The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-19
THE CLARK CASE.

| Senators do not have as good an opin-
ION of Mr.. Clark OF Montana, as they
had Immediately after he closed his ad-
dress in the Senate last Tuesday in de-
Tense of his conduct in his state. His
resignation as senator, sent 40 Lieut.. Gov.
| sprlggs, followed by his appointment by
that official to the vacancy thus created,
is looked on as a trick unworthy of
man who aspires to the high position of
senator.
And it seems that Gov. Smith of Mon
tana, has wired the Senate, protesting
against the acceptance of the credentials
of Mr.. Clark, on the appoin tment Of Lieut..
Gov. Sprggs. The Governor claims that
there was a plot TO bring about the APP
pointment of Mr.. Clark by the Lieutenant
| Governor. The plot consisted in getting
the Governor out of the state by various
Misrepresentation so that the Lieutenant
Governor could make the appointment.
As is well known the Governor is not
friendly to MIR. Clark. He belongs TO the
Marcus Daily faction-the faction that has
been fighting to keep MIR. Clark out of
the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor is
q friend of Mr.. Clarks. The Governor
has complicated the situation by appoint
ing a senator.
In support of the Governors statement
that there was plot in connection with
Mr.. Clark's appointment, it is pointed out
that Clark's resignation was written in
April. and that the date it now bears IS
May II. The inference is that Mr.. Clark's
son had the resignation several weeks,
holding it until the Governor could be in
duced to leave the state on, some pretext
or other.
So favorably was the Senate impressed
with the address of Mr.. Clark last Tues
day. that it was the understanding thai
that body would content itself with de-
claring that Mr.. Clark had not been duly
and legally elected senator from Mon
tame. But 1t is now thought that the
entire finding of the Committee on Eiec-
lions will be called up and adopted-that
| is, If the Senate concludes that it was the
| intention of Mr.. Clark to get back into
| the Senate by a trick.
There is a bare possibility that Mr..
Clark did not expect to get a seat in the
Senate on the credentials received from
Lieut.. Gov. Spriggs. 1t is said in his be-
half that he secured the appointment
simply for the advantage it would give
| him in a contest before the Legislature of
Montana next fall. 1t is doubtful, how
ever, if there is much to justify this view
of the case.
But even If the appointment of Mr.. Clark
| by the Lieutenant Governor should hold
| good and the chances are that it will
not. 1t is pretty certain that it would not
entite MIR. Clark to a seat in the Senate.
The resolution pending in the Senate is
| that he was never legally elected. The
| adoption of that resolution will not leave
a vacancy such as can be filled by the
| Governor. 1t will simply amount 20 an
| announcement that Mr.. Clarl had no seat
| to resign, and that there was no legal
| election by the Legislature last year. The
vacancy therefore can only be filed by
| the Legislature. Under the appointment
| by the Lieutenant Governor Mr. Clark
| has no more chance of getting into the
| Senate than Mr.. Quay had under the APP
| pointment which he held from Gov Stone
| of Pennsylvania. His rather doubtful
methods of gaining his ends have injured
him in the estimation of those who were
his friends, and have not improved In the
least his chances for getting into the Sen
| ate.