New-York tribune., 1900-04-11

undivided judgment, the Montana Senator's
election was due TO, or at least influenced by,
the undue pressure Of an extravagant campaign
fund So frank. indeed, We're Mr. Clark's ad-
missions when questioned as to the aggregate
OF his political disbursements and scandal
the whole tone of the testimony de-
veloped by the investigation. that the commit
tee could scarcely draw any other conclusion
than the reached by it to-day without dis
sent or division. Mr.. Chandler the chairman
Of the committee. and Mr.. Turley. the leading
member on the minority side, were delegated
TO prepare the report. declaring the Montana
Senatorial election OF 1899 void and illegal.
They will take two or three days to frame YER
dict which it is now apparent will be accepted
by the Senate without hesitation and pract-
cally without argument.
MAY NOT WAIT TO BE UNSEATED.
In view of the Senate's inevitably hostile
ton. IT is rumored that Mr.. Clark will not wait
to be ousted from his seat but will resign with
q statement that he does not care to hold an
office which in the opinion Of his colleagues
to him irregularly corruptly. If Mr..
Clark resigns he appeal with much more
force to the next Montana Legislature for re-
election. That he will seek a vindication at
home is considered highly probable. for the
tion Of the Senate will fix imputaron OF per-
scnal corruption upon him. but only warn him
and other asprants for Senatorial honors that
they must engage hereafter in such gigantic
expenditures may a doubt on the free
dom and legality OF the Legislatures choice.
PROSECUTIONS METHODS CONDEMNED.
The decision of the committee was reached
after a session OF two hours. at which all the
members were present except Senator Caffery,
of Louisiana, and he teIegraphed his vote in op-
position to Mr.. Clark. The ballot was not taken
until all the members present had given their
views, all expressing different shades OF opinion
Senator Harris of Kansas, indicated the strong
est leaning toward leniency for Mr. Clark. He
did not doubt that there had been a lavish ex-
penditure of money in Mr. Clark's behalf and
while not condoning this course, he spoke in
terms OF strong condemnation of the tactics
pursued by some of Clark's opponents, referring
especially to Congressman Campbell and ex-
State Senator Whiteside. He said that what
ever Mr.. Clark's offences. they little worse
than the methods pursued by Campbell and
whiteside in their efforts to expose the Senator
and ne insisted that If the report was to be an
tagonistic to Mr.. Clark 1t should at the same
time relate in full detail the pursued by
the two principal witnesses against him.
Senator Pettus practically agreed with Mr..
Harris The two Senators also expressed some
doubt as to the justification Of the conclusion
drawn by majority Of the committee that Mr.
Clark's candidacy for the Senate began in Au-
gust. 1898. when he returned to Butte from
New-York The effect of this conclusion was to
charge the entire $4,000 which Senator Clark
confessed to having expended TO his campaign
for the Senate, while the contention was made
in Mr.. Clarks behalf that he had not become a
candidate until after the State election, thus
eliminating from the campaign the amount
spent in the general contest. Senator McComas
expressed himself as convinced that the Sena-
torial seat was in view from the beginning. He
united with other Senator'S however in con-
demning the methods pursued in prosecuting
the
The consensus Of opinion Of the committee ap-
peared unfavorable TO accepting any one especia