The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-10
Had No First Hand Informal
ton Against Stephenson's
Corrupt, Election
MAN WHO MADE CHARGES
INUNDATED As WITNESS
Based His Accusations on Hostile
Editorial and Made No Effort to
Verify the Stories Before He Used
Them to Accuse Senator.

Milwaukee, Oct. 1O.-BrOught race
to face with the charges which he had
made that United States Senator Isaac
Stephenson secured his election
through bribery and corruption, John
J. Blaine admitted before the senator.
ial investigating committee today that
practically all his charges were based
on information which he had accepted
as true without personal investigation.
Blaine. who is state senator, and
whose charges originally brought in
the Wisconsin legislature, resulted in
senate. admitted that he had practical
ly no first hand information upon
which to base his charges.
80 you were willing to make these
charges which If proven true might
put Senator Stephenson in the peni-
tentiary without a thorough investiga-
tion? You were willing to jeopardize
Senator Stephenson on second hand
information?" asked Senator Hepburn.
hadn't time to investigate. From
what hard heard the presumption
was that Senator tSephenson was using
campaign funds wrongfully."
Blaine said part Of his charges were
based on an editorial in paper OPP
posed to Senator Stephenson and he
had used the information in this edi-
Of 1t.
Out Of the testimony given yesterday
was developed the evidence that the
Stephenson campaign managers re-
garded the $107,793 admittedly ex-
pended for the campaign for the NOM
tnation as small compared to $780,
900 or 100000, which might have
been spent for a. campaign more sys-
tematically conducted.
4P not on
was declared to be partly due to the
close fight between the two factions
in the republican party in Wisconsin,
one headed by Senator Robert NJ. La
Toilette and the other by Stephenson,
who as "a regular" republican was de-
tefmined to win over the candidates
supported by the 'irregulars." AS
he sought re-nomination at the pri-
maries in 1908. and also as showing
how he had to spend literally to ad-
vertise, campaign literature was read
into the record stating that Stephen
son was believer in Roosevelt ideas
and as such was bound to support Taft
for president.
The statement from Rodney sackett,
one Of the Stephenson's campaign
managers. that $150.000 or 5000. 900
might legitimately have been spent
for the senatorial nomination, brought
forth a comment from Senator Atlee
Pomerene Of Ohio. a member Of the
committee.
"1f s1o7.7ss isn't enough to NOM
mate a United States senator in Wis
consin. how much is and what would
you do with 100000 legitimately to
secure for a man the position with a
1880 annual salary?" asked Senator
Pomerene
I'VE could have been more syste-
matte" answered Saskett. There are
approximately 100000 republicans in
the state. Had we money we should
have canvassed the voters. This,
estimate, would have cost from $780,
900 to 100000. AS it was with our
means limited to little over $780,
600, we could not see each voter and
had to get long the best we could"
Stephenson's vote. 1t was shown,
was $4,000 out of total Of 224,O0o
votes cast. On being asked by Pemb-
rene, II the campaign manager ex-
pected candidate to spend that much
money legitimately for the position
With $500 salary. Sackett replied:
1t Is not supposed that man goes
to the senate for $500 alone"
A new feature of the investigation
Is expected to be developed tomorrow
when q. L. Kingsley Of La Crosse,
takes the stand. Kingsley was one of
the deputy game wardens. frequently
mentioned In the legislative investiga-
ton OF Stephenson's election.