Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1900-05-24
The Senator Clark Case.


history of contests for a seat in
the first Legislative tribunal of the
nation. He was elected to the
Senate by the Montana Leglsla-
ture and appeared with complete
credentials at the opening of the
present Congress. No question
was raised when he came to quail
ify as a Senator, and from that
time until Tuesday last he was a
member of the body and the peer
of his fellow Senators, although
gravely accused by a committee
of the Senate.
The committee on privileges
and elections gave very full hears
ing to the accusations made
against Senator Clark of having
obtained his election by the cors
rupt purchase of members of the
Montana Legislature, and the COM
mittee was practically unanimous
In the judgment that he could not
continue as a member of the Sens
ate. A minority report was made
bat it did not sustain Clark right
to a seat.
AS Clark was a Senator in full
fellowship, the committee, when
it decided that he could not be
continued as a member of the
Senate, had but one of two courses
to take. The expulsion of Clark
could have been recommended,
which would require a two-thirds
vote; or the declaration made that
there had been no competent cleo
ton for Senator by the Montana
Legislature. The committee adopt
ed the latter proposition, and the
resolution reported for the action
of the Senate was in these words:
THAT William A. Clark was not
duly and legally elected to a seat
in the Senate of the United States
by the Legislature of the State of
Montana"
On Tuesday when the Senate
was about to consider the resolu-
ton of the committee relating to
Clark, he took the floor and an-
nounced that he had resigned his
seat in the body and that it had
been accepted by the Governor of
Montana, whereupon further con-
sideration of the resolution was
postponed for the present. Closely
following the announcement of
Clark's resignation as Senator,
came the information that he had
been appointed by the Acting
Governor of Montana to fill the
vacancy created by his resigna-
ton. The Clark issue is thus bes
fore the Senate in a twofold as
pect, and the Senate must deter
mine for itself how it shall solve
the problem.
If the Senate shall not take fEal
action on the resolution reported
by the committee, declaring that
there was no proper or legal cleo
ton Of Senator by the Legislature
of Montana, and thus allow that
issue to rest with Clark res1gna-
ton, as the Senate did in the case
of Senator Caldwell some years
ago, there will be a vacancy in the
Senate created by the resignation
of a member of the body, and
during the recess of the Montana
Legislature, which would entitle
CLARK to take his seat without
question.
Ii the Senate shall press the
tpending resolution to final pas
sage, aud thus declare that there
was no proper or legal election of
a Sen a'or by the Legislature OF
Montana, the vacancy would thus
be fixed as having occurred when
the Legislature was in session, and
Clark would come before the Sen
ate for readmission on precisely
the same issue presented in the
Quay case, and he would doubts
less be rejected.
1t is entirely within the power
of the Senate to determine when
the vacancy of the Montana Sena-
torship occurred, and when thai
shall have been decided, the ques-
ton of Clark's readmission will
be practically determined.
Relief i'm Six Hours.
niofroSsin~ Ki8rov ond R1olIA