Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-01-20
ANOTHER SENATOR
PLACED ON GRILL
FOR USING MONEY
lavish Expenditure of Money
to Procure His Election Al
legged Against Badger
Patriarch.

Madison, Wis, Jan.
States Senator Isaac Stephenson is
charged with a number of violations OF
he laws of Wisconsin in a lengthy
statement filed with Governor Nc
Govern today by the 1909 state senate
committee in it's report on the investi-
cation of the primary campaign n
election of Senator Stephenson.
The committee recommends that a
copy of the report be submitted TO the
United States Senate and that body in
Testigate Mr.. Stephenson's election.
Wilful Violation of Law.
Senator Stephenson is charged with
violating the statute which requires
an account under oath of campaign
expenditures to be filed, and it is also
alleged that such violation was pre-
meditated.
1t is further charged that he violat-
ed the law which prohibits any n
from contributing money TO assist a
candidate for the Legislature residing
outside of the district in which the
contributor resides.
1t is also alleged that the civil serv-
Ice law Of this state was violated when
he caused to be paid o which the
evidence shows was paid to State
Game Warden Stone and l.. B. Dresser,
then president of the board of control.
That he gave a sum Of money to a
supporter of McGovern for United
States senator, such supporter after
wards switching TO Stephenson and
that he paid large sums Of money to
others which were afterwards used by
them to induce other persons to assist
in procuring his election.
Knew of Corruption.
"On the whole record, therefore" the
report states, Stephenson is charged
with knowledge Of the manner in which
his campaign was being conducted and
the for which money was be-
ing disbursed.
THE failure to keep, or require acs
counts n h practice of destroying
original memoranda by those engaged
in disbursing Stephenson's funds in the
campaign makes it clear there was
generalization and method on the part
of Stephenson and his managers to
cover up their methods of conducting
the campaign.
THAT he approved of those methods
cannot be doubted. Those managers,
in plain violation of law, gave consid-
cradle sums of money to Levi H.
Reynolds, John Mulder, E. A. Everett
and w. L. Smith, who then were can
didates for nomination to the assem-
bly,.
Money Used Ccrruptiy.
"a large part of the money distrib-
uted in the Stephenson campaign,
probably a sum in excess of $50, 900,
was used by Stephenson managers
lawfully and ~corruptly to procure the
nomination and election of Isaac Ste
phenson to the United States Senate.
Further, Isaac Stephenson was
elected by the legislature to the United
States Senat by a majority of three
votes, while the charges Of corruption
against him were being investigated
by the legislature.
"In addition to the several acts of
corruption and fraud herein refererred
to, 1t should be remembered that the
election Of Isaac Stephenson on March
4 was made possible by three members
who at the i~nstigation of the Stephen
son managers and agents, walked out
81 the joint assembly wnen it became
known that their presence woul pre-
vent the election of Isaac Stephenson.
Beneficiary of Bribery.
Under the law, if a person elected
clearly participates in any act of brib-
cry or. attempted bribery, he should be
ienied office, although the result of the
election was not thereby changed. This,
in the opinion of the committee, Sen
ator Stephenson did.
y 9TH findings of the committee are
hat the nomination in the primary and
the election to the United States SEN
dlS ~ liS iN6 OL Ao"uS DANPlNCI-
SON. of wisconsin, is null void,
On account of attempted bribery and
corrupt practices by himself and by
mis- campaign manager, agents and
workers and of violations Of the laws
Of Wisconsin defining and Furnishing
offenses against the elective franchises.
Want Senate to Act.
THE committee recommends that a
copy OF this report be certified to the
United States Senate by the governor
and the legislature with the request
hat that body investigate the
and means by and through which
isaac Stephenson secured his election
to the United States Senate"
The report further recommends that
prosecutions be commenced by the dis
.rict attorney of Dano county against
ali persons shown by the evidence TO
have committed perjury In the investi-
cation, and that a like o p of the
evidence be submitted to the attorney
general with the recommendation that
he cause to be commenced prosecution
against all persons shown by the evil
1ence to have been guilty of corrupt