The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-13

der the circumstances. / want to say
right here that in attempting to make
old sores bleed and keep up old per-
sonal aniInosities, the Independent is
not endorsed or sustained by any con-
siderable number of the people of Hell
ena. Naturally the republicans don't
care for it. The Helena democrats re-
member what a good, worthy newspa-
per the Independent used to be and the
bulk of them regard with con-
tempt the rag into which a once highly
influential paper has degenerated.
1t is easy. / imagine, to detect in
your treatment of the matter a rather
studied purpose to avoid anything that
points even the most remotely toward
anticipating the action of the court.
This is all right. Still, as both of these
papers have undertaken to prejudge the
case, the Miner having covertly threat
ened the court, and the Independent
breathing the spirit Of coming ven
geance to be visited upon the head Of
Marcus DAILY, it does seem to me and
to many others that you would have
been justified in going much farther
with your structures, even il it had car
ried you somewhat into a discussion of
the facts as shown by the testimony,
and the probabilities as to the truth of
the opposing charges.
You brought out the fact that while
Mr.. Clark and his particular friends
IldFS pGISlSteuliS cldiilleu ludl lie WAS
the victim of a foul conspiracy they
have one and all thrown every possible
obstacle in the way of a full and COM
plete investigation. AS a mere layman
this strikes me as being a most signifi-
cant circumstance. The charges against
Mr.. Clark are such and they are sup
ported by evidence of such mass and
character that they are certainly sufft-
cient to very strongly taint the title by
which he claims his seat. To prove the
conspiracy and punish the conspirators
would not only make his title clear, but
would enable him to stand before the
world with his manly honor fully vim
dicated. Such is the course naturally
to be expected from a man in his posi-
ton. for both the character and the title
of United States senator should be
above suspicion 1t is scarcely neces-
sary to emphasize your own statement,
that instead of courting investigation
he has studiously avoided it, raising
all manner of clubbing, petty objec-
tions. .
l understand fully that public men
cannot be expected to prosecute every
body who assails their character; but
1t must be remembered that this is a
most extraordinary case--one directly
involving Mr.. Clark's election 1t is a
duty that he owes, not merely to him
self, but to the people Of Montana
that in him they have senator worthy
to represent them in the chamber once
graced by Webster and Clay.
The failure of Mr.. Clark to take any
step to vindicate his character by
proving the alleged conspiracy, is
very strongly suggestive of the i'm
probability of the claim. We all know
to a moral certainty that money is fire.
quently and corruptly used to advance
the interests of sena torial candidates,
and some cases have been actually
proved. But a conspiracy in which
somebody has 'fdvanced many thou
sands Of dollars. and a number of pre-
viously reputable men have criminally
combined, for the mere negative pur-
pose Of keeping some particular man
from being elected senator, and not
even knowing who would be elected if
he We're defeated-such conspiracy, I
venture to say, finds no precedent in the
criminal history Of the United States.
And what is more remarkable still is
the fact that the alleged conspirators
are constantly on the aggressive, in
viting the fullest and freest investiga-
tion, While the one who claims to be
the victim Of the plot a man of colos-
sal wealth and surrounded by willing
and Jealous friends, is just as constant
ly shrinking from the encounter, and
seeking to screen himself behind the
naked claim that there is a foul con-
spiracy" against him-a conspiracy
which If it exist it should be the aim
of his life to expose and punish.
Concluding, permit me to say that
while / do not possess sufficient legal
knowledge to discuss the question in a
lawyer-like way, looking at it from the
standpoint of mere common sense, it
seems to me that if Mr.. Clark's defense
as thus far made is a good one, it will
never be possible to convict any man
of having bought a United States sena-
torship. 1t will only be necessary for
him and his agents to declare that there
is a conspiracy against him, to over
throw any case that could be made
FAIR PLAY.
Helena Nov. -, 1899.