Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-20
|M|N0R|TY IN
REPORT SCORES
step HENSON.

Five members of Elections
Committee Hold Wiscon,
sin Senator Not Entitled
to Seat in the Senate.
washington. D. c., Feb. 19.-U. S.
senator Isaac A. Stephenson Of Wis.
consin is not entitled to his seat In the
opinion Of five members of the senate
committee on privileges and elections.
VINO filed q minority report with the
senate today. The majority report on
the Investigation of Senator Stephen
sons campaign expenditures was sub.
m1tted Feb. ~. In substance it held
that the charges OF corruption in the
primary Of 1908 were not proven. The
minority report is signed ny Senator's
Kenyon, Clapp and Jones, republicans.
Lea and Kern, democrats. 1t contends
that enough evidence was adduced by
the inquiry to warrant the senate In
declaring Senator Stephensons seat
vacant.
referring to the fact that the SEN
ator through his lieutenants spent
$l07.793 in his campaign and that can.
dldates for the state legislatures spent
proportionately large sums, the report
quotes from the majority report:
such expenditures were in viola.
tion of the fundamental principles un.
DERIVING our system Of government,
which contemplated the selection OF
candidates by the electors and not the
selection of the electors by the candi.
dates" The minority report then
proceeds:
We concur in this statement and II
justifies us in opposing the conclusion
of the majority. How seat in the
senate can be secured in violation OF
the fundamental principles underly.
ing our system of government with
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.
Would Not Approve Law Violations.
The question now squarely before
the senate is whether or nat methods
and practices in violation or the funda.
mental principles underlying our sys-
tenn OF government shall be denounced
by our words and approved by our
votes.
Quoting again from the majority re-
port, which, after summarizing the
methods of Senator Stephenson's s cleo
ton declared that il they had been
used by candidate for state Of
flee 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
warrants our opposition to the con-
clusion of the majority. II 1t would be
difficult to justify campaign like this
by a candidate for state Office why
is it not equally difficult to justify it
on the part of Senator Stephenson? He
was not compelled to 60 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.
IF he used methods-and the ma
jority says he did--that 1t would be
difficult to justify in behalf OF state
candidate, then it is equally difficult
for the senate to justify such conduct
on the part Of a candidate for o seat In
this body and preserve it's integrity
and honor. In our Judgment it cannot
do it,
Fear Seating az Bad Precedent.
The report sets forth that the evi-
dence showed conclusively that voters
were paid to beat the polls, that ex-s
travagant sums for entertainment"
were expended and records and papers
concerning the campaign were shifted
from one place to another, and
original records were destroyed.
"All this is admitted" says the re. I
port, "and We feel we have right to
assume from these admitted facts and
actions that corrupt methods and prac-
tees were used in connection with
said primary election. To hold other
wise is to establish precedent that
would authorize an expenditure OF
hundreds Of thousands of dollars to
debauch the electorate in order to se-
cure seat in this body. To do this Is
TO notify the world that We are care
less as to whether or not seats in this
body are to be bought and sold as SO
much merchandise to the man with the
largest purse"