Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-29
CHEAP PRELMINARIES.

of the democratic party in this state has
reached a point where it must necessarily
find expression through an attempt to
prevent Senator Clark from taking his
seat in the senate of the United States.
That gentleman's democratic enemies
have carried the fight against him to such
an extreme that as a matter of self-pres-
ervation they must make their allesa-
1ions good in the court of last resort. un-
less they make a proper showing in that
tribunal their previous contention VIII
fall to the ground and they will stand
before the public as the prosecutors OF an
honest man, rather than as the accredited
agents of an inevitable political justice.
Candid and impartial men. who are 50
far above the ~prejudices hat control ana
sway both wings of the democratic party
that thew can take a bird's-eye view of
the situation. freely admit the
facts. They realize that as the
a~nti-Clark men nave made accusations
that not only affect the reputation OF IN
dividuals, but seriously impair the good
name Of our state, it is now
upon them to either prove the correctness
If the charges made or confess themselves
sctuated BY improper motives in the war
they have waged. There are but two al
ternatiyes for the anti-Clark men. Those
friendly to the senator-elect recognize
-, III 4. i. IL. y 49, ~ o- - I;c arap1iac
The g%ladiatorial contest is expected, IN
the nature of things. Both wings of the
democracy are apparently preparing for
it. But regardless of the evidence which
the anti-Clark men may have up their
sleeve. and the character of the fight
which they intend to make in the senate,
be termed the cheap preliminaries of the
forthcoming battle.
For the past day or two Senator Clark
has been before a local justice of the
peace, under examination by the gentle
man who was not sprung for the senate
by the anti-Clark men last winter. The
uSltIiSlClc obJNNL VI
to take the deposition Of the senator for
use in the pending Whiteside damage
suit against the Butte Miner, but appar-
emily the real object of the examination
was to induce Mr.. Clark to confess that
all the allegations made against himself
and associates were true. In default of
a confession it was evidently believed
that he could evade answering the irrele-
want questions asked only by falling back
on the legal proposition that a witness
cannot be compelled to ncriminate him
self.
Had this result followed, a moral
foundation-if it be not a sacrilege to use
the word 'smoraI' in connection with any
phase Of a democratic row-would have
been laid for the fight against Mr.. Clark
in the senate. But it seems that the
Sourdough statesman o~ver-reached him
self in conducting the examination, and
failed to create a legal mesh that would
entrap a man of abilities far superior to
his own. Without getting outside his
legal prerogatives, Senator Clark not on
~ refused to answer irrelevant ques-
tions but did not base that refusal on
any desire to avoid discriminating him.
self. Thus the whole scheme to make
the taking of the senator's deposition the
ground work for a case against himself
in the senate chamber went to pieces
of its own weight.
Whatever may be the merits of the
case which the anti-Clark men finally
make against the senator, they undoubt-
eddy injure their cause before the public
by such cheap devises as the hearing be-
fore Justice Nichols. II Mr.. Clark is
guilty of the charges preferred against
him by his party enemies, his accusers
should make their case by open handed
methods hat for fairness and equit,
will challenge the admiration of the peo-
pile who are concerned in purging the
state of a reputation for public crimes.
Cheap by-plays, little snapshots on the
side. and indirect methods to secure an
admission of guilt. merely serve to con-
vince the public that Mr.. Clark's ac-