The Forrest City times., 1900-04-27
\ KEEN-CUII|NG WEAPON.
rb. Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections Present It
 to the Senate.
IT'S INTENDED TO DEcApITATE CLARK.
o,.res that William A. Clark Was Not Duly nnd Legally Elected to n seat fin the Senate of the United states by the Legislature of the state of Nontnna-The Reasons.

Washington, April 24.-Senator Handler, from the senate committee on privileges and elections, submitted to the senate the report of that con- ,r;ttee in the case of Senator Clark, of Montana. The report is comparative |, brief. covering only about fifteen naees of printed matter. It does not relearse the testimony, but simply nresents the findings of the committee end it's reasons for its course. The fuding of the committee is stated as follows:
 The finding oft he committee is that the election to the senate of Wm. A. Clark of Montana, is null and void. on account of briberies, attempted briberies and corrupt practices by his agents, and of violation of the laws of Montana defining and pun ishing crimes against the elective fran chise. reports and unanimously recommends the adoption by the senate of the following
 Resolved, That William A Clark was not duly and legally elected to a seat in tbe senate of the United States by the leg islature of the state of Montana.
 The report concludes with a strong recommendation for early considera- tion of the case, as follows:
 The senate should, as a duty to itself, and to the country, demonstrate by its action in this case that seats in the United States senate. procured as Senator Clarks ha; been procured, can not be retained by the deliberate judgment of the senate. The senate also owes duty to the people of Montana, who conscious of the bad re- pute into which the senate had fallen hy reason of vast expenditures Of money in connection with its elections; manifested such public sentiment thapthe legisla- ture of 1885 passed a statute which, if oD- served, would have redeemed the state from its bad name.
 For the direct and gross violations of that statute and the consequent discredit which continues to rest upon the state, Montana has a right to expect a prompt and decisive remedy from the action Q; the senate upon the report of this commit tee
 The committee states that it's finding Is made in vIew of certain admitted or un- disputed facts, with their attendant cir cumstances, appearing in the testimony taken by the committee. and these are enumerated under Is headings as follows:
 ]. The expenditure in the contest of 1895 as testified to by Senator Clark and Gov. Hauser.
 2 Quotes the law of 1895 relative to crimes against the elective franchise. which limited in purpose and amount the political expenditures which could be made in any election, either by political commltteee or a candidate, especially naming a candidate for United States sem ator, who could not give more than sl 00e to any one committee in a county and could not pay more than s1 900 for his per sonal expenses in lawful ways specified.
 g. Asserts that Senator Clark has been constantly candidate for office. and gives his record in that respect. and notes the organization of a committee in his inter- est in the summer of 1898 after the consul tation with his friends in Butte.
 ITO this committeee" the report says, 'he gave unlimited authority to spend money, which he agreed to furnish: an es- innate, however, being made that at least SJ000 would be necessary to secure the state convention and that SIS, 900 might be needed to secure the state legislat ature."
 4 In the canvas which ensued, the ap- proximate expenditures admitted by vari- ous members of his committee, and their assistants were as follows: By Charles W. Clark. s25 OOo by McDermott. s22. GOO; by Davidson, agent, S22 360; by Welcome S5,Vo; by Steele, Sl1, 900; by Corbett, 5000; Ga,r,y 6y W,hifmore fr,e a'soo; by CooPer' $2sSo, and the amount of these expenditures Senator Clark himself paid to his son. The advances and payments made by Sem ator Clark to his committee and agents, as admitted by him, amounted to about slssOOO of which sum Charles w. Clark re- oelved ..d from him on August F. 1898, $35.- vo0 October r, s20.o00; November g, $40 @y and February IS, 1900. s20.59S, and in addition to this sl39, 900 Senator Clark paid SoW to McDermott, one of his agents: &,V9O to Welcome his attorney, and g. 000 to l.. C. Day, member of the legislature. ,. None of the members of his commit lee or their assistants made the sworn returns required by law, nor did Senator clark himself make any return.
 Sections to E deal with the business transactions of Mir. Clark and his repre- sentatives with members of the legisla- ture including the purchase of Repre- sentative McLaughlins property, the ten Ger of $6,o0s to Representative Woods to raise the mortgage on his ranch and the subsequent sale of the ranch; the estab- hshment of a bank after the adjournment ol the legislature largely through the ef- !orts or Senator Turney and Representa- uves EVersole and Shevlin, of Broadwater county; the sale of lots and other proper " Tn Jefferson county to a representative SoEduct ot Messrs. Carr, Gieger Fine. tStdadsley td and Bywater, and the present of sSo,oW to Representative Day after the ad- !eufnment of the legislature
 Alter detailing these circumstances the committee says:
 W nile the findings of the committee are are Justified by the foregoing admitted oi oi.u uhdlsppted facts, with their attendant sro uihstances standing alone, these facts ai ate strengthened by additional facts in- eludlng various unsuccessful attempts to tbo,,re tbbCu[e votes by offers of money which, al- ioe eotutsh denied, are found by the majority inIeua vne committee, to be sustained by the p'SSpohderance of the testimony.
 me committee also dwells quite se- efeiy on those republicans who final voted for Clark, thus breaking the sible.
 zGNoCnfR Enfr