Mexico Missouri message., 1899-11-23
CHAMP CLARK TALKS.
DeArmond for the Minority
Leadership-A Trl-
butte to the Mem
DRY of r. p.
Bland.

Hon. Champ Clark is working
for the candidacy of II Mssourian
for the minority leadership of the
next House of Representatives.
Mr.. Clark gave out the following
interview at Washington the other
day:
THE strange thing about the
speakership contest is that the Re
publican nomination. which means
honor, power, Il place in history,
and 81, 600 extra salary per annum,
is, and for months has been, set
tied definitely. while the Democrat
ic nomination is the object of the
ambition and rivalry of at least a
quartet of palpitating statesmen,
who openly avow their yearning,
while perhaps II dozen more have
lightning rods concealed about
their person ready for erection and
exhibition on the least persuasion
or the faintest call
AS to the Democratic leader
ship, only one thing is cocksure,
and that is the man who receives
81 votes is Il sure winner, he may
win with less. Originally. l72
anti-Republicans were elected to the
Fifty sixth Congress. The places
of Settle of Kentucky aud Ermen-
traut of Pennsylvania are vacant,
leaving 40. One of these is "A sill
verite, three or four are pOpulists,
and two or three are FuSionists.
These may or may not attend the
Democratic caucus. There are four
entries for the Democratic leader
ship: DeArmond of Missouri,
Richardson of Tennessee, Bank
head of Alabama, and Sulzer of
New York. Bankhead is the old
est, Sulzer the youngest, Richard
son the tallest, and DeArmOnd the
smallest, physically, not mentally.
Professionally, they stand one far
mer to three lawyers. Richardson
was Speaker of the Tennessee
House of Representatives; Sulzer
of that of New York, DeArmond
has been Judge, Bankhead, War
den of the Penstentiary. Each
served in his State Legislature.
Bankhead is serving his thirteenth
wear i'll Congress; Richardson his
fifteenth; DeArmond his ninth;
SulZer his fifth. Richardson and
Bankhead were soldiers in the Civil
War; Sulzer was not then born.
and if DeArmond fought any, he
leaves it ont of his autobiography
geographically, there is one
Northeastern, two SouthernerS, and
one Southwestern. Politically, all
are Chicago platform Democrats
As Missouri is the greatest and
most populous State IN the Union
that invariably gives her electoral
vote to the Democratic presidential
candidate, we think she is entitled
to this honor, which may appear
empty now, but which will hand
the recipient of this nomination in
the Speakers chair in the next
Congress; and, AS DeArmOnd is
MiSSouri'S only candidate, he ought
to he nominated.
While ] would not disparage
the claims of any candidate or any
State, OF east any suspicion on the
fealty of any gentleman or section,
it is nevertheless true that in the
public mind Missouri is more init
mately associated with the Chicago
platform and the crusade for the
restoration of silver to its ancient
place of honor than is any other
State, and, for that reason also,
this honor should come to her,
DeArmond being her sole candidate
on this occasion.
1t would be a splendid and well
merited tribute to the precious
memory of Silver Dick Bland ia
nominate IA Missouri Democrat of
his way of thinking; and Missouri
presents DeArmond to the caucus
as the chairman of the Committee
ON Resolutions at the Pertle Springs
Convention, which made possible
the Chicago platform of 1896. With
IA Missourian for leader, the world