Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-11
United States Senator Ste
phenSon Now Under Charues.
COMMITTEE MAKES REPORT
Statement Filed With Wisconsin
Governor Speaks Of Corruption.
ASKS SENATE INVESTIGATION
Names OF Those Alleged to Have Re.
ceived Money In Report, Which
Says $4,000 Was spent j

Says 45o,00o Was spent j
MADISON, Wis, January u.-United
States Senator Isaac Stephenson is
charged with a number Of violations oe
the laws Of Wisconsin. The charge In
made In lengthy statement filed with
Gov F. E.. McGoyern today by the 1909
state senate committee which inyestieated
the primary campaign and election %
Senator Stephenson.
The committee recommends mar \
copy OF the report be submitted 70 the
United States Senate and that bodv In.
vestigate Mr.. Stephenson's election.
senator stephenson il charged with
violating the statute which requires an
account under oath of campaien erpen
uitures to be filed. and it is also alleged
tnat such violation was premeditated.
II Is further charged that he violated
the law which prohibits any one from
cohtriouting money to assist a candidate
Tor the legislature residing outside OF the
district IN which the contributor resides.
Violated Civil Service Law.
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 Warden Stone and
L. b. Dresser. then president of the
board OF control, is also charged
That he gave sum OF money to a sup
porter OF McGovern for United States
senator. such supporter afterward SWITCH
ing to Stephenson, and that he paid large
sums OF money to others which was aft
erward used by them to induce other per-
sons to assist In procuring his election
On the whole record, therefore," the
report states. Stephenson is charged
with knowledge OF the manner in whicn
his campaign was being conducted and
the purposes for which money was being
disbursed
The feilure to keep or require nc.
counts and the practice OF destroying
original memoranda by those engaged in
olsoursing Aephensons funds In the
campaign makes 1t clear there was pre-
meditation and method on the part OF
Stephenson and his managers to cover up
their methods Of conducting the cam.
paasn. Tnat he approved OF these moth
Ihose managers, in plain violation OF
law. gave considerable sums OF money Ia
Levi II. Bancroft, c.. c. wellensEard.
Ihomas Reynolds, John Mulder, q. A.
Everett and W. l.. Smith, who then were
candidates for nomination to the assem.
bly,.
Sum Exceeds 35o, ZOO.
large part OF money distributed In
the stephenson campaign. probably Q sum
IN excess OF $4,000, was used by Stephen
sons managers to unlawfully and corrupt
~ procure the nomination and election Of
Isaac Stephenson to the United States
Senate.
Further. Isaac Stephenson was elected
by the legislature to the United States
senate by majority OF three votes while
the charges of corruption against him
were being investigated by the legtsla-
ture
I'm addition to the several acts of cor
ruption and fraud herein referred to- it
should be remembered that the election OF
Isaac Stephenson. ON March l. was made
possible by three democrats, who. at the
instigation of the Stephenson managers
and agents. walked out of the joint
assembly when IT became known thar
Of isaac Stephenson.
Under the law, If person elected
clearly participates i'm any act OF bribery
or attempted bribery he should be denied
Office although the result of the election
was not thereby changed. This. in the
opinion Of the committee, Senator Ste
phenson did.
1T is also the law that if. by bribery or
friends of the candidate who are conduct
ing his canvass. votes are obtained for
him without which he would not have
had a majority, the election should be
dituOu6u pIOol Is tdChlUk tndt
he knew OF the bribery or corrupt prac-
tices.
Bribery, Says the Report.
This, in the opinion of the committee.
Stephenson's managers and workers did
thereby changing enough votes to give
him the nomination in the primary and
the election before the Legislature.
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 himself and by his cam
paign 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 a
copy of this report be certified to the
United States Senate by the governor
and the legislature, with the request thsc
that body Investigate the manner and
means by and through which Isaac
Stephenson secured his election to the
United States Senate, for its action
thereon.
The report further recommends that
be commenced by the dis
trict attorney of Dane county against
all persons SlOWn Dl Tie tNIoCiSc "
have committed perjury in the investi-
CATION, and that a like copy 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 evi-
dence to have been guilty Of corrupt prac-
tice or of perjury.
Senator Stephenson was informed or
the charges filed with the Governor OF
WISCONSIN. He said the majority or the
COMMITTEES which investigated his elec-
tion filed it's report two years ago, and
that there was no minority report at tnat
time He said that there WAS minority
Of the committee opposed to him, how
ever. and that he supposed that II was
now making q report. Beyond this, he
said, he had no comment to make.
PERIOD OF QUICK CHANGES.