighed;
every suggestion of possible proof has
been followed, and nothing has been
left undone to ascertain the truth of
the charges against Mr.. Lorimer.
There is absolutely no evidence in
all the testimony submitted intimat-
ing, suggesting or charging that Will
lam Lorimer was personally guilty of
any corrupt practices in securing his
election or that he had any knowledge
of any such corrupt practices, or that
he authorized anyone to employ cor
rupt practices in his election
The report was submitted by Chair
man Dillingham; and had the approval
of Senators Gamble and Jones, Re-
publicans, and Fletcher and Johnson,
Democrats.