The Anaconda standard., 1899-12-10

N the Washington Post of last Tues
day appeared a curious interview
with Mr.. W. A. Clark. 1t starts off
in this fashion:
"It is fact which cannot be question
ed said Senator Clark of Montana to a
representative of tho Post last night.
that not one member of the Montana
legislature who Is alleged to have been
br.bed ever cast his vote for me for the
position of United States senator, with
the exception of a single man. who voted
for me from the first and who upon the
floor of the joint convention denounced
the man who charged him with being
bribed as being a har and scoundrel.
Further than this. IL the Investigation into
my election Is pressed it will afford mo
great pleasure to repel by every member
of the legislature, if necessary, who cast
his vote for me the charge that the men,
Der did not do go freely, voluntarily and
without any inducement whatever offered
by me-"
Later on in the interview we find that
1.-The single man" alleged to have been
bribed who voted for Mr.. Clark "from
the first" was Mr.. Carr of Flathead
county. It is inconceivable that Mr..
Clark would, or could, pack so many
iio1S III dclCS lIllO Ii SlllSle SGHtGuC6. 1lle
Washington Post ranks as one Of the
best newspapers in the country, but it
is painfully evident that it is carrying
on its staff a reporter who is entitled
to the championship belt for heavy
weight stupidity.
The portion Of the interview quoted
is fair sample Of the whole. It Is
teemfng with misstatements that Mr.
Clark couldn't possibly have made. For
instance he is represented as talking
about ''the conspiracy formed for the
purpose Of defeating my election"
Clark swore under oath that he knew
nothing about any such conspiracy Mr..
Clark is in an unpleasant predicament,
but he is entitled to fair treatment at
the hands of the press, and such mis-
representation as the Post has commit
Clark said to the reporter got into the
paper straight. Take even the minor
matter of Mr.. Carr, "who voted for me
from the first" Mr.. Carr did not vote
for Mr.. Clark from the first. Mr.. Carr
was nominated and elected on plat
form pledging him in the strongest pos
seble terms to vote for w q. Conrad
first, last and all the time and Mr..
Carr actually had strength of charac-
ter enough to vote for Mr.. Conrad four
or five days, or until the Clarkards no
titled him that it was time to flop.
But there is one statement attributed
to 1Ir. Clark the absolute correctness
of which may not be doubted He says
'it will afford me great pleasure to re-
pei by every member of the legislature,
If necessary, who cast his vote for me
the charge that the member did not do
SO freely, voluntarily and without any
inducement whatever offered by me-"
Let no man question Mr.. Clarks word
on that proposition. Every member
who voted for Clark last winter is will
ing to hold up both hards and agree to
1t. 1t is mistake for anybody to sup
pose that Mr.. Clark's supporters are
going to rush on to Washington pei
nell and give themselves and Mr. CLARK
away. Not only can Mr. Clark get
these members to testify that he didn't
give them a cent, but he can get hun
dreds and thousands Of other people t.
swear that they didn't see him Civ,
them so much as a bean. What a mas:
not half try.