The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-24
SHOULD BE DENIED HIS SEAT.
REPORT MADE TO THE SENATE IN
THE CASE OF CLARK.

the sent Shoutu lie OecIareu va
cant-The State OF Montana EN-
titled to This Actlon-RepubIican
Censured for Voting for Him.
Basis of the Findings.
Washington, April Ex-senator Chand-
Ter, from the Senate Committee on Privi-
leges and Elections, to-day submitted to
the Senate the report of the committee in
the case of Senator Clark of Montana.
The report says
'The finding of the committee is that
the election to the Senate of William A.
Clark of Montana is null and void on ac-
count of briberies, attempted briberies
and corrupt practices by his agents and
of violation of the laws of Montana de-
hning and punlshing crimes against the
elective franchise"
The committee unanimously recom-
mends the adoption by the Senate of the
following resolution:
Resolved, That William A. Clark was
not duly and legally elected to seat In
| the Senate of the United States by tho
Legislature of the state of Montana"
The report concludes:
"The Senate should, as a duty to itself
| anu W tnc tpdhliy ucAiOhohAoSS Wy ia
| action in this case that seats in the Units
| ed states Senate, procured as Senator
| Clark's has been procured, cannot be re-
| tained by the deliberate judgment Of the
| Senate The Senate also owes a duty to
| the people of Montana, who conscious OF
| the bad repute into which the state has
| fallen by reason of vast expenditures OF
money In connection with It's elections,
manifested such public sentiment that
| the Legislature of 1895 passed a statute.
| which, If obeyed, would have redeemed
the state from It's bad name. Montana has
a right to expect a prompt and decisive
| remedy from the action of the Senate
| upon the report Of this committee"
Basis of the Findings.
The findings are based on the follow
! ing admitted as undisputed facts appear
| ing in the testimony:
First. The expenditures in the contest
| of 1895 as testified to by Senator Clark
and Gov. Hauser
Second The law OF 1895 relative to
| crimes against the elective franchise
limiting the purpose and amount Of po-
litical expenditures in any election.
Third. Senator Clark has been con-
stantly a candidate for office The organ
ization of a committee in his interest in
the summer. of 1898 to which the report
says he gave unlimited authority to spend
money which he agreed to furnish; an es-
innate, however, being made that at least
| $4,000 would be necessary to secure the
State Convention and that $4,000 might
be needed to secure the State Legtsla-
| ture.'
Fourth. In the canvass which ensued
the approximate expenditure admitted by
the various members of his committee ana
their assistants were as follows: BY
Charles w. Clark, $4,000; by McDeTmott
$22, ,O00 by Davidson, agent $4,000; by
| welcome, 5000; by Steele, $1,000; by
Corbett, 5000; by Whitmore, &.e00; by
Cooper, $4,000. mainly furnished by
| Charles W. Clark: and the amount OF
these expenditures Senator Clark himself
paid to his son.
1.-THE advances and payments made by
Senator Clark to his committee and agents
as admitted by him, amounted to about
$139, 600.
"Fffth. None of the members of his
committee or their assistants made the
sworn returns required by law, nor did
Senator Clark, himself make any re-
turn"
CIarIS's business Dealings.
Sections six TO fifteen deal with the busi-
ness transactions of Mr. Clark and his re-
| presentatives with members OF the Legis-
/ lature including the purchase of Repre-
| sentative McLaughlin's properly, the ten
| der of &c. 900 to Representative Woods to
raise the mortgage on his ranch. and the
subsequent sale of the ranch; the estab-
| USnment OF "a Ddflk alptT tHG uuJOdihiilSh~
of the Legislature largely through the
efforts OF Senator Tierny and Representa-
| tives Eversole and Shovlin of Broad
water county; the sale of lots and otner
property in jefferson county to repre-
sentative of Mr.. Clark by Senator War
ner; the conduct of Messrs Carr, Gieger,
| Fine, Beasley and Bywater, and the
present Of 5000 to Representative Day
| after the adjournment Of the Legislature
"These facts" the report continues, are
| strengthened by additional facts includ-
| ing various unsuccessful attempts to secure
votes by offers of money, which, although
| denied, are found by the majority OF the
| committed to be sustained by the pre-
ponderence of the testimony"
The report cites former State Senator
| Whiteside's connection with the candidacy
of Senator Clark and efforts 70 expose the
| Senator's methods and says:
THE three accusers (Whiteside, Myers
| and State Senator Clark undoubtedly oc-
cupied the position of detectives who will
| fully deceived the parties with whom
they were dealing and against whom they
made charges Those they accused, too.
IL guilty, would be quite certain to add
the offense of false swearing.
"Ihe charge that the accusations and
| the exposure resulted from conspiracy
| formed and carried forward by Mr.. Mar
| Gus DAILY was a necessity of Mr.. Clark's
| canvass and defense. But Mr. Daily ana
| Mr. Conrad and others suspected denied
all knowledge of the $4,000 of which ST.
900 was in one thousand dollar bills, pro-
duced by Mr.. Whiteside as the money
| furnished by Mr.. Welcome in the at
| tempted briberies. There were other sue
cesses in procuring, by corrupt practices.
! the votes of members Of the Legislature.
where the facts naturally cannot directly
be proved"
Censures the Republicans.
The report censures Republican MEM
| bers OF the Montana Legislature who left
their Republican candidate and voted for
Clark, giving him his election. The report
says:
ct Is difficult to account for their votes,
as his canvass already had been tainted.
| The reasons lor the Republican votes
| seems to be ffetences and covers"
Commenting upon the legal phase OF the
| case, the committee says:
According 10 the law, as understood by
| the committee. Senator Clark cannot be
permitted TO retain his seat He received