Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-01-18
A HOT ROAST.
"Reformer" Whiteside Held Up
to Public Scorn.
The Daily Heeler Clearly Criminal
and Equally as Guilty as the
Bribe>Civer.
Helena lndcpendcnt.l

Fred NlteSide, who holds "A seat
in the state senate Of Montana lit is
said by virtue OF airaudulcnt election
certihcate), il just now posing before
the legislature and the state ms a
guardian of public morals. He has
the inOrdinate craving of small ma
lures for notoricty. Not having abil-
ity to make himself known in any
other way, he aspires To get himself
talked about as an assassin of the
regulations OF other men. Unable to
earn honest fame, he seeks notoriety
through the easy avenue of infamy.
II he cannot he a Garfield he can at
least he a Guiteau.
He sits in the legislature as a mem
ber OF the state senate from Flathead
county. In that capacity he stated
on the floor of the Joint session that
he had induced certain well-known
men of the state to offer him money,
to the extent of thousands of dollars,
for his official vote and the official
votes of other members of the legis-
lature, for certain candidate for
United States senator. He stated
that he had received this money az a
bribe upon an understanding that his
official vote and the votes oi his as
sociates should be cast In favor of
Hon. W. A. Clark as n candidate for
United States senator. This is q
matter of record. The Independent
therefore asserts that Whitesides is q
self-confessed criminal; that he has
out of his own mouth convicted him
self Of crime; and that, II his words
are to he taken az true, he owes the
state a term of service in the peniten-
tiary at Deer Lodge.
The following 10 the language OF
section l65 of the penal code Of Mon
tana: Every member of either of the
houses composing the Legislative as.
sembly OF this state who asks, re.
ceives or agrees to receive any bribe,
upon any understanding that his Of.
fetal vote, opinion, judgment or &C.
ton shall be Influenced thereby OF
shall be given In any particular man.
ner, or upon any particular side ot
any question or matter upon which
he may be required to act in his Off
cial capacity, or gives or offers oI
promises to give any official vote In
consideration that another member
of the legislative assembly shall give
any such vote, either upon the same
or another question, Is punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison not
less than one nor more than ter
years"
Section lG6 of the penal code fur
ther provides as follows: Every per
son elected to either house of the leg
islative assembly who offers or prom
ises to give his vote or influence In
favor Of or against any measure oI
proposition, pending or proposed, tt
be introduced into legislative assem-
bly,, in consideration or upon condi
tion that any other person elected tc
the same legislative assembly will
give, or will promise or assent tC
give, his vote or influence In favor o
or against any other measure ol
proposition pending or proposed to
be introduced into such lcgislutiv,
assembly, the person making sucf
offer or promise is guilty OF solcita
tion of bribery and is punishable II
the state prison not less than on,
year nor more than ten years"
According to the shameless state
ments of this man he has wifully
violated the provisions Of both tn,
sections above quoted. Ii he is tC
be believed, then the sitting senator
from Flathead county Is a crimina
and should be prosecuted by the of
ficers Of the law. Furthermore
whether what he says is true orfalse
he is, from every standpoint Of de
cency and morality, sneak and {
cur. u true, then he has been en-
gagged in attempting and inducing
other men to commit crime; II false
then he is the greatest scoundrel whC
ever went unhung.
The courts have stated times with
out number that he who leads an
other into the commission Of crime il
no better morally than the crimina
himself. The evidence OF such an on
weighs little In any court Of justice
and, whenever introduced, the jur!
is always cautioned To give it littl
consideration unless corroborated il
every material circumstance by othe