The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-23
BRIBERY CERTAIN.
Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections
Submits It's Report on the Clark
Investigation.
FINDS PLENTY PROOF
That the Montana Man Pur-
chased His Election
FINDS PLENTY PROOF
Without Considering the Alleged
Whiteside Conspiracy.

Washington, April Ex-senator Chan
dler. from the senate committee on
privileges and elections today submitted
to the senate the report or that commit
tee in the case of Senator Clark of
Montana. The report is comparatively
brief, covering only about fifteen pages
of printed matter. 1t does not rehearse
the testimony but simply presents the
findings of the committee and it's rea-
sons for its course. The finding of the
committee is stated as Follows:
THE finding, of the committee is that
the election to the senate OF VIM. 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, de-
| fining and Furnishing crimes against the
| elective franchise"
| In view of this finding the committee
reports and unanimously recommends
| the adoption by the senate of the fol-
| lowing resolution:
| THE REPORT.
| Resolved, That VIM. A. Clark was
| not duly and legally elected to a seat
/ in the senate of the United States by
/ the legislature of the state of Montana.
! The report concludes with a strong
| recommendation for early consideration
| of the case as follows:
1.-THE senate should, as duty to itself
| and to the country, demonstrate by its
| action in this case that seats in the
| United States senate procured as Sen
| ator Clarks has been procured can not
be retained by the deliberate judgment
| of the senate. The senate also owes a
| duty to the people of Montana, who con-
| scious of the repute into which the state
| had fallen by reason of vast expend1-
| lures of money in connection with its
| elections, manifested such a public SEN
| timent that the legislature of 1895 pass
| ed a statute which, if obeyed, would
have redeemed the state from its bad
name. For the direct and gross viola
Of hot G+o
quent discredit which continues to rest
upon the state, Montana has a right to
expect a. prompt and decisive remedy
from the action of the senate upon the
report of this committee"
| The committee states that its finding
| is made in view of certain admitted OF
| undisputed facts with their attendant
circumstances, appearing in the testi-
mony taken by the committee and thest
are enumerated under Is headings as
THE FINDINGS.
1. The expenditures in the contest oi
, 1895 as testified to by Senator Clark anc
Gov. Hauser.
{ q Quotes the law of 1895 relative t.
crimes against the elective franchise
7 which limited in purpose and amoun
the political expenditures which coult
be made in any election, either by polit
: ical committee, or candidate
, for United States senator VIII
! 1 could not give more than $1,O0
I to any one committee in a county ant
r could not pay more than 1000 for hi
2 personal expenses in lawful ways speci
y fed.
, g. Asserts that Senator Clark has beel
e | constantly a candidate for Office ant
| gives his record in that respect AM
f notes the organization of comm1tte
in his interest in the summer of 1S9
after the consultation with his friends il
Butte.
ITO this committee the report says
I ri
money which he agreed to furnish; a.
estimate, however, being made that a
least $1,000 would be necessary to Sc
cure the state convention and that $75,
900 might be needed to secure the stat
legislature
THE EXPENDITURES.
In the canvass which ensued the ap
d proximate expenditures admitted by tn
s various members of his committee an
e their assistants were as follows:
Charles w. Clark, $25.OOO; by Nc
Dermott, $22, 900; by Davidson, agen'
= $22. 300; by Welcome, $4,000; by Steele
Il 81 500: by Cooper, 81, 800; mainly fur
( nished by Charles w. Clark; and tn
= amount of these expenditures Senate
: Clark himself paid to his son. The ad
:. vances and payments made by Senate
: Clark to his committee and agents, a
> admitted by him, amounted to abou
$139, 900, of which sum Charles w Clar
Il received on August II, 1898, $4,000; OC
tober II $4,000: November %, $40, ,00
and February 13, 1900, S2O,592 and
addition to this $139,000 Senator Clar
paid $1,000 to McDe1mott, one of HI
agents, IS, 600 to Welcome, his attoTne.
g and $5, 600 to E. c. Day, member of tn
Il legislature.
5 None of the members of his com
mittee or their assistants made tn
sworn returns required by law, nc
did Senator Clark himself make an
u | return.
Il Sections to Is deal with the bushes
- transactions of Mr.. Clark and his rel
l. resentatives with members Of the Iegi.
1t lature, including the purchase of Rel
. resentative McLaughlin's property, tt
1e tender of $4,000 to RepresentatiN
r Woods to raise the mortgage on h
> ranch and the subsequent sale of II
= ranch; the establishment of a ban
ic after the adjournment of the legisl;
" ture, largely through the efforts Of Sci
i atOr Turner and RepreSentativ E
ersole and Shevlin of Broadwat
"a county; the sale of lots and other pro-
f. erty in Jefferson county to a represel
i tative of Mr.. Clark by Senator Warne
Of the conduct of Messrs. Carr, Giege
or Fine, Beasley and Bywater, and Il
l. present of $1,000 to Representative De
in after the adjournment of the Iceisii
ture. Speaking of the transaction vii
Woods, the committee says:
CLARK KNEW ABOUT IT.
Senator Clark knew of Mr. Bicl
re ford's attempts to purchase the 4
ne debtedness which Woods owed, and Il
correspondence shows that the obje
Ut was to secure Mr. Woods vote for Sc
ne ator Clark. Bickford testified:
IS In pursuance Of the letter (the lie
n ter of November II, from one .Ecto
and Of the invitation, which I at Il
time received, made arrangements
obtain for the purpose of using it
n prevent the Indebtedness of Woods g
s. ing into the hands of Mr.. Daly's friend
h. the sum of 81. 900 with which to ia
up that indebtedness