The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
Says His Convictions Are Based on Testimony Be-
 fore Committee
CRITICS HAVE NOT
 EXAMINED RECORDS
Senator Says He Would Vote Accord ing to His Convictions Even if the Whole State Were
 Against Him
By WALTER HARPER

| Washington, April 27.-(Special.)- Senator Joseph r. Johnston of Alabama, who has been severely criticised In some sections for his position on the i.orimer case, gave out the following statement of his position in the matter | today:
 "The people have been led by the pub lie press to believe that Lorimer was a bar room bully and corrupt political boss, after the order of Tweed of New York and Cox of Cincinnati The pros ecution of Lorlmer has been relentlessly led by the Chicago Tribune and Rec ord Herald and one or two other pa pers.
 "The editors of these papers were sworn and examined before the com mttee and not one of them testified 10 a single corrupt or immoral act or any eisgraceful conduct on the part of Lori mer.
 1 "The editor of the Tribune testified that the policy of his paper was, and had been for many years, to drive Lori mer out of politics. In an editorial he stated that Lorimer was more danger ous because of his "irreproachable'' qualities of a personal sort ''Mr. Kohlsaat of the Record Herald testified, I have nothing against Lori iner personally. His home life. his family life is ideal. He has a beautiful family of children which he has raised | splenddly.'
 "Governor Deneen of Illinois, not a friend of Lorlmer, testified, did not believe the things in the papers at tributed to Lorimer. l have always spoken well of him.
 | "Ex-Goyernor Yates of Illinois testi- fled, I am a warm friend of Lorimer.' | "EX Governor Hopkins, whom Lori mer defeated for the Senate, testified to his good character. Hopkins sent him check for $500 just after Lorimer was elected to Congress, six or eight months before his election as senator, to help him pay his campaign expenses. I-orimer returned the check, saying he rever permitted anyone to contribute to 1 his expenses.
 Lawrence Stringer. the democratic candidate for the Senate against Lori mcr testified that Lorimer's reputation lior honesty and integrity had always l been high. He never heard anyone question 1t. On the contrary he has been highly spoken of He congratu- lated Lorimer on his election.
 His Early Life
 "The testimony shows that Lorimer was the son of Presbyterian minister. At the time of his fathers death Lori l mer was 10 years old. His father left widow and six children and little CT no property. He was the oldest boy and none of the children were old enough 10 earn living. He never went to school, but went to work to support his mother and brothers and sisters, and to educate the latter The only instruc- | tion he ever received was from his mother and Miss Hobson, his Sunday school teacher who seemed to have taken a liking to the boy, and to whom he went once a week, on Monday nights. lat her home for instruction. He sup ported his mother and educated the' childMn. Commencing by selling news | napers on the streets he soon earned as much as $20 a week and the family was comfortably maintained and sup ported and his sisters sent to school on this.
 | "He worked successively as a cash Loy in store and as a painter and in the packing houses as a laborer and as a street car conductor, became a contractor and was finally elected to Congress six times and defeated only once, He never drank or smoked, or used profane language, or frequented bar rooms.
 
 | and an affectionate son and brother. and of achieving success under the | most adverse circumstances, it would be a pity to every struggling boy in this great country to now convict him | contrary to the law and the evidence
 Tn the 10000 pages of testimony there was not a single line or syllable to indicate that Lorimer had, himself, Iergaged in any corrupt act in his cleo lion or that he personally knew of Iuny corrupt means being employed by others, and this was freely admitted by his chief prosecutor.
 "On the hearing by the committee l, :ayself offered resolution, That the Testimony failed to show that Senator I.orimer himself used any corrupt prac- tices or means, or had any knowledge thereof If such were used Upon the Iadoption of this resolution the vote was yeas five, nays none not voting three Senators Kenyon, Kern and Lee).. If there had been any such evidence ,he senators not voting would certain ly have voted against it.
 ''The case was reopened upon tho claim that new and material evidence had been discovered since the judg- inent of the Senate that showed a corruption fund of s100,000 had been raised by Hines to secure the election of Lormer.
 | MT. Kohlsaat. in support of this, said that he knew that such a fund ihad been raised. Upon his examina- | ton before the committee he said all | that he knew was what he had heard l from Funk: and the only evidence that | Funk gave was that Hines had applied to him to contribute to such fund and told him to send his check to Til Iden.
 Hines Testimony | "Hines testified that he had not made | such statement to Funk. nor had he lcontrbutod a cent to any such fund. | checks of Hines and Tilden both ex- skilled accountant. at he expense of ment, and he reported that there was any such fund and no evidence in tho Looks and accounts of Hines or Tilden. or their banks, that such a fund had ever been ra ised or disbursed.
 "There was no evidence showing that any fund was raised or that Hines or any other person contributed thereto. | Tn the case of Fitch and Bright. senators from Indiana, who were seated l in the contest in May. 1858. and which case was subsequently reoponed by the Senate in 1859, upon the request of the l Legislature of Indiana. it was solemnly decided by the Senate that the decision made 1858. as to thoir right. established i finally and irrevocaby their right 10 seats and that the judgment was final. 1 "The same decision was rendered by the Senate in the case of Sykes against 1 Spencer from Alabama: the committee