The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-01-24
THE SENATORIAL SCANDAL.
A Montana Politician Who Is Alleged
TO Have Bought His Seat in the
United Stt tea Scnate

ohtcu StS IeS senate.
The Senate committee on elections
has resumed consideration Of the case
OF Senator Clark, of Montana, who is
charged with having bought his way
into the United States Senate. The
facts that have been given the public
Indicate either the most open bribery
Of the Montana Legislature, or else tn e
bold st game Of bluff that has ever
been p.ayed in u political sght.
1t seems that lawyer Of Butte, Mon.
| tana, named Welcome was the man
| ager OF Clark's campaign Ia the Mon
tana Legislature. State Senator White
side, OF Montana, convinced that Well.
come was CIvrk lobbyist, aud present
Tor the purpose Of improperly obtain
ing votes, set about ipgratiatiug him.
self in his confidence. He succeeded
aud ere long had promised his vote to
Clark and agreed for $40 1000 to aid
WELCOME In securing certain other
! votes. Whitecide thereupon took into
his conf lence two other meu bers OF
tho Senate, informing them OF the
game be was playing agaiost Well.
come. III got these two Senators to
agree aisn to give their votes TO Clark
| !or $40 600 each. Wellcu,1is TO deposit
| the $50 900 for the two votes ia the
hands OF Whitcside as stakeholder, the
money not TO be paid over uutil the
votes were delivered. A mombsr Of
the House was also found who agreed
to vote for Clark for $1,000, and this
sum was also placed In Whiteside's :
hands as stakeholder. When White
side haG ii st agreed 10 cooperate
| with Welcome for $40, 600 he had re-
Ccived So, ,OO0 on account. This, with
| the other sums which he held Us stake.
! holder, aggregated $50, 900.
IT was at this stage Of the game tn at
Whitesidc thought everything was
ready for his coup before the Legisla-
ture, and 50 he arose in his place, re-
cited the faCts which have already
been given, denounced Welcome as
the financial agent Of Clark, and rs
evidence OF tho truth of his story, sent
up $1,000 ia cash to the president Of
the Senate. a tremendous sensation
followed.
But + Whitesidc's story is true
Ciark's agent had already liked ma
jority Of the body snd thcy were oblig-
ed TO stand together. AZ soon as tho
first sLo ok Of Whitside's 3 q disalosure was
rallied from, the Clark contingent in
the Senate turned the attack upon
Whiteside, declaring that this $50 600
bad not been received from the asont
Of Clark, but it had been furnished by
Marcus DAILY, the copper king. Q
was bitter opponent of Clark for
the purpose OF making this graadstand
play before the Senate in the hope of
eliminating Clark from the Senat0ria
race. They then proceeded to convict
Whiteside Of falsehood and expelled
him from the body, leaving Clark mas
ter OF tho situation and proceeding
with his election to the United States
Senate.
Though stunned by the miscarriage
OF his fight in the Senate, Whitesde
did not tamely submit to the result
reached In that body, but carried the
case into the courts in d motion to dis
bar Welcome from practice. This
opened the whole case and all the tes-
tinony which had been rel ,cted In the
Senate was brought out in full before
the Supreme Court, and Whjteside
was sustained and Welcome disbarred.
The opponents Of Clark have car.
RED the fight against him into the
United States Senate, and testimony
Is how being taken before the commit
tee on privileges and elections 1t is
one OF the most remarkable cases
which have ever come before the pub
lie, and II the facts charged by White
aide and sustained by the Supreme
Court of Montana are satisfactorily
proven before the United States Sen
ate, they should not hesitate to expel
Senator Clark from that body.