The St. Louis Republic., 1903-07-29
CONGRESSMAN CHAMP CLARK
VISITS SAN FRANCISCO.

San Francisco Examiner.
Clark is one Of the few men who is lis
tened to in Washington. We fondy send
our men to the national capital and then we
get their printed speeches through the
malls. A friendly newspaper correspond
ent sends paragraphs over the wires, tell
ing what fine figures they are cutting. The
fact Is that few of them amount to any
thing. II they get a chance to speak at
all nobody listens. They belong in the un-
distinguished company of the 'also rams
But Champ Clark is of different caliber.
Let 1t be known in Washington that he is
going to speak and the galleries are filled.
The Representatives come in from the
cloakrooms. Men come over from the
Senate. There are only three or four men
in the House who get that sort Of COM
pliment. So you may judge that Champ
Clark Is one Of Americas really great pub
lie men.
When he talks he entertains. He has a
rare gift of humor. and he toys with 1t,
sometimes to the extent of being purposely
ungrammatical il a grammatical upset will
serve a purpose or win laugh. His good
nature never seems to get rumpled, in the
House or out of it. So he is essentially
companionable: and companionableness goes
quite as far in Washington statecraft as 1t
does anywhere else.
He lives in modest fashion, writes a syn
dicate letter for Democratic newspapers
throughout the land, and goes on lecturing
tours In some Of his lectures, he discusses
public men in the freest, breeziest fashion.
instead of seeming to whisper name with
awe, as so many of our smaller politicians
do. In his lecture ON Picturesque Men in
Politics." he might include himself.
Well. Champ Clark of Missouri came into
San Francisco yesterday. He has been lee
turing before the Chautauqua assemblies at
Long Beach and Pacific Grove. He never
has been in California before. This was his
first visit to San Francisco.
Nothing better illustrates the need of bet
ter Democratic organization in this State
than the fact that Champ Clark was per-
mitted to pass through California without
making an address in San Francisco. We
do not do such things well. Few Democrats
knew that this big man Of the party was
coming here at all. Max Pepper gathered
him in and took him for drive He had a
confab with Congressman Livernash later
on, and then he went of to Oregon, where
he is to speak in Ashland Tonight.
But there was no public reception; no
general greeting; no chance for the elo-
quent party spokesman to cheer the hearts
Of the local partisans.
There is one thing certain, however,
Our Democratic leaGers are really demo-
cratic. The Republican big men travel
about In special trains or special cars. To
interview them Is a matter of insistence
and much cooling of heels Then when
they talk they have nothing to say worth
the printing. The Democratic leaders come
and go like ordinary folk. They have no
airs or special trains. They are as ap-
proachable as merchant with goods to
sell: for the most part, they have something
to say.
Yesterday. when I met Champ Clark. he
had just purchased a package of chewing
gum and was putting piece in his mouth
He offered me & slab Of 1t with the careless
courtesy Of an old-time gentleman and his
snufbox, and he then passed n piece to his
little son, who hung about him in familiar
fondness.
His attire was unconventional, after the
Western style. The straw hat on his head
had farmerlike droop to the rim. It was