The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-05-20
.LOR|MER IS
INNOCENT BABE
Nv .ty Report Of Committee Says
x here is no Evidence That He
Was Elected Crook.
Y edly.
CHARACTER UNAssAILED
After Ono Hundred Days Of Testi.
mony Nothing Could be Proven
Against the illinois
Statesman.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
WASHINGTON, May 2O.-''Lori-
mer, the immaculate may be the
title bestowed on the blonde states
man from Illinois, If the majority re
port of the committee that investigated
him, submitted to the senate today, is
accepted by the senate, and citizens in
general.
Under the head mo corruption In
his election" which ends the ninety
one page report, the five members that
sign It solemnly aver:
1--WE are convinced that no vote was
secured for him by bribery; that
whatever money White, Beckemeyer,
Link, Holtslaw, or any other person
received was not paid by anyone on
Mr.. Lorimer's behalf to secure such
vote or votes fer him; that neither
Edward Hines. nor anyone else rails
ed or contributed to a fund to be used
to secure his election; that his cleo
ton was the logical result of existing
political conditions in the state Of
Illinois, and was free from any cor
rupt practice, and therefore we must
find. and we do find, that William Lori
mers election was not brought about
or influenced BY corrupt methods and
practices"
| mo person guilty. is the heading
1 of a paragraph which reads:
4 There is absolutely no evidence in
\ all the testimony submitted intimat-
ing, suggesting, or charging that vii,
liam Lorimer was personally guilty OF
any corrupt practices in securing his
election, or that he had authorized
any one to employ corrupt practices
/ in his election.
! Counsel raised the contention that
all issues relating to the election and
qualifications of William Lorimer as
"a senator from Illinois had been final.
ly determined by the senate by its
action on March /, 1911 the report
/ states "and that such adjudication
and determination was in law and
Justice bar to any further proceed
lings designed to call in question the
legality of Mr.. Lorimer's election and
his right to a seat in the senate.
Your committee is Of the opinion
that all issues were finally adjudicat
4 ed by the senate March l, 1911
4 Public hearings occupied actually
| 1o2 working days, according to the
report, one hundred and eighty wit
nesses testified, and the record con
tains SASS printed pages.
"The committee desires to call at
tention to the fact the report states
well known to the senate, but ap
parently unknown to a large proper
, ton of the people, that the investiga
J ton was not complicated by an.
charge involving Mr.. Lorimer's private
J character, the discharge of his pub
: lie duties, or any other charge upor
, which his expulsion from the senate
could be predicated.
'The only issue involved was to in
vestigate whether the election of VIII
! liam Lorimer was due to corrupt prac
tees"
The committees report devotes elev
en- pages to discussion and eXonera
: ton of Edward Hines, and the charge
that he told Clarence S. Funk that
t "slush fund of 100000 had bee
raised to elect Jorimer. Page afte
s page is occupied in long account o
9 the Importance of breaking the deat
: lock in the Illinois legislature on tn
senatorship in order to get vote TO
protective tariff. Dorimer, the re
:, port proceeds. seemed to be the onl
Y man who could break the deadloc
n and Hines, interested in the tariff o
n lumber the senators say, procured tn
y approval of the president and Sen;
/. tors Aldrich and Penrose to Lorimer
selection.
r The report discards the testimony {
VIM. Burgess, who claimed G.
Wiehe, secretary Of the Hines Lun
J. Der company, had admitted on trai
n that he contributed to "slush fund
), 1t holds that there was no evidence {
" legislative Jackpot in the legislator
II representative Charles White
charges OF corrupt methods in the Sc,
atorial election were denounced {
r unworthy of belief
r The report is signed by Chairma
y Dillingham; trep., New Hampshire
Senators Gamble trep., S. Da.). Jon'
(rep., Wash.), Johnston (dem., Ala.
and Fletcher fdem., Florida.).
:. The minority report signed by Sc