Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1899-02-23

Salt Lake City, Feb. 2l.-A. w.
McCune, leading candidate for United
States senator, is charged with bribery
to secure his election. His accuser is
Representative Law of Cache county.
McCune enters firm denial Of the
charge, which is met by Law with the
assertion that he is prepared to prove
the charge. Utah politics have never
known such sensation as the charge
has produced and little else is talked
of. commission composed of Sena-
tors Shurtliff, Whitney and Howell
and Representatives Sorensen, Stewart,
Cummings and Mansfield has been
chosen to investigate the charges.
They are now sitting as a court of in
quiry, but report is hardly expected
before Wednesday. The commission
is empowered to summon witnesses
and compel them to testify.
At the opening of the joint session
Saturday, Representative Law arose to
question of personal privilege His
manner indicated that something un-
usual was about to transpire. He
spoke with earnestness and seemed to
weigh his words as he uttered them.
There was marked stiffness when in
clear, positive tones he charged that
Mr.. McCune had given him money for
his vote. After few preliminary
remarks, Mr.. Law continued:
Mr.. president and members of this
legislature will now give the proofs
for these charges made. Now, sir,
will state that last Tuesday night l
held an interview with that gentleman
(Mr. McCune) and in the course of our
remarks he said that he proposed to
be electcd-that he had spent too much
in this fight to lose. And, sir, on top of
that, he said: Law, If you will vote
for me tomorrow you may name your
price" Mr.. President, | did not take
advantage of that offer because l am
not built that way. l claim to be an
honest man and / cannot be so at
tracted from my line of duty. Had it
not been for the knowledge that l
man and expose them to you and the
people l should most assuredly have
flung everything back into his teeth,
have taken stand against that can
didate. and then determined TO dis
close this kind of business.
Now, sir, yesterday afternoon | was
telephoned to from the McCune head
quarters and was asked to come to
those headquarters, | made the ap-
pointment at o'clock, and the same
proposition was made me as on Tues
day night. Now, sir, after left those
| headquarters ! was detained for two
hours, after which | went at once to
the chief of police, Mr.. Pratt, and
agreed that it was our duty to detect
and expose and drag into the iron arms
of the law, this culprit-this man tina,
was trying to purchase the honor OF
this great state of Utah, We acted on
short notice. We instantly made a
plan to reveal to the public this scheme
that had been SO fully plotted. Now
sir, l am here now to present the facts
in this case.
| telephoned to the McCune head
quarters this morning, and after insist
ing on seeing McCune personally-Mc
Cune himself-McCune came to the
telephone. | then reminded him OF
the conversation Tuesday and told hin
God forgive me for telling lie; bu
l did it for the honor of Utah)-I TOLD
him that | had reconsidered his offe,
and wanted to meet him for furthe
arrangements of the proposition.
Mr.. McCune and l then met at tn
Wasatch drug store: and there and thel
we held conversation, the substanc
of which was how much it would TAX
to buy my vote. We agreed upon TIL
price. The exact amount is not neces
sary to be named, but | will name it |
you want me to do so. (Numerou
cries of Name it, name it!') 1t wa
ST. 500. Fifteen hundred dollars, IN
fellow Legislators fifteen hundred do
lars for me to sacrifice the honor O
myself, my citizenship, our Utah, ou
great republic! That was the pric
agreed upon, and in few minutes
was agreed that l shonld be paid $40
this morning, aud between and
o'clock this afternoon | was to receiv
the remainder of the sum.
Now, sir, want to tell you just hoy
proposed to detect the thing and fun
nish indisputable evidence for til
scheme, in order that the public ma
not DOUBT the IOul eHOfL, anu III OFuS
that we might strike terrific, staG
gering blow to this corruption of stat'
Now, | slept in the Jennings block La
night, and it was our plan to have Nj
McCune meet me there in my room thi
morning, while Mr.. Pratt should
where he could listen to what shoul
be said by us. But, sir, when | aske
Mr.. McCune this morning to go int
the privacy of my room, he said IN
let us go into some saloon" | reptile
that there was too much at stake f.
me to go into so public place, ar
told him that my room where | sle
last night in the Jennings block wou
be the most secret place. Then NJ
McCune said: "Wait till | get son
change and he bought some cigars
stand. While he was doing this
saw a friend of mine standing on Il
sidewalk, a man that used to work
Colonel Bryan at Ann Arbor.
Ann Arbor Mich Feb 00-GnlOn