The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-01-12
STEPHENSON IS
ALLEGED BRIBER
Legislative Report on Wis.
eonsis Senatorship.
VARIOUS CHARGES MADE

Upper House Be Asked to lnvesti.
gate Election of Badger SoIon-Pre.
meditated Scheme to Cover Up M eth.
DDS of Conducting Campaign Is
Alleged. Ill "~ .~ ,
Madison, Wis, Jan. 12.-United
States Senator Isaac Stephenson is
charged with a number of violations
of the laws of Wisconsin in a lengthy
statement filed with Governor F. E.
McGovern by the 1909 state senate
committee in it's report on the investi.
cation of the primary campaign and
election of Senator Stephenson.
The committee recommends that a
copy of the report be submitted to the
United States senate and that body
Investigate Mr.. Stephenson's election.
- Senator Stephenson is charged with
violating the statute which requires
an account under oath of campaign ex-
penditures to be filed and that such
violation was premeditated.
That he violated the law which pro-
hibits any one from contributing mon.
ey to assist candidate for the legis.
lature residing outside of the district
in which the contributor resides.
That the civil service law of this
state was violated when he caused to
be paid money which the evidence
shows was paid to State Game War
den Stone and to L. B. Dresser, then
president of the board of control.
That he gave a sum of money to a
supporter of McGovern for United
State senator, such supporter after
ward switching to Stephenson, and
that he paid large sums of money to
others, which was afterwards used by
them to induce other persons to assist
in procuring his election. 49,.
Planned to Cover Methods.
con the whole record, therefore,"
the report states, stephenson is
charged with knowledge of the man
ner in which his campaign was being
conducted and the purposes for which
money was being disbursed.
"The failure to keep or require &C.
counts and the practice of destroying
original memoranda by those engaged
in disbursing Stephensons 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
these methods cannot be doubted.
Those managers, in plain violation of
law, gave considerable sums of money
gard, Thomas Reynolds, John Mulder
e. A. Everett and w. l.. Smith, who
then were candidates for nomination
to the assembly.
"A large part of the money dis
tributed in the Stephenson campaign,
probably sum in excess of $4,000,
was used by Stephenson managers to
unlawfully and corruptly procure the
nomination and election of Isaac Ste
phenson to the United States senate.
Further, Isaac Stephenson was
elected by the legislature to the Unit
cd States senate by a majority of
three votes while the charges of cor
ruption against him were being in.
vestigated by the legislature
Election Null and Void.
1.-THE findings of the committee are
that the nomination in the primary
and the election to the United States
senate by the Legislature of Isaac
Stephenson of Wisconsin is null and
void on account of attempted bribery,
and bribery, corrupt practices by him
self and by his campaign managers,
agents and workers, and of violations
of the laws of Wisconsin defining and
Furnishing offenses against the elective
franchise.
1.-THE committee recommends that
copy of this report be certified to the
United States senate by the governor
and the legislature, with the request
that that body investigate the manner
and means by and through which Isaac
Stephenson secured his election to the
UHlIeu otates senate LOT us actlOQ
thereon"
The report further recommends that
prosecutions be commenced by the dis
trict attorney of Dane county against
all persons shown by the evidence to
have committed perjury in the investi.
cation and that like copy of the evil
dence be submitted to the attorney
general, with the recommendation that
he cause to be commenced prosecution
dence to have been guilty of corrupt
practices or of perjury.
~, f.seiu
When given as soon as the croupy