Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-05-20
THE ONLY CONSISTENT ACTION
THE COMMISSION STATES IT
COULD TAKE NO OTHER
COURSE IN MATTER.
mo new CHARGES ARE PROVED
AS THE SENATE HAD ALREADY
CLEARED HIM 1T SHOULD
DO so AGAIN.

Washington, May 20.-The case oi
Senator Lorimer Of Illinois, whose
election was alleged to have been
brought about through corruption,
was placed before the senate today
for final action. Majority and minor
ity reports were made by the special
investigating committee, the former
upholding the latter and condemning
the senator The majority reported
that there was absolutely no new sub
stnatial evidence discovered on the
tre-investigation, his election being
the logical result of existing political
conditions in Illinois"
The minority reported that the sec
ond investigation conclusively estaD-
lished that at least ten of the votes
cast for Lorimer were corrupt and
that his election therefore was inval
i'd. The minority report was signed
by Senators Kern and Lea, demo
Gratis, and Kenyon, republican.
That Senator Lorimer should re-
tain his seat in the senate was set
forth today by the majority of the
senate special Lorimer committee in
their report to the senate. 1t was
submitted by Chairman Dillingham;
and had the approval of Senators
Gamble and Jones, republican, and
Fletcher and Johnston of Alabama,
democrats.
The majority took the position that
the senate, having once "solemnly
and deliberately" passed upon the
charges against Senator Lorimer, he
should be permitted to retain his seat
unless new and convincing evidence
had been produced establishing cor
ruption in his election. Absolutely
no new and substantial evidence
had been produced at the re-investga-
tion, the majority said, and conse-
quently they declared the rules Of
Justice required the former judgment
of the senate upholding Mr. Lorimer
to stand
The report dealt at length with the
evidence in an endeavor to show
nothing substantial had been produc
ed against Senator Lorfmer. It also
reviewed the legal authorities tc
show that the first investigation o.
the senate should be taken as final
The controlling factor in the actor
Of the senate in re-opening the case
so the majority said, was reports thai
a fund of 100000 was raised by o.
through the efforts of Edward Hines
a Chicago lumberman, to secure ths
election of Senator Lorimer.
The majority rejected the version
Clarence s. Funk, general manager o
the International Harvester com
pany, gave Of conversation he heic
with Mr.. Hines in the Union League
club at Chicago just after Senatol
Lorimer's election. Il was durini
this conversation that Funk claims
Hines asked for $4,000 contribu
ton to 100000 for Lorimer" fund
The majority said that Mr.. Funk''
testimony stood uncorroborated eth
er by other witnesses or by any cir
cumstances.
In view of the fact that 1t wal
known to Mr.. Hines" said the com
mittee, that the relations existinl
between the officers of the Interna
tional Harvester company and MI
Lorimer we're those Of opponent
rather than friends. It is improbable
that he would seek from Mr. Funk
the representative Of that corpora
tion, a contribution to aid in the elec
tion of Mr. Lorimer."
In discussing Mr.. Funk's tesumonl
that he had heard reports OF Mr.
Hines activities at Springfield, III