Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-22
A CLEAR PRECEDENT.
The importance of the Clark senate

i Inc importance OF the Clark Sc natorl-
l8ai ease from Montana has led 10 the
booking up Of presidents for action 1t
7 Is found that there are many similari-
Ties between the case Of w. a. Clark
and that Of Alexander Caldwell, elected
as a republican from the state Of Nan
sas early in the seventies Like Clark,
Caldwell was 9reputed ~ BE- the richest
man in his state. He had been con-
5nected with railroad building and
trans porting supplies across the plains.
He had never held public Office aud was
a tyro in politics. Designing men
tanned his ambition and he entered the
race for the senatorship. a correspond
ent writing Of it from Washington
says:
His candidacy crested surprise and
suspicion Caldwell was almost UNI
| known. BY. some ii had been previous-
! ~ though that he was ademoerat. He
4 was a pleasant man, but possessed no
/ force--the las. person in the state al
/ most who would have been sppntane-
ously thought Of for any considerable
! Office. much less tile .seratorshti,. There
4 we're no popular forces behind MIR.
4 Caldwell. u is doubtful if his Own
%county of I.eayenwefth would have
Lease its vote for him IN his unaidel
B merits. Prior To- the meeting Of tils leg-
5isislarrre his name had h's,en scasteiy
ISproachea; nut all at8onoe this unkn0 IN
rich man pushed himself 10 the front.
ok, ~
lot by3a Vote Of 50 % "a fei. ex-Governor
s.. j. crawford, republican. and : Tor
TEX Governor Wilson Shannon. demo
i crat. No republican caucus was held.
The chief manager of this .Xtlaoltlna-
4 rys canvass was 4 democrat. the Well
known Len Il. Smith. Of Lcavenwortll.
A previously conspicuous in political job
ibery.
No Intelligent observer doubted that
money was the controlling influence III
1.-The election. Its presence in unusual
Il quantities was patert u outsiders. il
Il was handed around in sheaves, althu
there We're no thousand dollar bills
lin evidence. The very air was thick
With stories Of traffic in Legislative
ivot les Every body seemed to be for sale
mo, &t1leTes Vert nom
Il est men. An unheard-o of adjunct was q
free soup house" where Caldwell's
hungry followers could be Fed at
Wholesale In the preliminary canvass
The vouchers for the thousands this
a soup house was alleged TO have cosi
a we're thought to bea cover for the pay
ments of money to members.
At the outset Governor Thomas Car
& ney and Sidney Clarke We're candidates
4 Clarke was a shifty politician who had
represented Kansas in the house fol
81 six years. Afterward there was a ru-
NOR thai Caldwell had got both out Of
II the race by money payments. 1t is GER
tain that he secured Clarke's with.
drawal and captured nearly all his fol.
lowing by the payment of a sum o!
ready money to Clarke and a promise
ito pay more at some future day, under
the cloak Of refundlng to that eminent
i statesman mis- Campaign expenses" Il
is said that this deal with Clarke was
q Caldwells undoing.
The whole state was shocked. There
q were talk and threats, but no definite
steps at first We're taken to impugr
Caldwell's right to his seat. But yea,
Eafterward the Kansas Legislature I'm.
4 expectedly investigated the matter. A
large number OF witnesses were fexam;