Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-04-26
A CAUSTIC REPORT
ELECTION OF CLARK NULL AND
VOID BECAUSE OF BRIBERIEs.
MONTANA IN BAD REPUTE
Formal Report Of Commute Says SEN
ate Should Give That State An
Early Opportunity to Recover Its
Good Name. Some Of the Findings
of the Committee

Washington, April Ex-senator
Chandler, from the Senate committee
on privileges and elections, today sub
mitted to the senate the report of that
committee in the case of Senator Clark
of Montana. The report simply pre-
sents the findings of the committee
and its reasons for it's course. The
finding Of the committee is stated as
follows:
The finding of the committee is that
the election to the senate of William
A. Clark of Montana is null and void
on account of briberies, attempted
briberies and corrupt practices by his
agents, and Of violation of the laws of
Montana defining and Furnishing crimes
against the elective franchise.
In view of this finding, the commit
tee reports and unanimously recon-
mends the adoption by the senate of
the following resolution:
Resolved, that w. A. Clark was not
duly and legally elected to seat in
the senate of the United States by the
legislature of the state of Montana.
The report concludes with strong
recommendation for an early consider
alton of the case as follows:
The senate should, as a duty to it.
self and to the country, demonstrate
by its action in this case that seats in
| the United States senate procured as
| Senator Clark's has been procured
cannot be retained by the deliberate
| judgment of the senate. The senate
also owes duty to the people of Mon
tana, who, conscious of the bad repute
into which the state had fallen by rea-
son of vast expenditures of money in
connection with it's elections. mani
tested such public sentiment that the
legislature of 1895 passed statute
which, if obeyed, would have redeemed
! the state from its bad name.
| For the direct and gross violations
of that statute and the consequent dis
credit which continues to rest upon
the state, Montana has a right to ex-
pect prompt and decisive remedy
from the action of the senate upon the
report of this committee.
The committee states that it's find
ing is made in view of certain admit
ted or undisputed facts, with their
attendant circumstances, appearing in
the testimony taken by the committee
and these are enumerated under fifteen
headings, some being as follows:
The expenditures in the contest Of
1895 as testified to by Senator Clark
and Gov. Hauser.
Section two quotes the law of 1885,
relative to crimes against the elective
franchise which limited in purpose
and amount the political expenditures
which could be made in any election
either by political committee or g
candidate, especially naming candi-
date for United States senator, who
could not give more than Sit to any
one committee in the county and could
not pay more than $1,000 for his per
SOnal expenses in lawful ways speci-
fed.
Section three asserts that Senator
Clark has been constantly a candidate
for office and gives his record in that
respect and notes the organization OF
a committee in his interest in the
summer of 1898 after the consultation
with his friends in Butte 70 this
committee he gave unlimited authority
to spend money which he agreed to
furnish; an estimate, however, being
made that at least $4,000 would be
necessary to secure the state conven-
ton and that $4,000 might be needed
to secure the state legislature.
Section four says in the canvass
which ensued the advances and pay
ments made by Senator Clark to his
committee and agents, as admitted by
him, amounted to about $4,000. Sen
| ator Clark also paid $4,000 to McDer-
mott, one of his agents; $4,000 to
Welcome his attorney, and $4,000 to
Z. {. Day, member of the legislature,
Section five says none of the mem
pers of his committee or their assist
ants made the sworn returns required
by law, nor did Senator Clark himself
make any return.
WELCOME THE PRINCE.