The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20
BATCH OF PROTESTS
STRONG OPPOSITION TO MILLION
ARE CLARK, OF MONTANA.
Governor of the State and others Ask
the Senate Not to Give the
cooper King, a Seat.

WASHINGTON, May Ex-senator Cnan-
| der, the chairman of the Senate commit
tee on privileges and elections. has received
| the following message from Governor
| Smith. Of Montana:
'Sir-I have this day disregarded and re-
voked the appointment Of Hon. w. A.
| Clark. made by the lieutenant governor of
| this State on the 18th inst, as being tainted
with collision and fraud, and / have this
day appointed Hon. Martin Maginnis to
be United States senator to fill the resigna-
ton Of the Hon. w. a. Clark. Credentials
will follow in due course"
Senator Chandler has also received pro-
test against Mr.. Clark's being seated,
signed by Speaker Tiff, of the Montana
House OF Representatives, and number of
other county officials, dated at Missoula,
Mont, May 49, This protest sets forth the
proceedings in the Senate in the case of
Senator Clark and then says:
Whereas. 1t is apparent from the facts
and circumstances following that at the
time Mr.. Clark was delivering his speech
in the United States Senate notifying the
Senate of the fact that he had rendered his
resignation, his son and others who were
associated with him during the contest be-
fore the legislative assembly in January,
1899, and who are shown to have been par
Elephants in the bribery and corruption
practices in his election, were in the capital
of Montana, his resignation having been so
timed that it would reach the Office OF the
chief executive of the State OF Montana
during the absence of the Governor or the
State and while the lieutenant governor
was acting Governor, and upon whom 1t is
evident that they could confidently rely
for the contamination of scheme for his
appointment; and,
circumstances
rounding the transaction indicate and We
believe there was a conspiracy laid on the
part of w. A. Clark and those who were
associated with him in the contest DeIOre
the Legislative Assembly of January, 1899.
and who had by false and fraudulent pre-
lenses induced the Governor Of the State
to to absent himself therefrom' that the
the scheme) might be the acting executive
for the purpose of accepting the rendered
resignation and making the appointment,
end the lieutenant governor acting as
Governor, in defiance of the will, not only
of the people of the State of Montana, but
or all decent and right-thinking people of
the entire country as WE'LL pursuant to the
conspiracy and manifesting contempt
for the Senate of the United States and of
the opinions Of some Of its most emf
Eent and distinguished members, appointed
Mr.. Clark to the vacancy created by his
own resignation:
1--WE, the undersigned citizens of the State
OF Montana, do most earnestly, emphatical-
w. A. Clark being allowed to take his seat
in the Senate of the United States and by
virtue of the appointment already referred
TO until tine Senate, by its duly appointed
committee Oh privileges and elections. may
make such inquiry as may appear neces-
oary and proper as to the methods en-
rloyed in bringing about said appoint
ment.'
Another long protest signed by officials
and citizens of Silver Bow county, the
home Of both of Mr. Clark and Mr. Daily,
alleges that the appointment of Mr.. Clark
by the lieutenant governor is fraudulent
Following are a few of the statements in
the protest.
1.-THE resignation, instead of being sent
directly to the chief executive, was actual
ly sent to his son. c. w. Clark in Butte
and by his said son delivered to the lieu
tenant governor at Helena. The purpose
of this method of transmission apparently
was to provide for its delivery to the lieu
tenant governor If the Governor was out
of the State, but otherwise to withhold it,
meanwhile a plan being devised to get the
Governor out of the State so as to enable
the lieutenant governor to make the ap-
pointment. When the Governor left the
State the lieutenant governor also was alb
sent, having left for the purpose of attend
Ing the Peoples party national convention
to be held at Sioux Falls, S. d. But by
a singular coincidence the latter Official
who is Mr.. Clark's personal friend and bus
mess associate, leIt the convention before
it had made its nominations or transacted
any business, and hurried back to Mon
tana, arriving in time to receive Mr..
Clark's resignation from the hands of his
son. Then, within very few hours after
II was received, and only about twenty
four hours before the Governors return,
the lieutenant governor appointed Mr..
Clark to fill the supposed vacancy. In this
behalf the undersigned allege upon their
information and belief that the Governor
of Montana was fraudulently and decep-
lively lured from the State by Mr.. Clark,
through Thomas Kinds, one of his recog-
nized agents and political workers, for the
express purpose of enabling Mr.. Clark to
resign in his absence and to be reinstated
by the appointment of the lieutenant gov
ernor before the Governor could return"
At the opening of to-day'S session of the
Senate President pro tenn. Frye laid be-
fore the Senate a dispatch from the Gov
nouncing that he had revoked the appoint
ment Of w. A. Clark as senator made by
Lieutenant Governor Spriggs and had ap-
pointed Hon. Martin Maginns to fill the
vacancy. AT the request of Mr.. Chandler,
chairman of the committee on privileges
and elections, the telegram was referred to
his committee.
At I o'clock the resolution in the Mon
tana senatorial case was laid before the
Senate and on motion of Mr.. Chandler went
over until Monday
Senator Chandler to-day received the fol-
lowing telegram signed by a resident of
Montana whose name is not divulged:
TON Kinds wired from California TO con-
fidential partner that he had landed his
fish, meaning. he inveigled the Governor
away at opportune time. Resignation letter
originally dated in April, but date erased
and May IL inserted I'm different type"
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