Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1911 — SENATOR ALDRICH TELLS HIS STORY [ARTICLE]

SENATOR ALDRICH TELLS HIS STORY

Denies Much that Edward Hines Testified to. PRESIDENT DIO NOT INTERFERE % Rhode Island Man States that No One Had Authority to Declare °resident’s Preference for Any Candidate. ■. . ' i Wasntngton, July 21—The attitude of President Taft toward the deadlock in the Illinois legislature from January to May, 1909, which resulted in the election of William Lorimer as United States senator from Illinois, was explained by former Senator Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island, in testifying before the Lorimer investigating committee. Mr. Aldrich made .it plain that Mr. Taft declined to lend his assistance to any of the men whose names were suggested as prospective candidates. Senator Aldrich’s testimony contradicted in several important particulars that of Edward Hines, who said on the witness stand several weekago that President Taft and Senator Aldrich authorized him to carry a message to Governor Deneen of Illinois that the administration looked with favor upon the election of Lorimer. Aldrich declared this statement was not true, and that Mr. Hines was not authorized to carry any political message to Springfield on the senatorship Senator Aldrich said he advised Mr. Hines that the president favored the election of a good Republican, but would not aid the candidacy of any one. Early in the senatorial fight, Mr. Aldrich testified, President Taft expressed a personal preference for the re-electicn of Senator Albert J Hopkins, because lie had received the largest vote in the primaries in Illinois. Later Mr. Taft expressed the opinion, according to Senator Aldrich, that the candidacy of Congressman Henry S. Boutelle, now minister to Switzerland, would be acceptable to him. Then, when it was reported from Illinois that Lorimer was the only candidate who could be elected, Mr. Aldrich continued, the president told him that the election of Lorimer to the United States senate would not be “objectionable,” although he would not assist in his election Mr. Aldrich said he personally was favorable to the election of Lorimer, as he regarded him as a “good Republican.” Senator Aldrich denied that he authorized Mr Hines to carry any political message from Washington to Springfield regarding the alleged friendly attitude of the administration toward candidacy, or expected Mr. Hines to use his influence to have Governor Deneen assist in Lorimer’s election.

Mr. Aldrich explained that he had authorized Hines to refer any one to him who wished authoriative information as to the attitude of President Taft toward the senatorial fight. Mr. Aldrich said that Hines came to him and asked him to find out the president’s attitude on several occasions. Mr. Aldrich also denied that he told Hines that Senator Lorimer’s vote would be needed in the senate to pass the Payne-Aldrich bill, which was pending at that time. At the afternoon session the crossexamination of Mr. Wiehe was devoted principally to the whereabouts and activities of Robert J. Shields, an insurance man of Duluth. Wiehe did not know where Shields now is. From questions asked him by Chairman Dillingham and other members of the committee, it is apparent that the process servers of the committee have failed to find Shields at his home in Duluth