The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-06

W aSllH5 lou, Jan. 0--Alle SeA4SitS
committee ca privileges and elections
today began its Investigations Of the
charges of bribery made in connection
with the election of Senator Clark of
Montana The proceedings were begun
by arguments from counsel on both
sides.
Mr.. Clark himself was present with
his counsel, former Senator Faulkner.
Elk Senator Edmunds appeared as lead
ing counsel for the compliments, max
ing the first statement in support Of
the memorial presented against Mr..
Clark.
He said the compliments expected to
be able to prove all the charges made
and to show that Mr.. Clarks election
was obtained by the liberal use of
money, ard that large sums of money
were furnished to this end in the con-
test. He believed the expenditures
could be traced to Mr.. Clark with due
effort on the part of the committee.
He said he and his associates had many
witnesses summoned.
Mr. EdmUndS also said the complain
anus C&Dected to prove all the charges
made. and in doing so, would enter
quite thoroughly into the Whiteside Ii
bel case, showing that when Senator
Clark had sn opportunity to appear in
court he had refused to answer any
material questions.
Evidence Before Grand Jury.
While Mr.. Edmunds was making his
statement. a question arose concerning
the admissibility of testimony taken by
the grand jury of Lewis and Clark
counties. Senator McComas took ocea-
sion to intimate that he would hesitate
to admit statements purporting to vio-
Lot Of nd
Replying, Mr.. Edmunds said the
notes on the grand Jury proceeding had
been made by Attorney. General Nolan
and had been presented and received
by the Montana court in the disbar-
ment proceedings against John 3.
Welcome.
Mr. HOar suggested that the testi-
mOny should be admitted for the time
and its relevancy determined upon the
final decision Of the case.
This brought out a spirited protest
by Mr.. Rogers Foster Of New York,
who appeared as one of the counsel for
Mr.. Clark. He urged that such a course
was contrary 70 the presidents of the
committee. that MIR. Nolan was antago-
nistic to Mr.. Clark and that at best
the testimony was eX parte- Such a
document was no more evidence than
an indictment would be. Mr.. Clark
character, but his right to a seat in the
senate
Referring to the Montana supreme
court, he said there was politics there
as well as elsewhere in the state. He
insisted that Mr.. Clark should have a
right to face and cTOss-examine all
witnesses.
Politics in Montana
F,x-SeDafo5- Faulkner made the state
ment on behalf of MI. Clark He re-
viewed the politics of Montana, re
ferTing to the DAILY gang and the
Clark faction in the Democratic poll
tics of the state. 1t was. he said, an
Acknowledged fact that the opponents
of Mr.. Clark in the state had deter
mined TO prevent his political prefer
ment, regardless of all the prOprieties
1t would be shown that nOtwithstapd-
ing that charges were made of bribery
against some fifty persons, including
thirty eight members Of the legislature,
there had been no proceedings against
any of the men thus involved in any
Of the Montana courts. This was evil
denCe that the present proceeding was
not sustained by public sentiment He
said:
The prosecution was conceived in
the womb Of personal malice, rocked in
the cradle Of personal hate and nOur-
ished upon corruption and Jealousy"
All the members of the legislative
committee were opposed to Mr.. Clark.
Outline Of Defense.
Outlining the defense, Mr.. Faulkner
said it would show the proceedings
against Mr.. Clark had really 1ad their
origin in the senatorial contest in 1898.
when the idea of springing a. pretended
exposure Of Mr.. Clark upon the legis-
lature was conceived by the Daily fac
ton, and that the leader Of the fac
ton had turned prophetic in Deem
Der, 1898, and declared that If Clark
had showed his head something would
be- heard to drop and that he would
drive Clark out of the state.
Other points of the defense were out
lined and the statement was made
that. if necessary, each charge against
the senator viii be met 'by direct and
positive proof of its falsity."
After hearing these preliminary
statements the committee held an ex-
ecutive session to decide upon the
status of the papers before it. but after
considerable discussion on the points,
adjourned without action.
The hearing of testimony win begin
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