Show REPORT washington april lo 10 tho senate committee on privileges and elections today decided by a unanimous vote to recommend the adoption of a resolution declaring that hon W A dark of montana is cot entitled to occupy his as a senator from montana the decision was readied at a two hours sibling at which all the members were present but one the absentee was senator caffery of louisiana and he wired his vote la oppose tr to mr ciara the ballot was not taken until all iha members had expressed themselves upon the question some of them speaking at some length and all expressing different shades of opinion senator harris of kansas indicated the most pronounced loaning toward leniency toward mr dark he did not express any doubt that there had been a lavish expenditure of money in mr darks behalf and while not condoning this course ne spoke in terms of strong condemnation of the tactics pursued by some of his darks opponents referring especially to congressman campbell and ex senator he said that whatever mr darks ot tenses they were but little worse than tho methods pursued by campbell and in their efforts to expose the senator and be insisted that it the report was to be antagonistic to mr dark it should at the same time relate in full detail the course pursued by the two principal witnesses against him senator pettus practically agreed with mr harris the two senators also expressed some doubt as to the justification of the conclusion drawn by a majority of the committee that senator darks candidacy for the senate began in august when he returned to butte from new york the effect of this conclusion was to charge up the entire which senator dark confessed to having expended to his campaign tor the senate while the contention was made in senator darks behalf that he had not become a candidate until after the state election thus eliminating from the campaign in his individual bebak the amount spent in the latter contest senator daniel was among those who expressed himself that the was in view in 1898 the consensus of opinion appeared unfavorable to accepting any one especial feature against senator dark as a basis for the report the general ion being that H was the cumulative character of the testimony that should be considered rather than any one especial detail senator harris raised the point an fn mr darks behalf that the effect of the testimony could not properly be considered but he was overruled on his position it prominence was given to any one line of testimony more than to another it was that dealing with transactions apparently of a regular business nature between the senator or his agents and members of the legislature the purchase of property from senators warner and and the money tendered representative wood to lift the mortgage from his ranch were considered as bearing directly upon the case of these matters the wood case received especial attention the payment of money to representative day after mr dark s election also had weight the opinion was expressed that no one of these facts was sufficient basis for an adverse report but all agreed that all the facts many of them admitted together with other occurrences connected with the campaign were sufficient to justify a position against the senator continuing to hold bis seat the tact that senator dark and his representatives had tailed to make their reports to the state authorities of montana as required by the state law also was urged against him in the discussion in the committee as was the fact that he and his representatives had destroyed all their vouchers showing where the money had been used and to whom paid when attention was called to the tact that this correo was usual with campaign managers the statement was met with the conten alon that while the plan might be more commonly adopted than it should be still there could be no reasonable excuse for it after the exposure it was then known that there would be a contest and the argument was made that every scrap of paper bearing upon the election should have been saved after tills development in the case senators chandler and turley were directed to prepare the report it la to bo presented at an early date senator dark was at the capitol when the announcement no of the action of the corn matte was made known he was surprised at the result but refused to make a statement until consultation with his friends and attorneys mr dark bore himself with bis usual composure his face appeared somewhat flushed but his voice was calm and bis manner collected and he discussed other business affairs as it nothing had transpired he was asked it there was any truth in the report that he had decided to resign and he replied as he did to all other questions bearing upon his case 1 I cannot at present answer any questions bearing upon the report of the committee on elections senator faulkner counsel for dark was summoned to the capitol ataw the verdict was announced and bad a long consultation with his client over tho situation |