The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-10-03
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When Senator W. A. Clark was or
the witness stand in Butte last week,
before the justice Of the peace in the
libel suit case brought against the
Butte Miner by Fred Whiteside for de.
famation of character, the following
colloquy Of more or less local interest
took place, Attorney W. s. Hartman
~propounding the questions:
Are you acquainted with State Sen.
ator Gruwell, and did he vote for you?''
decline to answer"
Ibid you pay or agree to pay to him
any money for his vote and support?"
decline to answer"
"Are you acquainted with Repr essen
tative %Losekamp, and did he support
you?"
"Same answer"
Ibid you agree to pay him any sum
Of money for his vote?"
Refuse to answer"
did you ever pay any money to him
in consideration of his support?'
Decline to answer"
In the early part of the session did
you purchase the Billings Times for
"a, 900 for one Morris and part of the
consideration was that Orwell and
Losekamp would vote for you for SELL
ator?'
II decline to answer"
When the attention Of Editor Morris
Of the Times was jokingly called to the
above, with the remark, 80 you held
out $500 Of the purchase price on Judge
Matheson," MI. Morris laughed, slap.
ped his questioner on the back and re.
marked that "Senator Clark is all
right; there are no flies on him.
But the IN Of Senator Gruwell
and Representative Losekamp were not
the only ones used in connection with
alleged bribery in the legislature-th the
same questions were asked about every
member who voted for Senator Clark.
He declined to answer any Of them, az
stated in The Gazette last week, on
the ground that the questions were
irrelevant and immaterial." And
Justice Of the Peace Nichols. before
whom Senator Clark's deposition wal
being taken, sustained the senator in
his position. Both the Butte Miner
and Anaconda Standard published yer.
batim reports Of the examination, how
ever, and the part Of it quoted above
is only reproduced by this newspaper
as current news Of the day.
Il Y
And while this CLARK business ia
under discussion, I am reminded Of a
conversation I had recently with a
democrat prominent in state politics,
who makes no secret Of having worked
for Senator Clark's election last winter
for a consideration. The gentleman
said:
when the Welcome disbarment case
Gomez up before the supreme court next
month, | would not be surprised to see
a number of the members Of the legis.
lature absent from the state, 30 that
they will not have to appear as wit.
nesses. You see the action against
Welcome is not a criminal proceeding,
although it may develop into that later.
This being the case, the attendance Of
witnesses cannot be compelled, and
just watch and see if some members OF
the legislature don't take trips for their
ASNAtA dDOuU tuAU ClIl1e. |
And some other people, who were
not members, but were supposed to be
in the ranks Of the hired workers for
Clark, are liable to do the same thing.
The trial of the Welcome case, ~ The
Gazette has before remarked, is going
to shake this state from center to cir.
conference, but as 1t is exclusively o
democratic row, the republicans can
regard it with complacency. If it re-
suits in exposing the corruptness of
democratic methods in politics, Mon.
tana will be redeemed next year by the
election Of a straight republican state
ticket.
Apropos:s of this subject an editorial
in the last issue Of the Fort Benton
River Press is pertinent. which is here.
with quoted in full:
Although the address issued by
Chairman Shifelbin, Of the populist
party OF Montana. was made public
days ago, the serious charges :
therein made against the democratic
party have not been answered by any
democratic newspaper or politician. II
Mr.. Shifelbin's allegations are untrue. ,
the democratic party should not besi.
tate to expose and d~enounce the libel. |
Gus accusations; but ii the charges
mad arc susceptible Of proof, the
democratic press will refrain from
any attempt to defend Its party against |
this damaging populist attack. Mr.. !
Shifelbin's indictment charges that, by !
ander.handed methods, the democratic :
party elected seventy Ave members 10