Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-03-05

was wary on the stand and expressed the
desire TO have the ordeal over with soon
as possible W. c. Cowling. manager of
tne COOK campaign, appeared before the
committee and said that he would be on
hand next week to give testimony as to
now Cook spent his money in the pri-
maries.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 81.
Only ninety members We're present at the
joint session today and Senator Stephenson
received So votes on the nineteenth sena-
torlaI ballot. Before the primary investt-
eating committee Rodney Sackett, the Ste
phenSon campaign manager, testified that
thirteen ministers received money from the
stephenson campaign fund. Rev. j. J.
Ryan of Milwaukee cot 800. In Mr.. Sack
ett s testimony was brought out the start
ing TACT that c. I. Wellensgard. a member
OF the Assembly had been paid by the Ste
phenson managers. A special afternoon
session Vas held cut ef accommodation to
Mt Sackett who was anxious to go to
Washington for the Taft inaugural. Much
paper advertising Mr.. Sackett maintain
ing throughout that purchases of space in
newspaper for advertising purposes did
not imply the purchase of the editorial pol
Icy Of the paper.
MONDAY, MARCH l.
A carefully planned coup on the part OF
the Stephenson forces to elect the Junior
senator fell through today when through
the efforts of Senator Blaine. enough mem
bers of the Legislature We're kept away
from the joint session to prevent a quorum
81 of the "a votes cast on the joint ballot
but as s1xty-ive members present are neces-
sary to constitute a quorum it was de-
clared no election. The principal business
done by the investigating committee was
the Strengthening out of the tangle which
involved several ministers in Saturdays
proceedings. 1t developed that the minis
terS had not received money from the Ste
phenson campaign fund. Senator Blaine
was ON the stand again and told from what
sources he received the information on
which he based the charges against Senator
Stephenson. Blaine reiterated his state
ment that he had had a conversation with
State Chairman Edmonds and that the lat
ter had told him that at least S1o6, 900 had
been spent i'll the Stephenson primary cam
paign.
TUESDAY, MARCH .
There were only s:Xty-five members pres
ent at the joint session today and out Of
this number Senator Stephenson received
60 votes. There was no quorum, conse-
quently no election J. A. Van CIeave OF
Marinette was on the stand before the in
vestigating committee. His testimony was
not in any way startling. A new tack was
dering that the ledger of the Marshall Il
Ilsley bank be brought to Madison SO that
the committee may probe deeply into the
origin of the cashiers checks said to have
been issued in the campaign.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH s.
On the twenty-second joint ballot Sena-
tor Stephenson was one vote shy of cleo
ton, getting CO out of 124 votes cast
Most of the time of the investigating com
mittee was occupied with ferreting out al
legged donations of Senator Stephenson to
various churches throughout the state. 1t
was stated by Senator Marsh that the
Junior senator had been more active than
usual during the campaign in his contribu-
lions to churches and that it was the duty
of the committee to ascertain whether or
not the money so donated was in violation
of the corrupt practices act. Miss Mary
Stringham. Senator Stephenson's private
secretary, was on the witness stand. She
n ks mai To Gle
men of the state. wordy battle between
Chairman Marsh and Assembyman Ham
brecht as to the admission of evidence on
church donations enlivened the meeting.