The Washington times., 1914-10-09
PASS THE RESOLUTION!

| fASS lfE RESOLO llOIN!
William Lorimer was indicted yes
terday On long list of counts, fo
,nisappropriating the funds of th'
political bank, of which ne was presi
dent in Chicago.
Just a little while ago this same
Lorimer was a United States Sena
tor. When charges were brought
! against him the Senate "investigat
ed" and whitewashed him.
Since then he has been reinvesti
gated, excluded from the Senate
driven from public life; all because
public opinion would not stand fol
the whitewash process that Senate
toryism had regarded as ample.
Just a little while ago, following
the failure of the big bank he had
debauched, it transpire.l that that
bank had made huge loan to one
Of the United States Senators who
took leading part in the defense Of
Lorimer.
These things are 'recounted be-
cause they have a possible relation
ship to some matters now demanding
the attention of the Senate. They
are recalled, in the hope that waver-
ing Senators may realize that it is
rot safe to ,aout the sentiment of
the country when the integrity and
decency of elections and primaries
is under consideration.
A resolution has been introduced,
calling for an investigation of the
methods by which Boise Penrose, Re-
publican, was nominated Tor Senator
in Pennsylvania, and Roger Sulli-
van. Democrat, was nominated for
Senator in Illinois. That resolution
is going to be killed if the Senate
can be dominated today 10y the same
toryism, the same cynicisn, the same
kind of people, that dominated it in
the days when the, Senate's majority
was a determined supporter of Lori
mer.
Has the Senate improved any since
Lorimer?
There was strong feeling that it
had; that the retirement of a long
list of the Old Guard tories of both
parties had helped its morals, had
given it a better vision of its duty to
the community.
Is it possible that the present Sem
ate would be willing to De decent ON
LINES ONLY, but that
it can't be decent in a non-partisan
way?
Would it be willing to pass the
Norris resolution if that resolution
dealt only with the case of Penrose,
Republican?
There isn't a serious doubt that it
would.
Senator Norris could have had his
resolution passed if he had aimed it
only at Penrose The Democrats
would have been pleased to serve
Tirtue and politics at the same time.
There IS quite too much evidence of
an indisposition to serve virtue alone.
Senator Gwen, Democrat, of the DEM
ocrats, is putting it up inard" to his
Democratic brethren by announcing
hat he will go to Illinois to stump
against Sullivan. Mr.. Owen has
refused to .e. his parti-
'anship interfere with his vision of |
common morals. He wants Demo-
rats to be clean, as we'll as Repub-
leans; and there is some reason to
,elieve that he is serving his party
veil in taking that attitude. When
our boss" becomes a good and use
ul leader. but "your boss" is set
lown as scallywag and a scaEp,
hings are getting bad for the party
mich sets ND these rules.
Cannot the Senate leaders realize
hat to smother this resolution now
s only to hold the flames back so
hat they will burst forth later, in
ime when they will affect the whole
situation-the vastly. big
.er national situation that will mark
he approach of a PreSiIartial nom
nation and election? =