The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-09


he Is Teckonei IN Missouri az one
q the greatest staiesmen OF that Com
inonweaith. Hts name Is Champ Clark.
Some writer Out there g. now preparing
q book. entitled Five Famous Missouri
ans dealing with Gen. Joe shelby Mark
Twain, J. ". Greenwood, Richard =.
Bland. and the gentleman from Bowling
Green. No, whoge shadow now Is much
athwart the legislative threshold.
when clouds gather over the tall cham
her and when party orators clash and full
inmate there sits on the brow OF this
sturdy Roman from Missouri the pcTSOni-
heat!op OF content. No centurion who was
permitted to look down from any Of the
seven hills OF the Eternal City had the
capacity TO enjoy a battle OF the legions
more than Champ Clark enjoys the strife
81 eloquence He is at the same time a
philosopher and devotee Of sentiment. a
student OF books and affairs. an impress
sivc. but not eccentric, statesman on the
Democratic side: a man whose utterances
and acts remain with spectators on the
floor and IN the galleries.
Probably there l. not a better rounded
nor more completely developed top in the
multitude OF uncovered heads that are
bowed I'm a great semi-cIrcle about the
marble rostrum Of the House. The sum
mers and winters Of worldly experience
among the robust people OF the Southwest
have moved a clean sWath through what
was once luxuriant growth, but the face
beneath is young and large and speaks OF
determination. The broad shoulders.
strong body, and exceedingly muscular fig
uTe are OF man by no means past his
prime. The eye. so often an index OF mind
~ "a 81
Took DingIey's Catarrh Cure.
His associates do not all agree with his
opinions on politics nor accept his logic
in debate. but he has the practical gift Of
making friends among all men, He eX-
changed cordial views on a catarrh cure
with the late Representative Dingley.
which cure he tried, just as readily as he
advocates the radical free silver views Of
William Jennings Bryan. He Is not a fire.
quent speaker IN the House, but he is al
ways fOrcible. When he thunders up and
down his favorite Democratic aisle In a
voice that would be recognized on almost
any stump or lecture platform in a dozen
States along the Mississippi or the Mis-
souri,, 1t isn't necessarily the noise or his
manner that Compels an audience. Champ
Clark has independent, and often original.
views. He expresses them fearlessly and
stamps them with his own individuality.
Since the Missourian has grown great in
the estimation OF the people and has ele-
waited himself on the pedestal of political
fame. he has made more money out of
lecturing and writing for newspaper SYN
dicates than he ever made out of law or
politics. He Teaps vast amount of pleas
ure from both those callings He tells his
stories with more relish. there Is more
contentment In his philosophy, he works
with more diligence. Although he has the
typical Southern fondness for sitting
around and talking away the hours in
clination 10 idleness is to him a stranger.
He reads CmnivoTously-in fact is one of
the widest read men In the House; but he
loves human nature as he finds Ii in all
men, both opponents and supporters. Per
SOnally, he admiTeS the individuality of
President Mckinley and has not hesitated
TO say so in his speeches. He spoke the
other day In the House on finance. and
scored the memory Of President Hayes In
severe terms that almost shocked his
friends Champ Clark never does any
thing half way.
To hear him at mis- best, get him started
to talking about Missouri and her pos
sibilities. OF that theme he never tires.
He always refers to his State as Imperial
Missouri and is writing d book on that
fertile subject.
Born in Old II eHtucky,
A Kentuckan by birth and a Missourian
by adoption, Champ Clark nevertheless
has some Northern blood in his veins, and
he is not ashamed of il. Down near Lit
tie Egg Harbor, in the State of New Jer-
sey, his grandfather, AdTial Clark, once
fiouTished, making for himself no insig-
niiicant name as a shipbuilder and glass
manufacturer. The ancestor of a future
Democratic statesman also gathered in a
sufficient supply of this worlds goods
which a business partner rather uneX-
pectcdly relieved him Of, and a few years
later the widow and her sons and daugh-
tiers were left without any adequate in
come. John Hampton Clark, the Repre-
sentativa's father was then boy, and the
mothers necessities were so great that she
decided TO apprentice him TO a buggy
and WagonmakeTs trade. The spirit
of independence which he transmitted 10
his son Champ asserted itself, and be
fore his apprenticeship had expired. John
Hampton Clark ran away leaving his
mother and brothers and sisters, and he
never heard of them from that time up To
the NdN OF MS utSlHt Il wear stSO ldSl &c
tober He went TO Kentucky, where he
met Aletha Jane Beauchamp, of a good
Kentucky family They married. and
near Lawrenceberg, In that State. March
I. 1850, Champ Clark was born. receiving
his name from his mothers family.
The father appears to have exercised a
large influence in shaping the career of
The son. although the latter was not al
ways ready to obey the strict parents in
functions. when my father was thirty
two or thirty-three years Old" says the
present MissOurian, his health gave way
and he quit the buggy and wagon making
business and studied dentistry. From a
boy he had wanted TO fit himself for some
learned profession and his leaning that
way caused him 10 dislike the apprentice
ship that was chosen for him. That was
in the infancy of the dental profession in
the Western country. He had about a
half dozen counties that he rode around
IN. He was a great talker, an intense
Democrat, and took very active interest
in politics. but never ran for Office or
dreamed Of doing so,
Dental Instruments and Speeches.
"He haG a pair OF saddle-bags that, as
near as l can estimate would hold about
a bushel One END OF these was filled
with implements OF dental torture and
the other with speeches OF Stephen A.
Douglas. II was his chief delight. after
he had cornered a Wing or a Republican.
10 argue politics with him and shoot
Douglas speeches into him. While he was
forever advising me never To have any
thing 20 DO with politics, the natural con-
sequence was that ] took 20 reading poll
tics after hi- manner and 10 running for
Office, which he never did.
He was a man OF fine intelligence. me-
dium-siza physically, with one black eve
and one blue eye. The latter popularity
was the cause OF very curious perform
snce. There was strollng English
phrenologist. by the name OF WhitteTn.
who. by the way. was the best school
teacher ] ever went 10. When he came
into the neighborhood for the first tire
my father was on his dental circuit
Whittern gave a lecture on phrenolOgy.
then felt months heads uqhiicly HIS