Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-04-28
A MEN.CUTHNG WEAPON.
Ths Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections Present 1t
to the Senate.
IT'S INTENDED 10 DECAplTATE CLARK.
Declares that wiilinm 4. clark Was
Not Duly aud Legally Elected to
II Seat In the senate of tho United
states by the Legislature of the
state of Nontnna-The Reasons.

Washington, April Ex-senator
Chandler, from the senate committee
en- privileges and elections, submitted
to the senate the report of that COM
mittee in the case of Senator Clark, of
Montana. The report is comparative
~ brief, covering only about fifteen
pages of printed matter. 1t does not
rehoarse the testimony, but simply
presents the findings of the committee
and its reasons for its course. The
finding of the committee is stated AS
| follows:
The finding oft he committee is that the
| election to the senate of VIM A. Clark, Of
| Montana Is nun and void, on account OF
biiberies, attempted briberies and corrupt
| practices by his agents. and OF violation
/ OF the laws OF Montana defining and pun
ishing crimes against the elective iran
/ chise.
In view Of this finding the committee
| reports and unanimously recommends the
adoption by the senate Of the following
Resolved, That William A. Clark was
not duly and legally elected to seat IN
! the senate Of the United States by the leg
/ islature of the state Of Montana.
The report concludes with a strong
recommendation for early considera-
tior of the case. as follows;
| The senate should, as duty to itself,
/ ana TO the country, demonstrate by MS
. action in this case that seats In the lnited
| States senate, procured as Senator CLARK
/ ha been procured, can not be retained by
! tho deliberate judgment of the senate,
! The senate also owes duty TO the people
| OF Montana who conscious Of the bad re-
| putc into which the senate had fallen ~
] pf pNnpndituTpg of money IN
| connection with it's elections. manifested
such a public sentiment that the leglslA-
ture of 1895 passed q statute which, II on
served, would have redeemed the state
from its bad name.
For the direct and gross violations ~
that statute and the consequent dlscrtult
| which continues to rest upon the state,
Montana has a right to expect prompt
and decisive remedy from the action or
the senate upon the report of this commit
tee.
The committee states that its finding il
made in view of certain admitted or I'M
disputed facts. with their attendant cir
cumstanCes, appearing In the testimony
taken by the committee and these are
enumerated under IS headings as follows:
!. The expenditure IN the contest OF iSb
as testified to by Senator Clark and Gov.
Hauser.
2 Quotes the law of 1895 relative to
crimes against the elective franchise
which limited in purpose and amount the
I,olIIcai rApenu.iu i,%ar h,, noIitic'i
ant, ri II. v,l' ~, Candidate especialIv
| naming a candidate for United states sen =
ator. who could not give more than $1,000
couid not nav more than 81 600 for his per
sonal expenses in lawful ways specified.
g. Asserts that Senator Clark has been
constantly a candidate for office and gives
Org nization of a committee In his inter-
EST in the summer of 1898 after the consul
tatinn with his friends in Butte
S"'Tn This Cnmrnittepe" the report saws
",e ave unlimited authority to spend
r,o,e,, u5bicb he a creed In furnish. an es-
innate however being made that at least
a. 0lG would he necessary to secure the
zf.ta convantion and that s75 mn might be
, NEEDED tn secure the state legislature "
In tho canvas which ansued the an
nrr-N innate exnenditures admitted by vari-
81, members of his committee. and their
assistants we're as follows. BY Charles
I " CIark t25 600. nv NcDeruott 200 O00
Nv Davidson agent 500 300. bv Welcome
~ 600. bv steele s1l 900: bv Corbett S. 900;
by Whitmore 81 500: by Cooper, $1,000
naainly furnished by Charles W Clark,
and the amount OF thes si1 e NJ hs sp -
, Tba advances and PAYMENTS made by Sen
, 49,. clark 10 his committee and agents.
l - ,,1rrittal la. hin, amounted to about
1 yetyed from him on August r. 1895. SIS o.
90. October n $40 900: November % $40 70
2 160 and February 49, 1900 S205qg, and in
sddition ia this sisq 900 Senator clark paid
n a. ia McDermott one of his agents
e. 6G 70 V.eucore his attorney. and s. 0O1
to- +. G. pay, a member of the legislature.
5, None Of the members Of ms &c COMMIT nal1rr
. r ref p ' required bv law nor did Senator
, Clark himself make any return, ,,,..,..-,
e transactions Of Mr., Clark and his repre-
I..rtotT,.ae with members of the lagisll-
: | rfhNHAi W't' iNi'ih,lI