The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-24
The Senate as a Duty to Itself and
Montana Should So Declare,
THE BASIS OF The FINDINGS.
The Expenditure in the Contest of
1895, as Admitted by Senator Clark
Hnnscif-Ti,c Report Says Mr..
Clark Must Have Known of
,hc Acts Done i'll
His Behalf.


Chandler, from the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections, today submit
ted TO the Senate the report Of that COM
nlittee in the case of Senator Clark, Of
Montana. Eac report says:
The finding of the committee is that
The election to the Senate Of William a.
Clark, OF Montana, is null and void on
and corrupt practices by his agents, and
OF violation of the lssss of Montana de-
lining and Furnishing crimes against the
elective franchise
The committee unanimously recon-
11ends the adoption by the Senate of the
following resolution:
Resolved. Tsat William a. Clark was
not duly and legally elected to a seat in
The Senate CT the United States by the
Legislature of the State Of Montana.
The report concludes: Tho Senate
should. as a duty to itself and to the coun-
Try, demonstrate by its action in this case
that seats in the United States Senate
procured as Senator Clark's has been pro-
cured cannot be retained BY the deb-
crate judgment of the Senate. The Sem
ate also owes a duty TO the people of
Montana who, conscious Of the bad re-
Iute into which the Senate had fallen by
connection With its elections, manifested
such q public sentiment that The legsla-
ture Of 1925 passed a statute which obeyed
would have redeemed the State from It's
bad name. Montana has a rigct 10 eX-
psct q prompt and decisive remedy from
the action OF the Senate upon the report
OF this committee"
BASIS OF FINDINGS.
The finding are based on the following,
admitted as undisputed facts, appearing
in the testimony:
Il. The expenditure in the contest of
1855 as testified 70 by Senator Clark ana
Governor Hauser-
The law Of 1885 relative to crimes
against the elective fraiicnise, limiting
The purpose and amount Of political ex-
penditure IN any election.
..3 Senator Clark has been constantly
2 candidate for Office Iha organization
OF committee in his interest in the
summer of 1S9S. to which the report says
me gave unlimited authority to spend
money which he agreed to furnish, an
estimate, however, being made that at
least s35G0o would be necessary to secure
the State Convention, and that $4,000
might be. needed to secure the State
legislature
Il IN the canvass which ensued the
approximate expenditure admitted by the
various members of his committee and
Charles w Clark, s35, coo; by McDermott,
$1,000: by Davidson. agent $22,300: by
Welcome $1,000: by Steele. 81 900: by
Corbett, $500: by Whitmore, $4,000; by
Cooper, $500 mainly furnished by Chas.
W. Clark, and the amount OF these ey-
penditures Senator Clark himself paid
to his son. The advances and payments
made by Senator Clark to mis- committee
and assistants, as admitted by him,
amount 10 about SlS9 $50.
- None of the members of his commits
tee or their assistants made tie sworn re-
turns required by law, nor did Senator
Clark himself make any return
Sections to Is deal with the business
transactions of Mr.. Clark and mis- repre-
sentatives with members of the Legislature.
5ncluiing the purchase. OF Representative
AcLaughlin's property; the teder of 5000
to Representative Woods to raise the
mortgage on his ranch, and the subsequent
sale of the ranch; the establishment of a
bank after the adjournment of the 1.egis-
aature, largely through the efforts Of Secla-
tor T:err.ey and Representatives Eversoie
and Shovelin, OF Broadwater County; the
sale OF lots and other property in Jefferson
County TO a representative of Mr.. Clark
by Senator Warner: the conduct of Messrs.
Carr. Gieger, Finn. Beasiey and Bywater,
and the present of So 900 to Representative
Day, after the adjournment of the Legis-
lature.
These facts are strengthened by addi-
tional facts. including various unsuccess-
full attempts 10 secure votes by offers of
money, which. although denied, are found
by the majority Of the committee to be
sustained by the preponderance Of the
testimony.
The report states State Senator White
sides connection with the candidacy of
Senator Clark and the efforts TO expose
the Senator's methods, and says:
THE ACCISERS
Three accusers-IyhitesIde, Myers and
State Senator CIark-undouhtedly cccu-
pied the position of detectives. who viii
fully deceived the parties with whom they
were dealing and against whom they
made charges. Those they accused too,
IL guilty would be quite certain to add
the offence of false swearing. The ex-
,,osure resulting from the conspiracy
formed ana carried forward by Mr.. Mar
Gus Daily was 4 necessity of the Clark
canvass ard defence. but Mr.. DAILY and
Mr.. Conrad and others suspected. denied
all knowledge of the $4,000, OF which
$1,000 was in one thousand dollar bills,
produced by Mr.. W-nitaside as the money
furnished by Mr.. WELCOME oiu the at
tempted brtberies. There were other sue
cesses in procuring by corrupt practices
the votes of members of the Legislature,
where the facts naturally cannot be
directly proved.
The report censrres Republican mem
bers OF the Montana Legislature. who
left their Republican candidate and voted
for Clark, giving him his election
The report says: 1T is difficult to ac-
count for their votes. as his canvass had
been tainted The reasons for these Re-
pubacans votes seera to be pretences and
covers
Commenting on the legal phases of the
case the committee says.
According to the law. as understood
by the committee. Senator Clark cannot
be permitted to retain his seat. He re-