Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-01-28
BRIBERY CHARGES
AGAINST SENATOR
SPECIFIC ALLEGATIONS OF COR
RUPTlON MADE AGAINST RE-
PUBLICAN CANDIDATE.
BLAINE OF BOsCoBEL CITES MIS-
APPLICATION OF CAM
PAIGN FUNDS.


preferred in the senate yesterday
against Senator Isaac Stephenson
candidate for reelection to congress
and the resolution to investigate into
his primary expenditures was re
vived for reconsideration. Twenty
two senators supported Senator Pau
A. Husting, the champion for inves
tigatiOn. Only ten senators opposed
him to the end. All the senators were
present at the session, which lasted
until late in the afternoon.
Visitors from all parts of the state
were at the senate chamber to see
the course the solons would take.
The charges of corruption exploded
in the chamber like a bolt from a
clear sky The senators, or rather
the great majority of them, had come
prepared to vote for Stephen on. The
expected action on the Husting reEo-
luton was intended to be cleared
away with dispatch and neat eXecu-
ton. Before the senate had been in
session more than fifteen minutes,
however, the legislators found them
selves face to face with some of the
severest charges ever made in the
state.
Oratory Of the kind for which Wis
consin i noted, did much in the pro
ccedings of the day. Senator John J.
Blaine, republican, made the formal
charges.
A vote was taken shortly before ad-
journment to elect Stephenson as
senator. Only twelve voted for Ste
phenson. Sixteen of the senators
would not commit themselves, pend
ing the investigation. Four voted for
Neal Brown, while only one vote was
cast for Jacob Rummel. The vote
was as follows:
Ommittal-Barker, Bishop,
Blaine, Brazeau, Browne, Donald,
F'ridd. KIeczka Krumrey, Lockney,
Lyons, Marsh, Martin, Morris, Owen,
SanbOrn-16.
For Isaac Stephenson, republican
Bird. Bodenstab, Burke Fairchild,
Hudnall, James, Lehr Page, Stout,
Thomas, Whitehead, Wright-12.
For Neal Brown. democrat-HazeI-
wood, Husting, Pearson, Randolph.
For Jacob Rummel social democrat
Gaylord
Sixteen specific instances of corrup-
ton are cited in the charges filed
against Candidate Stephenson. These
were augmented by one or two
charges of misappIication Of funds,
made Oh the floor of the chamber.
Vigorous speeches followed the
charges by anti-Stephenson men. In
the charges, Senator Stephenson is
declared to have appropriated not
less than $25O,OOO for the expenses of
the primaries that elected him. e. A.
Edward: =, state chairman, it is
charged, was given this sum to dis
tribute among other electors in sums
ranging from S. to $1,000. w. c. Kel-
Ter of Sank is included among the re
cipients to the extent of $500. One
of the serious charges is that agents
for Stephenson attempted to pur-
chase the editorial department of Ed
ward Pollock Of the Lancaster Teller.
Senator Bird stuck to Candidate
Stephenson, his friend and neighbOr,
to the last. The senator at congress
and the senator Of the legislature
have known each other for forty
years, and a tribute paid to the con-
gresham by the senator Of the first
di trict was Of sinCerest appreciation.
Senator Bird ayerred that Stephen
son was nominated at the primaries,
not by paid votes, but by people who
know him Intimately Everybody in
Wausaukee, and wherever else the
candidate is known call the senator
Isaac" not senator or by any other
formal name. The people who know
him love him for what he IS, for what
he did for others, for what he did for
the state.
For these many years" the law
maker from Wausaukee continued,
Isaac Stephenson has been working
in the development of the state. The
lumber industry owes a good deal to
this energetic man. He has employed
a large number of men, and every one
of them admires and loves Stephen
son. He has helped many of them,
and some are now successfully in
business for themselves. I have been
a near neighbor of his for nearly forty
years. I know he has more pension
ers on his pay roll than there are
members in this senate. It's the peo-
pie that know him that voted for him
at the primaries. They have decided
for themselves that they wanted Ste
phenson."
The senate assembled at 9 o'clock
This was agreed to at the session on
Thursday of last week, when the sen.
ate adjourned for a respite of four
days. The object of the interval was
to prepare for the debate that came
up on the resolution yesterday morn
ing. The investigation that the min
GRITTY had fought for strenuousIy re
ceived a series of blows that had
stunned it to apparent death. It's
revival yesterday was expected &c
| last but an hour or two.
The roll call was read shortly after
9 o'clock, when nearly all the senators
responded. Senators Brazeau, Jane;
and Page were the only recorded alb
sentees, but they appeared soon after
the roll call.
Under resolutions" which fol
| lowed. Senator John ". Whitehead
moved that the resolution relating Il
| the rules of the house for 1907 be
oIOnTn5 m caTy-a rhic session IN