Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-10-13
HON. CHAMP CLARK
As He is Seen by q Correspondent Of
the Mexico Ledger.

To the Editor of the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, Oct. Champ CLARK
spent q part OF his vacation in taking
old G~rosvenor's hide of, which he did
In a very neat and scientific manner,
and now has it safely nailed up to dry
on the south gable end of his barn.
Now CLARK is out Cunning for larger
game and that is no MORE or less than
the hide of the G. O.P. Although it
is far more flexible than rubber and
thicker and tougher than that OF the
largest old bull elephant that ever
pushed his way through an Indian,
African or Ceylon jungle, I would not
be surprised to see Champ get away
with q big slice, II he does not get the
whole of it.
Champ Clark is an orator and q
statesman and If there is a brighter or
a brainier man now in Congress !
would be pleased to know his name.
He has been on the right eide of every
question that came up and has always
fought nobly for the rights and best
interests Of the common people.
Brave and fearless he had the courage
and ability to stand up in that den Of
rottenness and corruption (the pres
emit Congress) and speak the truth,
and in doing it he never minced his
words nor whipped the devil around
the stump, but hewed straight to the
line and didn't care q continental
where the chips fell.
We ought to love Champ Clark for
the enemies he has made, for he has
made bitter enemies of every trust,
combine and thieving corporation In
this country, for whenever n OF
those hydra-headed monsters has
shown up in Congress Clark has always
stood ready to strike 1t a blow with
the gigantic force of a forty-ton trip
hammer.
AS to Clark's big opponent over the
way, 1 take 1t that Bob Shackelford is
an affable, genial and all-round good
sort of a fellow, but when it comes to
craftsmanship he is not sin 1t" along
side of Champ Clark. 1t was the mis-
fortune of Mr.. Shackelford to get on
the wrong side of the fence at the
start and now he has made the CROWN
ing mistake of his life in pitting him
self against Champ CLARK for Con-
gress.
And this reminds me of q story that
I heard a Kentucky Congressman tell
more than half a century ago. He said
that when on his way home from
Washington, as he was passing over
the Blue Ridge mountains, in order
that he might be able to see and enjoy
the beautiful scenery along the road,
he got on the locomotive and rode
with the engineer. Noticing that the
road had many short curves as IL
wound around the numerous spurs OF
mountains, he asked the engineer IL
he was not afraid that he would some
time meet with an obstruction on the
track that he would not be able to see
until it would be too late to stop hit
train.
"No," said the engineer, ST am moi
afraid of anything of the kind, for thii
is a good track and we have plenty o.
good men to look after it. The only
obstruction that I ever met with or
this road was in the shape Of q little
black bull, and this is the way it hap.
pened: AS I was rounding one Of
these curves one afternoon I was sur
prised to see a little bull right in the
middle of the track and he was below
ing and paving up the duet in q lively
way. blew the whistle and the fire.
man rang the bell to scare him of the
track, but the little cuss didn't scare
worth a continental and when the
cow catcher was in a few feet of hin
he suddenly elevated his tail, arche6
his back and lowering his head dashed
right at it, doubtless thinking he coulc
toss it over his back. But right there
the little fool made the mistake of hi
life, for in a moment he found himself
lying in the ditch fifty feet away anG
as limp as a dish rag and as dead as
barn door nail. Now l could not helI
but admire the dauntless courage Of
that little fellow in pitting himself
against this big engine, but damn hi
Judgment"
And that is just how 1t will be will
big Bob Shackelford on the eighth o
next month. When the votes are al
counted and the result is known b
will-metaphorically-hnd himself ly
ing in a ditch, face downward, and a
limp rs an old dish cloth, his necl
broken and as dead-politically-as
smoked herring.
Democratic voters of Audrain AM
the Ninth Congressional District, g
to the polls on election day and vote
every mothers son of you. 1t is
duty you owe to yourselves, to you
wives and your children and a dut.
, that every good citizen owes to hi
t country. There will be no REASONABLE
excuse for any such damphoolism a
staying at home and going fishing q
there was on a similar occasion sew
eral yearsag 70. Go to the polls, ever
j, one Of you, and prove by your action
!. that you fully appreciate the service
, of a tried and true servant of the PEG
. pie by giving Champ Clark the largee
majority ever received by any Con
: gresham in this grand old state G
Missouri. W. W. CLENDENIN.
Il State vs.. Mansfield.