Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-01-12
after LONG DAYS
Charge ofAttempted Brib-
cry and Corruption
Is Filed Against United States
Senator Stephenson.
latter's Comment at Washington
Makes Accusers Look Silly.

Madison, Wis. Jan. ll.-"The nomi-
nation in the primary and the election
to the United States Senate 10y the
Legislature of Isaac Stephenson are nun
and void on account of attempted brib-
cry and corrupt practices by himself
and his campaign leaders, agents. and
workers and of violations of the laws
OF Wisconsin defining and furnishing
offences against the elective Franchise"
This is the gist of the findings of Il
special senatorial investigating COM
mittee in its report submitted to Coy.
Francis e. McGovern today. The re-
port is signed by Lieut.. Governor
Thomas Morris and Senator Spencer
w. Marsh (Republicans) and Senator
Paul Husting tDemocratie). The two
Republican memberskof the committee
are members of the so-called Progress
sive wing OF the Republican party. and
Senator Hastings calls himself a Pro-
gresSiVe Democrat.
Early in the legislative session of
1909. resolutions were adopted in both
houses. calling for an investigation of
the senatorial primary election. The
resolutions were particularly pointed
at United States Senator Isaac sSteph-
with the secretary OF state expended
si07. 900 during the campaign.
Speaker Bancroft of the Assembly
named a committee. composed of
ma jority of Stalwart Republicans and
Lieut.. Gov. John Strange. who then
presided over the senate, named Sem
ato.s Marsh, Morris and Husting. The
committees met in joint session for
=
branch of the committee decided to go
no further.
The Assembly members of the COM
mittee rendered report, recommends
ing the enactment OF a law regulating
campaign expenditures and stating that
there was no evidence of corruption on
the part of Senator Stephenson.
FolloWing this special resolution,
was adopted by the Senate making. the
three senators named q special nvcs-
tiGation committee To GO further into
the primary election. Today's report
and findings are the result of trat spr-
hcial committees work.
The three senators signed the re-
port as members of the Senate on thc
jCint legislative committee as we'll as
| members of the Senate investigating
committee.
Treated from the standpoint of haN-
| ing been signed by members of the
kjoint committee, it may technio ally he
called minority report. On the other
! hand, as the result of the work of tn.
| special committee. it Is also an indie
! pendent report
Assembly members of the joint in
vestgating committee are scored by
the Senate committee for their alleged
| failure to assist in thorough .nvesti-
cation Of the Stephenson nomination.
and election. Among the statements in
| the report on this point is one saying;
Throughout the investigation the
Assembly members of the committee
| persistently endeavored to prevent the
| investigation of Isaac Stephenson"
| The report vas submitted to Cover
| nor McGovern about 10 minutes before
Senator Marsh's term as state senator
! expired. MIR. Morris. while no longer
! a senator, having resigned his seat to
become lieutenant governor, signed this
| report as member of the investigat
| ing committee.
The committee recommends that a.
copy of the report be certified to the
United States Senate by the governor
| ana the Legislature with the request
| that that body investigate the man
ner in which Stephenson procured his
| election.
| Washington, Jan. 11.-Regarding the
news from the Wisconsin capital thar
charges of violations of the elections
law had been filed against him with
the governor. Senator Stephenson gave
out the following:
"The report of the majority of tho
! legislative committee was made at the
session of the Legislature held two
years ago. The committee after an ex-
haustive investigation, eXonerated me
and ill those connected with my CAM
paign of all the charges. The report
now made is by three of the old COM
nnittee who refused to concur with the
majority. They did not then submit a
report, but have waited until a Legis-
lature had been elected which regard
ed favorable to their plans. Two of
| th5m are no longer members of the
| Legislature. I have not yet seen the
report So far as the charges have
I come to ME they are without founda-