Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-07-20
GNATORLOR|MER
OUSIED FROM THE
SENATE BY Sc T02S
The Blond Senator Fails to Prove
Innocence.
SENATE is PURGED
OF CORRUPT MEMBERS

Vote Apainst Lorimer Was So Large
That No Doubt Remained of His
Guiit--Made Dramatic Plea For Ex-
oneration For Three Days But Fall
ed.
Washington, d. c., July 13.--TlIe
Senate for five hours yesterday listen
ed to the continuation of Senator Lori
mer's speech in his defense of his .gbt
to retain his seat In the Senate. And
shortly after 4 O'Clock took recess
until this morning without having
come to vote on the Lea resolution.
When the se;iate convened today.
and. after listening to the concluding
arguments in the Lorimer case, by a
vote of Sc to 20 voted to Gust the IIli-
nois senator.
Tie vote came after Lorimer made
dramatic plea for his seal, and prac-
tically for three days he had argued
that there was nothing in the testi-
mony to prove that he was electeG
through corrupt mears.
Che result accustomed no surprise,
as, 1t was generally conceded to those
who had followed the case drought
that the Illinois senator should lose
his seat.
The vote was so decisive against
the senator that there is
no doubt as to his guilt. The ousting
of the senator has caused profound
sensation here, hut the verdict is uni
versally accepted as being a just and
proper one.
Attack on Senator Kern
A bitter attack on Senator Kern, OF
Indiana, which characterized Mr.. Lor-
mer's speech yesterday, further pro-
1onged the debate that preceded the
Vote on the Lea resolution He charg
ed Senator Kern with misstating the
facts of the Lorimer case, with slim
ing and smearlng over the record"
and with making charges against him
Lorimer) for which there was no
ground of fact or evidence.
Il have been charged by this sena-
tor from Indiana on the floor of the
Senate with political wrongdoing. .
Lorimer cried. "Here and now | chal-
lenge him TO point out to this Senate
anything in Ellis record, anything he
knows anything he has ever heard
anything anybody has ever told him
Il will make it broader than that
4 him point to wrongdoing in prl.
yate, In commercial, in financial, or
in political life. and IL he will do il
here and now I'll not embarass you
by voting on my case When he has
done ii / will walk out of yonder
door and never Occupy my seat again
in this chamber.
Come on, Senator Kern, you have
slimed and smeared this record with
suspicion, come' on now and make
good"
There was craning of necks toward
Senator Kern's seat, but he was not
visible in the chamber. Later Senator
Kern said he would make no reply
to the senator.
Quotes the Bible Pharisee
Mr. Lorimer declared that when he
had observed the Indiana senator's
"holier-than-thou expression" he had
been reminded of the pharisee who IN
prayer had said; Il thank thee, O
Lord. that | am, not like other men,
and especially this publican"
While an effort will be made to
reach the final vote today, the injec-
ton OF further argument by Senator
Va Toilette or one or two other seua-
tors who are inclined TO discuss the
case may prolong ii into next week.
Mr.. Lorimer's challenge to the min
GRITTY members of the Lorimer investi.
eating committee to produce the evil
dence to bear out their alleged "in-
situations" as TO his connection with
bribery in the Illinois legislature was
but one feature of several that made
Lorlmer's defense yesterday partake
OF the spectacular. He asailed Mr.,
Kern as having been chasing the
ghost" 10 the Baltimore convention.
Reviews Evidence in Detail
The evidence up which Lorimer's
expulsion from the Senate is demand.
ed was taken up in detail by the ac-
cused senator. lie reviewed the cas-.
es of the -four confessors," as he
termed them, upon whose alleged con-
fessions that they had received mon.
ely at Springfield. Ill., much of the
case against him has been built c.
A. White, he said, was an acknowl-
edged periurer. while he declared that
Beckemeyer, Link, and Hostlaw, the
other three, had never confessed to
being paid anything for voting for
Lorimer.
Mr. Lorimer declared that the pro.
ceeding against Beckemeyer in Cook !
county had not been intended to dis.
close corruption in the Illinois legis,
lature, but to destroy Iorimer. He
said Beckemeyer never said anything /
about "Lorimer money" until subject I
ed to the third degree" a process al I
so inflicted upon Hostlaw He de-
olared that ii Lee O'Neil Browne had