The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-21
ORIGIN OF THE POLITICAL FEUD
THAT MAY UNSEAT SENATOR CLARK.
The Mutmionares Numerous Contests With Marcus DayDcveop
ment Of the Bribery Case.

campaign, ana made, through MS news
paper, the Butte Miner anc his represent
tatives on the stump. hitter and relent-
less fight upon the whole Democratic
ticket. Though his two papers, the Butte
Miner and Helena Independent. openly
supported the Democratic state ticket.
Clarks supporters secretly worked against
It. The Democratic state central commit
tee returned Clark's check for $500, his
contribution, stating they could not con-
sistently accept it. He was looked upon
as having abandoned the Democracy. The
entire Democratic ticket was elected In
Butte notwithstanding Clark's fusion with
the Republicans Clark had lost In all the
conventions throughout the state. and
when the returns were all In there were
eight Democratic members-elect from Hell
ena. who would be favorable to Clark.
There were perhaps half a dozen other
Democratic members who might vote for
Clark The rest were decidedly against
him. The legislature was Democratic.
welcome and Whiteside Appear.
Daily. who had never been candidate
for public office, went East. Ii was gen.
orally supposed that after Clark's coall-
ton with the Republicans in Butte. and
the Democratic complexion of the legisla-
ture, Clark was out of the race.
John B. Welcome, with other agents or
Clark. started out on secret missions over
the state. When the legislature met 1t
was evident that Clark had gained ground.
He had not supporter from his own home.
either in the legislature or outside of II,
except Welcome. William McDermott. an
old-time political friend. and his son.
Charles w. Clark. But he came close to
electing his candidate for the speaker
ship. f. C. Day, of Helena. Rumors of
wholesale bribery were then rife. The talk
i'm Helena was openly that Clark would
spend million to be elected. 1t was
said he had been driven desperately to
the wall, and would show Daily that he
was not without resources. Almost the
entire city OF Helena was at Clark's back
men, women and children. They looked
upon Clark as their deliverer. and the
name of DAILY was banded about with ex-
ecration.
John b. Welcome had been Clark's at
torney for number of years; he was
closely connected with him by social and
business ties. He is man OF perhaps As.
not unpopular. and an attorney of abil-
ity He made a fair living, but was lib
eral. He had no property in his name.
He was a man of family. Outside of
Clark's business in Butte, he had not a
large practice. He occupied rooms at the
Helena hotel with Charles w. Clark. son
OF w. A. Clark, and was recognized MS
the scene shifter in the senatorial drama
then enacting.
Another central figure was Fred White
side. Of Kalispell He Is So years old.
Twenty years ago, when the cattlemeI
were anxious to exterminate the buffalo.
and buffalo hides were beginning to be
valuable, Whitesde then mere young
ster, was shooting bison for a living. Then
he went into partnership with contrac-
tor, studied architecture and mechanics
from books and magazines, and in 1887 was
experimenting the construction of vast
smelling plants at Great Falls. He built
the great natatorium at Helena for. Col.
Broadwater. in connection with the hot
springs there. the largest Enclosed swim
ming pool in America. Whiteside design
ed the plan of the building and was award
ed the contract for its construction when
rs years old. He subsequently moved to
Kalispell, and in 1896 was elected to the
legislature from Flathead county as q
member of the lower house. In that leg
islature he exposed corruption in connec-
ton with the state capito! commission. As
a member of a committee appointed to
investigate affairs in connection with the
construction of the state capitol, he filed
a minority report which exposed a job
that was defrauding the state of Montana
of thousands of dollars. A civil libel suit
was brought in Helena against Whiteside
by members of the capitol commission for
statements made by him outside the leg
islative halls. but the jury decided in
Whiteside's favor
Running Down Rumors.
Last year Whiteside was returned as
state senator from Flathead county. He
claims to have heard rumors of the cor
1uption that was going on over the state,
as 1t was said, by agents of Clark, prior
TO the meeting of the Legislature. and
determined, If he secured the evidenc to
expose it. He came to Helena shortly be-
fore the opening of the session. and was
soon sought out by Clark and his agents.
as we'll as by the other candidates and
their agents Clark and his agents, ac-
cording to his testimony before the joint
investigating committee, were the only
parties offering money.
when arrived In Helena" said White
side before the investigating committee. IT
was looked upon by all the senatorial cam
didates as fit subject for missionary
work. l was approached by agents of all
of them, but the representatives OF w. A.
Clark were the only ones that offered me
any money. | apparently fell In with
their plans without committing myself
and was soon on the inside, and they told
me all that was being done. They offer
ed me $4,000 in cash and great deal more
in promises. John b. Welcome and Char
lie Clark (son of w. A. Clark were the
managers, while their chief assistants were
A. j. Steele. William McDermott and w
NJ. Bickford. They were all engaged in
buying or trying TO buy the support of
members for w. A. Clark for United
States senator. Besides the men I have
named. they had a great many second lieu
tenants, with whom | did not come in con-
tact. / have in my hands now $4,000 in
currency, which ! will turn over to the
committee. Five thousand dollars of this
was paid to me by John b. Welcome for
my own services. I desired to get some
proof besides the money and my own
word, and as I had confidence in the in
tegrity of State Senator Clark, of Madi-
son county, I sent Congressman Campbell
to him. They had talk, and Mr.. Clark
agreed to help me. I met him by appoint
ment in Mr.. Campbells room in the Hell
ena hotel on the night of January 3.
explained to him fully the part | wanted
him to take, and then I saw Mr. Well
come and told him that Senator Clark. of
Madison county. could probably be bought
Mr.. Welcome authorized me to offer him
$4,000. and the next time | saw Well
come which was the next day | told hin,