The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-03
PAID SlO7,793
 FOR HIS SEAT
And U. s. Senator Stephenson of Wisconsin Hardly Knew
 Where it All Went <
POSTAGE BILL ONLY. Y..S11,OOO
Solon Who Faces Charge of Bribery, and Corruption, Had Great
 Faith in His Managers.

Milwaukee, Wis, Oct. 3-While on the witness stand before the Sena- torlal investigation committee to an- swer charges that bribery and cor rupt use of money contributed to his election, U- s. Senator Isaac Stephen son testified yesterday that, although he spent s1o7,7 ,793, in his campaign he had little knowledge of just how it was spent, except that it was not used in violation of the laws. \
 The details, he said, he had left to his campaign managers.
 AS an instance of his ignorance of where the money went, he cited an item of $11, ,000, for postage, saying:
 Now I am president of more than a dozen active industries in this sta te and I have in my employ more than 5000 men.e some of whom have been with me for fifty years. Tn them I have every confidence. I do not pay industries. Just SO. when my cam paign for nomination by the pri- maries in 1908 came up, I could not lie awake nights trying to figure how the postage was used. I gave sums Of money to my managers and told them to carry on a vigorous cam paign and do everything to elect me,
 
 the law. I cautioned them not to vio- late the law in any particular. So far as know, they obeyed me-"
 Citing approximately \ large ex- penses- for general advertising, but tons, Autographs, newspaper advertis- ing and travelling expenses, the witt ness testified that he frequently ask ed wilereO so much money was go- ing, but on being told it was a close fight. and the state had to be sys- tematically canVassed to elect him, questioned the matter no further.
 Two, points as, being the position of the defense" in the inquiry, which is being conducted by subcommittee of the Senate committee on privileges and elections were made known by Charles E. Littlefield, counsel for MT. Stephenson. One was that the com mittee had no authority to investigate the primary campaign of 1908 at which MT. Stephenson was nominated, but must confine itself to questioning whether the Senator actually spent money for his election by the State Legislature in 1909. He asserted that all the money was spent in the nom inatiOn and not a dollar vent to the election. Another declaration was that MT. Stephenson was elected by the Legislature, when both Houses voted separately on Jan. 26, 1909 and that
 
 jointly on March A. 1909, when three Democratic members absented them selves and so gave MT. Stephenson a majority, was not necessary The committee announced that at present it would not confine itself. to any of the limitations thus set forth.
 Continuing his testimony Mir. Ste phenson said that for campaign pur- poses he gave sums of money to men who afterwards became candidates for the Legislature. Some of these were elected but he was not aware of their candidacy when he gave them money
 ''The record shows that you paid out to your managers one day $10,000 and a short time afterward gave tbem S15, ,0O0 more,' ? said Senator w. B. Hey burn, chairman. Did not you ever ask what they were doing with all that money?''
 "No. only in general way"
 tsDid you pay three Democratic members Or any one for absenting themselves from the Legislature on a majority ?''
 No; never knew of any member having absented himself except as I read it in the newspapers.
 E. A. Edmonds, one of Senator Ste phenson's managers. testified he knew of no money having been illegally us- ed in MT. Stephenson's election. The bill for advertising, he said, amount ed to $4OO0G. A check for $2.5O0 was paid to the state game warden, J. W. Stone, on MT. Stephenson's instruc- tions, he said, but he did not know to what use the money was put In previous legislative investigation it was brought out that Stone distribut- ed money to deputy wardens.