The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-13
Champ clark Makes Cod

lief Il turn fram the consideration OF
the charges Of graft. the Insurance rev.
Citations. the tariff. raiIway-rate legss-
lation. q protocols. beef trust pros
ecations. and otner ~perplexing prob
lens 10 the contemplation Of the re--
ord Of a statesman who has fulfilled
his promises. confused hfs critics. end
justified the faith of his admirers. He
who q thus made good, above all
others. in the public eve. is Champ
Clark. OF Bowling Green. Representa-
tive in Congress OF the Ninth Missouri
district. statesman. lecturer. author.
orator, ~recontcur and farmer.
Early in the budding season. wasn
nature was wearing her universal grin.
when members of Congress were Plat
ming jnnkets 20 foreign shores or So
eiai battles AZ favortte summer -e-
sorts. Champ Clark excited the rlsi-
bilities Of the nation by the announce
ment that he was going TO turn far
mer for the summer. He made IL n.aia
that ne did not propose to be an agrt-
culturist. earning his bread by TIA
sweat Of the hired mans brow. but
was going into the fields himself. be-
hind his trusty team. "Bill" and "Bo-
rax." n tickle the soil all summer
and reap the kusbandmaa's reward.
Those who know Clark-and not 10
know him Is 10 argue yourself IN
known-accepted his pronouncenlen.
in various ways. Some less LATED.
while others. including The Post. aoog
occasion 10 treat his declaration as 4
Joyous joke, IN expression Of the nat
ural springtime desire 60 shake on The
cares OF state and get chummy again
with good old Mother Earth. We cau-
fidently expected hat Champs farm
fever would be Of brief duration. We
expected him TO have his little revel.
puttering in the dirt among the flower
beds and in the garden, and then yield
to the lure of the paved streets ana
electric lights. the cali TO the lecture
platform, with It's attendant music or
a~pplauding mulitudes and the equally
sweet tunes played by the ticket AK
ers' cash register. Statesment as
strong mentally and physically as
Clark have yielded TO this siren song
many a time n oft, and we cheerful
ly confess that We underestimated the
man when We refused TO believe aim
strong enough - resist IL.
The summer has been a busy me.
rich with limelight opportunities for
Missouri statesmen. DR.. Bartholdt has
been feted and diRed by the monarchs
of Europe while arranging for the fu-
ture peace of the world. Governor
Folk has journeyed from Philadelphia
to Portland, inspecting lids and pros
pecting the political field with the 3
of an advance agent, for the 1908 cam-
paign. Senator Warner has been tax
ing in his sleep and suppressing an H.
timed Presidential boom. Senator
Stone has been Stamping buttermilk at
the county fairs and looking for eaks
in the Folk lids, while all the lesser
political lights of the state have bestf
industriousy engaged in realizing on
present fame or margining future
hopes. None of this has touch
ed Champ Clark. With a "Haw
Bill" and a Gee Borax," be
broke the stubborn glebe. drove
his marker between the stakes
adorned with discarded shirts for eya
guides, planted with careful regarf
to the cross burrows, and then prepar-
ed the sprouting and the attendant
battle with weeds. There is no rest
for the farmer who makes a speciality
Of corn. and there is no need to follow
Clark through ,all the details OF his
toll. the first cultivating and the sprad-
died efforts Of arms and legs nece5-
sary to prevent the tender shoots
from being plowed under or broken
down by clods the second time over.
when the shove!s are angled to throw
the rich loan around the roots. the
cross furrowing needed to catch and
LII A. -r-1I1 Ina- AhD h9Ifa ~
the final "laying-by" process with ain
gle plow or hoe, and the corn in tas-
sic. higher than your head. and nc
breath of air except at each end OF
the field, and the water in the jug I'M
der the cottonwood tree warm and
insipid.
That Champ Clark went through all
this effort we nave his word supported
by convincing proof in the shape OF
four ears OF as fine corn as ever found
place in the internal economy OF the
Missouri mule or a Kentucky gentle
man. They were sent by a trusted
messenger direct from Mr.. Clark. and
have performed their mission In con-
founding at least one critic. We taEe
Ii for granted that the sample cars
were picked at random. although
they were not accompanied by the Gus
tomary affidavit attesting such fact.
and, Judging the Clark crop by them.
we no longer question Secretary VIII
sons estimate that the corn yield Of
the yea will be a ecord-breaker- Tn
ears are OF uniform size and weight.
eighteen rows TO the ear and hfty--xo
kernels to the row. Three of them are
white and the fourth as rich a red "a
-- Gf.-L aanf
maid, while in tie butt of each Is ma
terial for a Missouri meerschaum" Of
capacity sufficient TO store a couple OF
ounces OF Missouri twist and leave
enough to kindle the breakfast fire.
The Post desires to congratulate
Farmer Clark and 10 venture to sug-
gest that he abandon his aspirations
for the Presidential nomination a
go after the iojbj Of secretary OF agri-
culture on NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Post.