Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-13
IS S

forts of Chairman Chandler Of the sena-
| torial investigating committee to reach
the truth, he has more han once placed
himself in a position that suggests the
bare possibility of a bias. While the In
ter Mountain makes no charge of that
character against the honorable senator.
appearances indicate hat his %prejudices
have the faculty of creeping unconscious
ly into his work from time to time.
Were the, committee governed by rules.
after the manner of a court. there might
be little room to draw conclusions of this
character: but it is a law unto itself. 1t
can admit or exclude evidence at will,
| and turn as many corners ON the o to
i a conclusion as it's own sweet will may
suggest. This affords an opportunity
for the exercise Of any bias which it's
chairman nay feel, provided he has the
personal misfortune to be in that fix
Efforts to procure evidence and to probe
into the accuracy of statements made are
highly commendable. and will meet the
approval Of the American public; but
there should be no jug-handle enthusiasm
in the pursuit of facts. Montanians who
are familiar with the existing condition
Of things in this state realize that no
i harm is done when the committee seeks
to satisfy itself as to the credibility of
testimony given. But If it seeks to i'm
peach the integrity of a prominent wit
ness on one side, with a view to discredit-
ing the evidence given. it hould be equal
| ly liberal in dealing with the other side.
Mr.. Chandler denied to the defense the
| right to introduce evidence bearing on the
personal character and reliability of Fred
! Whiteside. when such evidence pertained
matters that concerned his election to the
state senate. But the private affairs of
men who nave not been, accused under
oath Of accepting brides. but who have
been indirectly charged with such a pos
sibility, have been probed from Alpha to
Omega-from their bank books to their
wives RELATIONSHIP a tireless search for
something that would ruin their charac-
tiers and discredit their den.als under
oath.
This search for the facts, extending
from garnet to cellar, is all right enough.
But if such men, some of whom are above
~reproach, are subjected to an investiga-
ton of a most humiliating character, in
order to break down their reputation for
veracity, why did the star witness for the
prosecution escape a review Of his past
acts which have a direct and important
bearing upon his integrity as a man.? The
alleged transaction between Whiteside
and Folk have just as important a bear
ing or the case in issue, as touching upon
the character and methods of the prose-
cutting witness. as has the testimony Of a
banker, for instance, as to whether John
Doe or Richard Roe had $1,000 or SO, 900
to his credit upon the books of his finan-
cial institution.
If it is all a matter bearing upon the
integrity of a witness, any fact which
may tend to discredit him is just as i'm
portamt as any other fact looking to the
same end, when the committee is limited
to no rules. Though Mr.. Chandler would
not allow the defense to impeach White
side, through evidence bearing on his al
legged actions in Flathead county, yester-
day he made the following "crack'' at
Mr.. Bickford:
We want Mr.. Woods here. so we can
learn why it was necessary for Bickford
to carry 1000 Of Charles Clark's money
to Missoula to buy this Indebtedness.
It requires no diagram to show the veil
ed sarcasm in the foregoing remark, or to
indicate the meaning of the chairman OF
the senate committee. 1t is as palpable
as was the desire to shut off the testi-
mony Of Hill and Wright, as unworthy OF
belief. after Cason and Hewitt had talked
to their hearts content. However, all
this may be due wholly to Mr.. Chandler's
ambition to get at the facts in his OWL
sion may be reached. The Inter Mountain
has no criticism to offer as to the honesty
Of his intentions. and the rectitude of hi:
!, purposes. adverting to his seeming bia.
in the treatment OF testimony merely a,
) an interesting feature for public specula.
/ ton in a celebrated case.
The Anaconda Standard, the Butte
Miner, and Chairman Chandler all de.
j, mand that Swede Murphy should have
a hearing. Representing the independ.
emit population of the state. the Intel