The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-04
A CROESUS OF THE WEST.
Wealth of w. A. Clark, the WOuld-Be
Senator from Montana.

Washington Letter in Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
The other day Capt. Benson Foraker, son
of Senator ]. b. Foraker, of Ohio, held in
his hands $4,000 in cold cash that did not
belong to him and he, nor no else
knows positively to whom it does belong.
The captain was passing through one Of
the corridors of the Capitol when he met
member Of the committee that is investi-
eating the charges of bribery against Sen
ator Clark, Of Montana. This senator was
carrying an envelope containing this mon
ey. On young Foraker's request he handed
ii to him.
And here's the proposition that the cap
tain is making to his lawyer friends:
Suppose 1 had run away with that money.
who could prosecute me? No one knows
to whom it belongs. and it doesn't belong
to Whiteside, who charges that he and two
other. members of the Montana Legislature
took it as a bride to vote for Clark
1t is certainly unique question in law.
Cor briefly here is the story: During the
bitter fight in the Montana Legislature,
charges of fragrant bribery were openly
made and the upshot of the whole mess
w
the House, arose one day and proceeded
TO make a sensation by sending TO the
speakers desk 10000 in cash which he
said he and two other members had re-
ceived from one of Clark's agents, for
their votes. The speaker took the money
and sent it to the State Treasurer who held
1t IL. trust until the investigation here be-
San before the Senate committee, and it
was then forwarded on as an exhibit in
evidence.
The money doesn't belong to Whiteside
and his two friends, because Whiteside
charges that 1t was given to them Illegally.
And furthermore, he declares that the
man who paid the cash can have 1t back
by claiming it. But thus far no one has
side is true, no one will claim it because it
would lay whoever did so liable to
heavy penalty for bribery.
And so the money is in evidence before
the commttee-a whole fortune that no
one claims. What will become of it? If
Captain Foraker had put 1T in his pocket,
on what charge could he have been prose-
cuted? Larceny? Larceny from whom? En-
bezzlement? Embezzlement of money that
belongs to no one?
The captain is having not little fun
querying his friends along this line.
If the money does really belong to Clark.
the Montana senator, Ii is such small sum
that he really wouldn't notice it If he loses
ii, for they tell stories concerning the
wealth and income of this Croesus of the
West that sound like fairy tales. Estimates
of his income run all the way from So 000. 600
a year up to $20,000,000. He is said to main
tain luxurious establishments in Paris,
and stocks and bonds and sugar planta-
lions and banks and land and timber and
oh, everything. Think of 1t just a moment:
Suppose his income is $l3,0O0,OO0 year;
that means that every time the watch ticks
his income is AZ cents. Every time the
second hand makes a circuit he is SO richer
richer by something like 1900 AS each day
rolls past his wealth is added to by about
$50. 900. Whew! Do you think he needs that
paltry $4,000 even If it does belong to him,
and of that fact there remains consider
able doubt. Why, it doesn't represent a
single days income.
After writing this turned TO the con-
gressional directory in which brief bio
graphical sketches are published Of all sem
ators and representatives. 1 wanted to see
what had been the early training of this
man who counts his income in the millions.
And this is what read: William Andrews
Clark, Democrat, of Butte, was born on
farm near Connellsville Fayette county,
Pennsylvania, Jan. s, 1899; received a COM
mon school education; moved to Iowa with
his father in 1856 and assisted in farm work
for short time; taught school and studied
law at Mount Pleasant, Ia. worked in the
quartz mines around Central City, Col, in
1862, and went to Montana in 1863, where he
has since resided; was State orator at the
Philadelphia Centennial in 1876; was elected
grand master of the Masonic fraternity in
1871; was major of a battalion that pursued
Chief Joseph and his band in the Nez Perces
invasion of 1877; was president of the con-
stitutional convention of the State in 1884;
was also president of the second constitu-
tional convention in 1889; was the candi-
date for Congress in 1883, but was defeated
because of a schism in his own party; was
elected to the United States Senate by the
Democratic legislature in 1890, but was
not seated owing to the muddle growing
out OF the organization of two legislatures
! in the State, the Republican senators be-
ing seated; was the caucus nominee of his
party for the Senate in 1898; assisted ma
terially in retaining the state capital at
Helena in a memorable contest between
that city and Anaconda in 1892; is extern
sively engaged in banking, mining, manu-
featuring and various other business en-
terprises; in politics has always been a
consistent and active Democrat; was
elected United States senator Jan. IS, 1892
to succeed Hon. Lee Mantle, Republican.
His term OF service will expire March
g. 1906"
And there are still those who object to
calling the Senate a millionaires' club.
'Hully Gee" as Gallagher would say, I
wish somebody could truthfully call me a
millionaire, or even thousandaire, L
wouldn't consider ii a serious reflection