Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-05
7HE MACHINERY STARTED.

Today the first steps looking to a rrac-
tical investigation into the charges
against Senator Clark were taken, the
committee taking up for consideration
matters pertaining to its methods OF
procedure in it's search for the facts.
Thus begins one of the most interesting
inquisitions that ever attracted the at
tention of the American public. With
multi-millionaires concerned in the out
come. and arrayed against each other in
a contest that involves all the personal
bitterness Of long years of feud, the
magnitude Of the controversy is alone
sufficient to- command the attention of
intelligent students of public affairs in
all portions Of the country.
Upon one side Of the contest will be all
the influences which the great wealth of
Senator Clark can command, while upon
the other will be all the influences that
are under the control of men prominent
in the greatest copper trust the world
has ever known. The situation on the
ANNS ~ hAAiSS NAAO
ence to the actual merits or dement's OF
the case, is one to elicit widespread inter-
est throughout the land. It promises to
resolve itself into a great struggle of fl
nancial giants, in which political and
business considerations may cut a wider
swath than the abstract question of puri-
flying American politics. The financial
standing Of the parties to the contro-
versy, n their political history in the
past, p~resupposes the use of every possi-
BILE weapon by both sides in the struggle
for victory.
In the country at large, where the poll
tical antecedents of the contesting demo-
cratic factions are unknown, opinions as
to the merits Of the contest will he based
On the surface p~resentment of the issues,
tempered by such prejudices, in either
direction. as political considerations may
inspire. Thus, it can be already observed
that many republican ewspaper in var
1ous states have reached the conclusion
that inasmuch as the seat of a demo-
cratic senator, elected by a democratic
legislature, is in question, there are good
reasons for believing that the charges
made against him should be sustained.
On the other hand, the democratic press
OF the nation, aotuated by the same DO
litical considerations, and desirous Of
maintaining the reputation of their party.
look upon Senator Clark as the victim of
m1srepresen tation and the target of some
terrible mis- The independent press,
to which the public at home and abroad
must look for an unbiased analysis of the
situation, recommend a suspension of
public judgt nent until an opportunity is
given to weigh the facts presented both in
accusation and defense.
-
Without q knowledge of detail, the av-
erage American, who interests himself
in public affairs, understands that the
controversy before the senate did not
have its inception in the election of Mr..
Clark, but Is the natural and opportune
outgrowth Of a feud of long standing be-
tween millionaire residents of the state
of Montana. This fact may have no bear
ans, OF way or the other, upon the mer-
its of the case, but it will lead the candid
observer to await developments before 2
liked conclusion has been reached. With
some, an accusation of guilt against .
man prominent in financial circles i.
equivalent to a conviction: with others
a profession of innocence is equivalent to
an acquitta y. But with the great body of
lnteltgent American citizens, the theory
of the law that a man is supposed to bo
innocent until proved guilty, under the
established rules of evidence, will be an
piled to the present controversy before
the senate. Regardless of the merits of
this particular case, safe precedents can
be established upon no other basis.
AS an abstract proposition, it is per-
haps a FOR occurrence that both
sides to the controversy are represented
by m~illionaires, instead of one side alone,
as this is more likely to prevent the rail-
reading OF a conclusion in the interest of
either. and will more effectually bring the