Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-19
FIVE MEMBERS OF ELECTIONS
COMMITTEE FILE MINORITY
REPORT.
CAN NOT JUSTIFY REPORT
oF.sEvEN COLLEAGUES
Minority Quotes From Majority Find
;nss to Prove Stephenson 10 Not En-.
titled to Seat in senate-corrupt
Methods and Practices il Primary
Election Shown.

entitled to his seat in the opinion OF
five members Of the senate committee
on privileges and elections, who filed a
minority report with the senate today.
The majority report on the investiga-
ton Of Senator Stephenson's CAM
paign expenditures was submitted Feb.
IL. In substance it held that the
charges Of corruption in the primary
OF 1908 were not proven. The minority
report Is signed by Senators Kenyon.
Ciapp and Jones, republicans. and Lea
and Kern, democrats It contends that
enough evidence was adduced by the
inquiry to warrant the senate in de-
claring Senator Stephenson's seat va
can't
Quotes Majority Report.
Referring to the fact that the Sena-
tor thru his lieutenants spent $107.793
in his campaign and that candidates
for the state legislatures spent proper
tionately large sums, the report quotes
from the majority report:
Such expenditures were in viola ton
Of the fundamental principles UNDER
lying our system Of government, which
dates by the electors and not the Sc
lection of the electors by the candi-
dates" The minority report then pro-
ceeds:
I'VE concur in this statement and it
justifies us in opposing the conclusion
OF the majority. How a seat in the
senate can be secured in violation of
the fundamental principles underly-
ing our system Of government with
all the evidence showing the use OF
such a large sum of money and not be
tainted by corrupt methods and prac-
tices we are unable to comprehend.
The Real Question.
1.-THE question now squarely- before
the senate is whether or not methods
and practices in violation Of the fund
amental principles underlying our sys-
tenn of government shall be denounced
by our words and approved by our
votes.'
Quoting again from tne majority re-
port. which. after summarizing the
methods of Senator Stephenson's elec-
ton declared that if they had been
used by a candidate for a state office
in Wisconsin. "it would be very diff
cult to justify such conduct under the
laws of the state" The minority re-
port continues:
This statement we endorse. 1t war
rants our opposition to the conclusion
of the majority. If it would be diff
cult to justify a campaign like this
by candidate for a state office why
is it not equally difficult to justify it
on the part Of Senator Stephenson? He
was not compelled to go into the pri-
mary. He elected to do so and he
should be held to the same degree Of
accountability as any other candidate
in that primary.
Can Not Justify Conduct.
IF he used methods-and the major
ity says he did-that it would be diff
didate, then it Is equally difficult for
the senate to Justify such conduct on
the part Of a candidate for a seat in
this body and preserve its integrity
and honor. In our Judgment 1t can
not do it,
The report sets forth that the evi-
dence showed conclusiv4ly that voters
were paid to beat the pools, that ex-
travagant sums for Entertainment"
were expended and records and papers
concerning the campaign were Sh1rted
from one place to another, and original
records were destroyed.
"All this is admitted" says the re-
port, land we feel we have a right to
assume from these admitted facts and
actions that corrupt methods and prac-
tices were used in connection with said
primary election. To hold otherwise IL
to establish precedent that would
authorize an expenditure Of hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars to debauch the
electorate in order to secure a seat in
this body. To do this Ia to notify the
world that we are CARELESS as to
wether or not seats in this body are to
be bought and sold az SO much mer-
chandise to the man with the largest
purse"
RIOT IN CONVENTION.