The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-24
REPORT IN THE CLARK CASE.
UNANIMOUS FINDING THAT HIS
ELECTION Is NULL AND VOID.
Members of Committee Differ as to
Some Features of the Evidence,
but Unite in General Conclusion
That Bribery Was Manifest.

4
| WASHINGTON, April Ex-senator
| Chandler, from the senate committee on
| privileges and elections. today submitted
| TO the senate the report from that COM
| inittee in the case of Senator Clark, Of
| Montana With the report is a compare
| teen pages Of printed matter. 1t does not
| rehearse the testimony. but simply pre-
sents the finding OF the committee and its
reasons for its course.
Findings of the Committee.
The findings of the committee are stated
as follows:
"The finding OF the committee is that
the election 10 the senate of William A.
Clark OF Montana. is nul and void, on
account of briberies, attempted priperies
and corrupt practices by his agents and OF
violation of the law of Montana defining
and Furnishing crimes against the elective
franchises In view Of this hndins the
ommends the adoption by the senate OF
the following resolutions: r
Resolved, That William A. Cnrk
was not duly and legally elected 10 a seat
In the senate of the United States by. tine
legislature Of the state OF Montana
Early Action Urged.
The report concluded with a strong rec
concentration for early consideration OF the
case, as Follows: . . .
"The senate should, as q duty to itself
ard to the country demonstrate by its ac-
ton in this case that seats In the United
States senate. procured as Senator Cia-k
has been procured, cannot be retained by
the deliberate judgment Of the senate. The
senate also ewes duty to the people OF
Montana, who. conscious OF the bad re-
pute into which the state mas fallen py
reason OF vast expenditures OF money in
connection with its election manifested
such a public sentiment that the legislature
of 1895 passed a statute which II opeyed
would have redeemed the state from its
bad name For the direct and gross VIOLA
lions of that statute and the consequent
discredit which continues to resi- upon the
state, Montana has right to expect
prompt and decisive remedy from the ac-
tion Of the senate upon the report of this
committee"
Reasons for the Finding.
The committee states that its finding is
made In view of the certain admitted or
undisputed facts. with their attendant
circumstances, appearing in the testi-
mony taken by the committee. and these
are enumerated under five headings, as
follows:
/. The expenditures in the contest Of
1895 as testified to by Senator Clark and
Gov Hauser.
O. Quotes the law of 1895 relative to
crimes against the elective franchise,
which limited, In purpose and amount,
the political expenditures which could be
made in any election, efher by political
committee or a candidate especially nam
ing candidate for United States SEN
ator, who could not give more than 81, 900
to any one committee In county and
could not pay more than $1,000 for his
personal expenses In lawful ways speci-
fled
3. Asserts that Clark has been con-
stantly candidate for Office, and gives
his record In that respect and notes the
organization of a committee In his in
terest in 1898. after consultation with his
friends in Butte. To this committee the
he unlimited aIlthority
to spend money. which he agreed to fur
nish, an estimate. however. being made
that at least $4,000 would be necessary in
the state convention. and that $4,000
might be needed to secure the legislature.
In the canvass which ensued the approx
innate expenditures, admitted by various
members of his committee and their as
sistants. were as follows: BY Charles w
Clark, $4,000: by McDermott, SO, 900: by
Davidson, agent $4,000; by Welcome.
by Whttemore $1,000; by Cooper s., 900;
mainly furnished by Charles w. Clark,
ana the amount of these expenditures
Senator Clark himself paid TO his son.
The advances and payments made by SEN
ator Clark to his committee and agents
as admitted by him, amounted to about
$4,000 Of which sum Charles w. Clark
received, on August IL. 1895. $4,000; Octo-
Der H. $4,000; November 49, $40 600: Feb
ruary 49, 1900, s20.592. and in addition to
this $4,000. Senator Clark paid 5000 to
McDermott, one of his agents; 5000 10
Welcome, his attorney. and 5000 10 r.
c. Day, a member OF the Legislature
None of the members of the committee
nor their assistant made sworn returns
required by law. nor did Senator Clark
himself make any return.
Alleged Business Transacsious.
Sections 9 to Is deal with business trans
actions OF Clark and his representatives
with members OF the legislature. ins ludlng
the purchase of Representative McIaugh-
Inns property, the tender of S. 600 TO Rep
fesentatlve woods to raise a mortgage on
his ranch. and the subsequent sale OF the
ranch: the establishment OF bank after
adjournment OF the legislature, largely
through the Efforts OF Senator Tiernpy
and Representatives Eversole and Shevei-
IN, OF BfoadWater county. the sale OF lots
and other property in jefferson county 10
a representative OF Clark by Senator War
ner the conduct Of MessrA Carr, C;eiger.
Fine. BcaSley and Rywater ana The f,rcs-
ent Of 5000 to Representative Day after
the adjournment OF the legislature
Purchase of Woods fndebtednes~
Speaking Of the transaction with Woods
the committee SAYS; Senator Clark knew
OF blckford's attempts 70 purchase the in
debtedness whhh Woods owed and the
correspondence shows that that object was
20 secure Woods FOR senator CLARK Rick-
ford testified: In pursuance Of that let
ter uetter o. November q. from one Fc-
TORI made arrangements 20 obtain, for
ihe purpose % using 4 20 prevent the in
dchtedness 20 Woods from going into the
hands ~ palys friends, the sum OF s. 90.
With which took up that Indebtedness
On November . iSsS Woods mortEage3
bis sheep and cattle fer si.oo1. payable in
one year. and on April -. isaa paid the
mpFtgltge debt Woods has left Montana
and gone 30 New Mexico"
rierpey's state Bank
Referring to Temeys connection with
the Bank 81 Townsend the report SAYS.
ON June u Tlerney organized the state
Rank 81 Townsend. on a capital stock 81
S. 0oa of which be took $3.50 Sheveifn
took slea ana Eversole slo"o. nearly an
81 the $3.50 passing through Tlernevss
hands Ia currency. His s. so he says ~
took from a money drawer IN the safe Ia
the ofrice % Messrs. Darcy 4 Co but
whence this N.Sn came he ana not SHOW
BY any writing whatever"
Referring to Cars story about secur-
ing money from his aunt with witch 10
purchase ranch. the committee re-
marks he had no previous knowledge
% how she had accumulated this mon
ey"