Washington sentinel., 1899-12-09
ton is tampered with the better it
will be Tor our liberties.
"Ir' the Charges are Sustained.

4
The Senate ol the United States
has several times, saws the New
/ York WoyId, lowered its char
&C er by neglecting honestly to in
vsstigate charges Of bribery and
corruption made against its mem
bers elect. But in none OF these
ms ances has the evidence been so
strong or the circumstances so
scandalous as in the case OF Will
lam a Clark, the Senator from
Montana.
Mr.. Clark is one OF the "mi1ing
kings" who sought seat in the
Senate regardless oi expense.
In the d sbarment proceedings
brought against the lawyer Who, It
is charged, acted as Clark's agent.
State Senator Whiteside testified
that he determined when elected
to expose any one who should at.
tempt the corrupt use of money in
the Senatorial contest. In pursu-
ance Oi this plan he secured the CO.
operation oi three other members
IN whose hon sty he had conf
dence, and soon received 500
each for two of the Senators and
IS. 900 each for himself and a Rep
rssentat,ve. This $50. 900, in s 900
bills, was put in envelopes by the
recipients, sealed and duly m lTked
for Identification, and turned over
TO the State Treasurer. who still
holds it. State Senators Clark and
Meyers corroboTated this testi-
monY.
The Chaplain OF the Montana
House, Rev. B H. Warren, testi-
fed that he had believed that the
bribery rumors traduced Mr..
Clark, and to convince himself that
all such stories were false he had
called upon the candidate during
the Senatorial campaign. He said
that as a means OF introducing the
subject he told Mr.. Clark that he
(Warren) had a friend in the Leg
islatuTe whose vote he might be
alb c to influence. Clark, accord
ing to Chaplain Warren's testi-
mony, replied as quick as fash:
Tell your friend l will pay him
$4,000 Tor his vote
Senator Wh;esi1e swore that
there seemed to be no end to the
money supplY"-that "the Clark
agents expected to use nearly
81. 600 600" Other observers put
the amo unt actually paid at $780,
ooo-Republica votes command
ing onlY Ss,o 900.
he only defense attempted IS
the old and very thin one OF "con.
spiracy." But in the face OF the
actual money "Impounded" and OF
the cumulative testimony taken
this does not deceive anybody If
the Senate neglects to make a
searching investigation into this
case, and does not expel Clark if
the charges are sustained, it will
leave an indelible stain upon its
honor.
On the other hand Senator Clark
says that not one member OF the
Montana Legislature who is al
legged IN the charges to haYe been
brIbed ever cast his vote for him
for the position OF United States
Senator, with the execution OF a
single man, who voted Tor me from
the first and who upon the floor OF
the joint conVention denounced the
man who charged him with being
bTbed as liar and a scoundrel.
Further tha this. il the inVestiga-
ton into his election is pr cssed It
will afford him great pleasure to
repel by every member OF the Leg
islature, il necessary, who cast hIs
vote Tor him, the charge that the
member did not do so freely, vol
nntarily. and without anv induce
ment whatever offered by him."
With this explicit and emphatic
statement, Senator Clark meets the
protest fled in the Senate last
Monday, alleging that he had Sc
cured his election by corrupt
means. lie said that he Rad re-
Trained from any utterances in the
newspapers, preIerrIng not to have
his case tried in that way. "And
would not at this time" he added,
"be interviewed # my enemies had
not made their side of the case
public through Unfair and malici-
Gus assertions. l we come" he
said, "the fullest investigation, be-
cause it means the pr bable termi-
nation of war that has been re-
lentlessly and without provocation
waged against me by personal enc
mres for the last twelve years, by