Birmingham state herald., 1896-04-07
HOW HE BURIED H1MsEI.F.

The Mobile News in the following spicy leader tells us how MT. Clarke buried himself in the house of representatives in order to dig out Mobile harbor, when he might today have been wearing the toga of John T. Morgan. The News says:
 '"Fhe Register continues to plead for MT. R. H. Clarke. It can see nothing to condemn, but everything to applaud in the opposition of certain citizens of lief ferson county to the nomination of their popular and distinguished fellow towns man, Joseph F. Johnston, for governor of Alabama; but 1t thinks every voter in Mobile county Is in duty bound to vote for the 'blue-eyed boy of destiny on the score of his Mobile residence, and that 1t is shame not to do so. The logic of their argument Is as admirable as its consistency is apparent But the Regis- ter follows up it's pleading with the con tention that the patriotic congressman dug out the channel to a greater depth than it had ever had, but overlooks what Buck and Bromberg and Herndon and Jones had previously done, and also the important fact that MT. Clarke had the active assistance of Mobiles commercial bodies and of some of her most intelligent and enterprising citizens. Does the Reg iSter forget that the old Roman,' Col J. c. Clark, interested himself to have MT. R. H. Clarke put on the river and harbor committee; that he went to Washington and conferred with Speaker Reed and MT. Blaine, and that he inter- ested some of his republican friends in and out of congress, and through their influence finally succeeded in inducing Speaker Reed to do the unusual thing of putting a new member on so important committee, when other Alabama mem- bers were aspirants for the position? Probably the Register was not informed of the fact, but doubtless can ascertain it to be so if disposed to make the in- qulry Is it a shame that Col. J. c. Clark now prefers to support not another man for congress, but another man for governor. namely, the working democrat and friend of the people-Joe Johnston? The Register alleges that in 1888, when MT. Clarke was elected to congress, strong effort was made to induce him to take the United States senatorship. but that he laid aside his ambition and went to Washington and deliberately buried himself for eight years in order that he might do that thing (dig out the harbor) Mobile and the First district of Alabama expected of him. Of course mo- body who was acquainted with Dick Clarke's self-sacrificing spirit expected him to do otherwise than refuse to be- come senator when 1t was his manifest duty to bury himself for eight years in order that the digging in the channel should proceed. But the Register should
 
 after MT. Clarke's interment took place. and before the daisies had sprung up around his burial place. the Mobile cham Der of commerce and the cotton exchange raised subscription to pay the expenses to Washington of a committee. consist ing of Col. J. c. Clark, General Burke, P. D. Barker, A. S. Benn and Mir Havens of the Seaboard Manufacturing company, who appeared before the harbor commit tee, and that these gentlemen rendered MT. Clarke valuable aid not the least of which came through the friendship and confidence which had so long existed between Col J. c. Clark and General Henderson, the republican chairman of the committee. sa
 "Is it a shame that many Mobile men who backed that committee now see fit to exercise the right of American citi- zens and vote for that strong, sturdy and popular democrat, Joe Johnston, who has never buried himself?'" b