Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-11

and elections to-day decided by an
unanimous vote to recommend the
adoption Of a resolution declaring that
Hon. w. A. Clark, of Montana, is not
entitled to occupy his seat as a Sem
ator from Montana. The decision was
reached after a two hours sitting, at
which all. the members of the COM
mittee"were present except one. The
absentee was Senator Caffery, of Lou
isiana, and he wired his vote in oppo-
sition to Mr.. Clark
The ballot was not taken until all
the members present had expressed
themselves upon the question. some
of them speaking at some length, and
all expressing different shades of opin-
ion.
Senator Harris, of Kansas, indicated
the most pronounced leaning toward
leniency for Mr.. Clark. He did not
express any doubt that there had been
a lavish expenditure of money in Mr..
Clark's behalf, and while not condon-
ing this course, he spoke in terms of
strong condemnation of the tactics
pursued by some of his (Ciark's) OPP
ponents, referring especially to Con-
gresham Campbell and former
State Senator Whitesfde.
He said that whatever Mr. Clark's Of
lenses they were but little worse than
the methods pursued by Campbell and
Whiteside in their efforts to expose
the Senator and he insisted that if the
report was to be antagonistic to Mr..
c of N Inn
late in full detail the course pursued
by the two principal witnesses against
him.
Senator Pettus practically agreed
with Mr.. Harris The two senators
also expressed some' doubt as to the
justification of the conclusion drawn
by majority of the committee, that
Senator Clark's candidacy for the sem
ate began in August, 1898, when he re-
turned to Butte from New York The
effect of this conclusion was to charge
up the entire $4,000, which Senator
Clark confessed to having expended,
to his campaign for the senate. while
the contention was made ia Senator
Clark's behalf that he had not become
candidate until after the state cleo
ton, thus eliminating from the cam
paign in his individual behalf the
amount spent in the general contest.
Senator McComas was among the SEN
ators who expressed himself as con-
WINGED that the senatorial seat was
in view from the beginning Mr.. Nc
Comas, however, united with other
senators in condemning the methods
pursued in prosecuting the case.
The consensus of opinion of the
committee appeared unfayorable to &C.
cepting
Amy One Special Feature
against Mr.. Clark as the basis for the
report against him, the general opin-
ion being that it was the cumulative
character OF the testimony that should
be considered rather than any one
especial detail. Senator Harris raised
the point in Mr.. Cark's behalf that the
cumulative effect of the testimony
could not properly be considered, but
he was overruled in this position.
If prominence was given TO any one
line of testimony more than to anoth-
er it was that dealing with transac-
lions apparently of a regular business
nature between Senator Clark or his
Z.
The purchase of property from Senator
Warner and Representative McLaugh-
lin and the money rendered Repre-
sentative Wood to lift the mortgage
from his ranch were considered as
bearing directly upon the case. OF
these matters the Wood case received
especial attention. The payment of
money to Representative Day after
Mr.. Clark's election also had weight.
The opinion was expressed that no
one of these facts was Sufficient basis
for an adverse report, but all agreed
that all these facts
Many OF Them Admitted,
together with other occurrences con-
nected with the campaign, were suffi-
cient TO justify a positive position
against the Senator'S continuing to
hold his place.
The fact that Senator Clark and his
representatives had failed to make
their reports TO the State authorities
OF Montana as required by the State
law also was urged against him in the
discussion in the committee as was the
fact that he and his representatives
had destroyed all their vouchers, show
ing where money had been used and TO
whom paid. When attention was
called to the fact that this course was
usual with campaign managers. the
statement was met with the eonten-
ton that while the plan might be more
commonly adopted than it should be,
still there could be no reasonable ex-
cuse for it after the Whiteside expos
ure. Ii was then known, it was as
serted, that there would be a contest
and the argument was made that every
scrap of paper bearing upon the cleo
ton should have been preserved after
this development in the case.
Senators Chandler and Turley were
directed to prepare the report 1t is
expected to be presented al an early
day.
Senator Clark was at the capitol
when the announcement OF the action
Of the committee became known.
He Was Surprised at the Result.
but refused to make a statement until
after consultation with his friends and
attorneys.
The Senator bore himself with his
usual composure. His face appeared
somewhat flushed, but his voice was
calm and his manner collected. and he
discussed other business affairs as If
nothing had transpired. He was
asked:
rs there any truth in the report
that you have decided to resign" and
ba ronifeud az he did IN all other rfraS-