The Portland daily press., 1900-04-24
Elaborate Report Of Senate lnyesti.
cation Committee.
The Case Completely
Proved.
Early Action BY the Senate
Urged.

nhsnlngtous Aplt So.-oehAtuf Ouau-
dIer, chair man OF the Senate committee
on privileges and elections. today submit
ted to the Senate ths report OF that COM
mittee on the case Of Ssrator Clark OF
Montana. The report is comparatively
brief, covering only about 10 pages Of
printed matter. IL does not rehearse the
testimony. but simply pr, s,nis the find-
ings CT the committee and Its reasons for
its oours,. The finding CT the committee
Is stated as follows:
"The finding of the COMMITTEES 10 that
the election TO the Senate Of VIM. A.
Clark OF MontanA,is null and void on ac-
count of briberies, attem pted briberies
and corrupt practices by his ager is and
Of violation Of the laws Of Montana de-
timing and Furnishing crimes against the
elective franchise."
In view OF this finding the oommi ittso
reports and unanimously recommends
the adoption by the Senate OF the follow
ing resolution;
Resolved, That William A. Clark was
not duly and legally elected to q ssat In
the Senate Of the United States by the
teElelhbuto VI tuo Otnto Vi 1ousaAa.
The report concludes " tn strong rec
ommendation for early confederation Of
the case as follows:
The Senate should, as q duty to Itself
and the country demonstrate by Its &C
tion In this case that seats In the United
States Senate. procured as Senator
Clark's has been procured, cannot be re-
tained BY the deliberate Judgment Of the
Senate. The Sen ate also owes . duty to
the people OF MontAnA. who, conscious
of the bad reputs into which tins state
has fallen by reason OF vast eypepditures
Of money In connection with Its cleo
tions, manifested such o public sentiment
that the legislature Of 1896 passed
statute whiob, II oteyed, would have
redeemed that state from Its bad name.
For the direct and gross violations Of
that statute and the consequent dlscredit
which continues to rest upon the state,
Montana has right to expect prompt
and decisive remedy from the action OF
the Senate on the report OF this commit
tee.
1he committee states that It's finding
Ia m ade in view Of certain admitted or
undisputed facts, with their attendant
circumstances, appearing In the testimony
taken by the committee and those are
enumerated under Is headings, as fol-
lows'
1.-The expenditures In the contest OF
1926 as teetlled TO by Senator Clark and
Gov. Hsuser.
2-Quotss the law OF 1895 relative to
olme against the elective franchise,
which limited in purpose and amount
the political expeditures which could bs
made In any election, either by a politi-
cal committee or a candidate, especially
naming candidate for United Stats
Senator. who would rot give more than
$lC0J TO any one comm ittee In one county
and could not pay more than SiC0) for
his personal expenses In lawful ways
specified.
3-Asserts that Senator CLARK has been
constantly candidate for office and gives
his record / q that respect and notes the
Organization Of committee In his In
tsrssts In the summer OF 1898 after a con-
sultation with his friends In Butts.
70 this committee, ths report says, he
gave unlimited authority to spend
money which he agreed to furnish; an
estimate, howevsr, being made that at
least $50, ,0C0 would be necessary to secure
the state convention and SIS, 900 might
be needed to secure the state legislature.
AIN the canvass which ensued the
approximate expenditures admitted by
the various mem bers of his comm tea
and their assistants were as follows:
By Charles Clark. 10000; by McDer-
mott, S22,Ot0; by Davidson. agent, $22,t0);
by Welcome. $50. Ooo: by Steele, 81, 200;
by Corbstt, 5000; by Whitmore, $1,000:
by Cooper, $500 maiHly furnished by
Charles W. Clark and the amount of
these expenditures Senator Clark paid