The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-23
That's Natural.

VERY time there is a switch tc
= Clark, his newspaper. the Hell.
ena Independent, raises rec
flag; its anxiety seems to be that the
Standard will accuse the switchers OF
bride taking. After recounting, satur-
day morning, the switch to Clark made
BY several members, the Independent
nervously renewed the query which it
printed several times last week, by ask
ing, will the Anaconda Standard dare
to say that these solid citizens have
been bribed by W. A Clarke"
On this score, the Standard takes the
sworn testimony laid before the legis-
lature by committee which the two
houses appointed for the purpose of
making an investigation. That testi-
mony includes a statement which is
uncontradicted as to its veracity to this
day and which is now part of the tes-
timony before a grand jury which is
more tardy in reporting it's findings
than the public supposed it would be-
The sworn testimony says that Well
come, W. A. Clark's representative, used
these words: Every man who votes
for Clark is to be paid and the man
who votes for him without being well
paid is fool" Up to date, that testi-
mony has not been successfully chal-
lenged.
There is more of the same sort in affi-
davits read in the hearing of the two
houses at Helena. Here, for instance, is
what appeared in the sworn statement
of State Senator Clark of Madison
county:
1 went to room 2O7 and found Mr. Well
come there and Mr. A. j. Steele. Mr.
steele left and Welcome and myself pro-
ceeded to talk over the senatorial situa-
tlon. He stated to me that they wanted
my vote and influence for Mr.. Clark, and
mat they wanted it hard. asked Mr..
Welcome what there was in it and he
said 10000. I told him all right; that they
could have my vote when they produced
the money and deposited it in Mr. White
sides hands. to be paid to me when I
had complied with the conditions which
they named. These conditions were that
was to vote for w. A. Clark of Butte
as long as they requested it, or until they
saw there was no chance for his election
to the senate.
Welcome said to me: ST haven't got
the currency now; We have paid out SO
much and have used up all the big bills
we could find in the Helena banks, but
1t is all right: we will turn the money
over to Whiteside for you"
l told him I had no doubt that they
would, but l wasn't going to do business
in that way and they would have to
produce the money and let me count it to
see that 1t was right and ! would seal it
up and turn 1t over to Whiteside in his
presence, after marking the envelope so
that l could identify it in case anything
happened to Whiteside Mr.. Welcome
then said that 1.-The old man." meaning
w. A. Clark of Butte. would be in on the
evening train and he would bring with
him lot of currency in large bills, and
that he would see me again that evening
and fix it up.
I then left the room and about half
past 9 or 10 o'clock that night. on Jan. 4,
1899. Whiteside came to me and said that
Welcome wanted to see me. Mr.. White
side and myself went together to room
POI in the Helena hotel, and after talking
a little while Mr.. Welcome took me over
into the corner, took an envelope out of
his pocket. took out a bunch of bills and
said there was $4,000 there. l took the
bills and counted them over and there
were ten $1,000 bills. I placed them back
in the envelope and wrote my initials on
the seal flap.
To this hour, as we have said, there
has been no successful answer to these
charges of bribery. The testimony is
before the grand jury which has not
reported. 1t is true that the Clark peo-
pie in Helena are bold in the prediction
that they know what the grand jury
will do. and it is equally true that
this bold prophecy is used to
persuade! men who really want
to be persuaded even in advance of
the report from the jury room. No
body presumes to contend that w. A.
Clark is not buying notes.-the only
question is whether he can cover his
tracks. His hackers in Helena loudly
assert that he can. and even with the
question Of his criminality pending in
the jury room, the Independent is
among the agencies that urge his cleo
ton anyhow. Very naturally, the indie
pendent betrays anxiety that the men
who switch, pending the grand-jury re-
port, will be under suspicion. And,
most naturally, they are.
Quay's Fight.