The Cairo bulletin., 1912-02-20
MINORITY SAYS
STEPHENSON USED
TOO MUCH MONEY
Minority Report, Signed BY Five
Members Tells Of Money
Spent 4
MAJORITY REPORT ALREADY IN
Decision of FEB. Il Exonerates SEN
ator From Wisconsin
Charge, Not Proven
MAJORITY REPORT ALREADY IN

States Senator Isaac Stephenson Of
Wisconsin, Is not entitled sto his
seat. in the opinion of five members
of the senate committee on priyi-
ieges and elections, who filled a
minority report with the senate to-
day. The majority report on the in
vestigation of Senator Stephensons s
campaign expenditures was SUBJ
mitted February IL. In substance
it held that the charges Of corrup-
tion in the primary of 1908 were
not proven.
The minority report is signed by
Senators Kenyon, Clapp and Jones,
republican; Les and Kern, demo-
Gratis. 1t contends that enough evil
dence was adduced by the inquiry
to warrant the senate in declaring
Senator Stephenson's seat vacant
Expenditures Cited.
Referring to the fact that the
senator, through his lieutenants,
spent $107,793 in his campaign and
that candidates for the state legis-
latures spent proportionately large
sums, the report quotes from the
majority, report; s......,.,s .ss.s,a
Such expenditures we're In vio-
lation of the fundamental principles
underlying our system of govern
ment, which contemplated the selec-
tion of candidates by the electors
and not the selection of the electors
by the candidate"
The minority report then pro-
ceeds:
eve concur in this statement and
1t justifies us In opposing the ccn-
clusion of the majority. How a seat
in the senate can be secured in vio-
lation of the fundamental principles
underlying our system of govern
ment' with the evidence showing the
use of such large sum of money,
and not be tainted by corrupt
methods and practices we are unable
to comprehend.
"The question now squarely be-
fore the senate is whether or not
methods and practices 'in violation
of the fundamental principles un-
derlying our system of government
shall be denounced by our words
and approved by our votes"
Quotes Majority Report.
Quoting again from the majority
report, which, after summarizing
the methods of Senator Stephenson's
election, declared that IL they had
been used by candidate for a state
officer In Wisconsin, 1t would be
very difficult to justify such conduct
under the laws Of the state" the
minority report continues:
"This statement we endorse. It'll
warrants our opposition to the con-
clusion Of the majority. II 1t would
be difficult to justify a campaign
like this by candidate for state
office. why is it not equally difficult
to justify 1t on the part of Senator
Stephenson? He was not compelled
to go into the primary. He elected
to do SO and he should be held to the
same degree of accountability as any
other candidate in that primary.
'If he used methods--and the ma
jority says he did--that it would be
difficult in behalf OF a state candi-
date, then it is equally difficult for
the senate to justify such conduct
on the part of candidate for a seat
in this body and preserve Its in
tegrity and honor. In our judgment
1t cannot do It,"
The report sets forth that the evil
dence showed conclusively that vot-
ers we're paid to be at the polls, that
extravagant sums for entertain
bent" were expended and records
and papers concerning the campaign
were shifted from one place and
original records were destroyed.
"All this is admitted" says the
report, "and we feel we have a right
to assume from these admitted facts
and actions that corrupt methods
and practices were used In connec-
ton with said primary election. To
hold otherwise is to establish