Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-24
HIS IVA TESTIMONY.

When Senator Clark gave his evidence
before the committee on privileges and
elections the Inter Mountain expressed the
editorial opinion that he had done himself
more injury than all the evidence intro
duced by the prosecution.
This view was not given by way of
criticism, for it was personally to the
credit of Mr.. Clark that he acknowledged
the large expenditures made, rather than
seeking to cover them up, as was done by
the prosecution.
But it was clear to n independent
and unbiased observer, who saw fit to
analyze the situation as it was unfolded,
that the money expended in a political
way was of such colossal proportions as
to overwhelm the committee
No mount of explanation as to the
uses to which sue vast sums of money
! could be legitimately put, in a sparsely
settled state like Montana, could there
after convince the members of the COM
1nittee hat the limits of the law were
strictly observed.
Ex-Governor Hauser, in Mr.. Clark's be-
half, explained how the Big Four" con-
sisting of himself, the defendant, Colonel
Broadwater and Marcus DAILY had contri-
buted $40, coo apiece to the democratic
campaign fund in the first state election.
1t was as easy for the committee as it
was for the Inter Mountain to figure out
that his grand total of $160,0 900 amounted
to about $40 per capita for every vote re-
ceived that year by the head of the demo-
cratic state ticket!
No n has ever had the courage to as
sumo that that corruption fund was legi-
tinately used.
OF he" Big Four" Mr.. Clark was alone
on trial, and after the testimony of Mr..
Hauser, as to the expenditures of the first
state campaign and the democratic sys-
tenn of using a barrel whenever a politi-
cal movement was on hand, followed by
Mr.. clark's confession as to the large
sums expended by himself and immediate
friends in the campaign of 1898, the logi-
cal conclusion of the committee was that
the money might have been just as cor
ruptly used in the last campaign as in the
former ones, where corruption was self
evident on the face of things.
The Inter Mountain regarded tn. testi-
mony of Mr.. Clark from this standpoint,
and it seems that the first count in the
committees report affirms the i~nterpreta-
ton arrived at by this paper.
Granting that the large expenditures
We're periodically made, as Mr.. Clark's
friends insist, and We're made necessary
by the methods of his democratic enc
mics, whose skeleton digets were on the
Wlndplpe of the commonwealth, the effect
on the committee would be precisely the
same as If the conditions had not called
for such ar output of ducats.
The crimes of the Daily democrats, so
fully exposed by the evidence before the
committee. could not be used as a justi-
fication.
If those men used money illegally to
promote their political interests and
maintain their power. 1t gave no legal
justification to those who resorted to SIM
liar means wherewith to destroy that
power, no matter how many excuses may
be framed for such a course of procedure
In the political ethics of this state.
Hence, when Mr.. Clark acknowledged
the contribution of sums of mone for
political purposes. which We're deemed