The National tribune., 1906-06-14
NEVER. TO Re PRESIDENT.
Champ Clark. Mi.sSuti's Statesnan. Too
Strong for Natiounli HonOrs-A JOY to
Hear Him SpealS

of the United States.
Really, you know, one of the most
amusing members of the lower House
of Congress is without doubt Champ
Clark, of Missouri, Representative of
the Ninth Congressional District of that
State. There areo some men to whom
you instinctively give title, duoting
them Captain" Major" Colonel" or
Judge" and even IL you do not call
them by one of these you always pre-
face your addressing them by Mr."
Now, you don't do this with Champ
Clark. A man who knows him rhe
least little bit in the world says Hello.
Champ" and he is usually greeted with
the same cheerful familiarity on the
part of the Missouri member.
Now. let me tell you. this is not
familiarity that breeds contempt. not
by a whole Houseful of Representa-
tives and then some. Champ Clark is
man to be liked. man." mind
you. A great, big. wholesouled. genera
ous-hearted. sentimentalistic. braiuy
man who deals in logic with sled:.e-
hammer blows. talks blank verse.
spouts Latin classics. yanks out Greek
roots, and quotes Homer, Horace, sip
ling Dryden, Wordsworth Whittier.
and Bret Harte to you in the homeliest
idioms, with the most absolute "darky"
infection and pror unciation that You
ever heard outside of the plantati IN
negro's cabin. While he uses. a. times.
the purest of English with the most ex-
quisite application, and has COM
mand of language that approaches the
phenomenal. he has no more regard fer
grammatical construction of certain
sentences than a street gamin. He
takes direct cut to anything that he
wants to say and -'aint" suits him 100
hot ha s.arnn't erl q
he can say it quicker. "Aint' is fav-
orite word with him.
And yet, as been stated. Champ Clark
has an education to be proud of-pup-
lie school, university, college, and end
ing finally in a course in the fine Cin-
cinnati Law School. 1t isn't that he
"bloomin' can't speak with percisiJn,
but that he "bloomin' won't" you see.
There is not extant n finer example
of idiomatic English. quaint compari-
son, and vigorous expression than dat
found in a speech made by Champ
Clark at the unvailing of the John j.
ingalls, statue in Statuary Hall. jan
uary. 1905. Here are parts of that
speech, read it and judge for yourself.
1t is a fair sample of all his finer eff
forts.
Address of Mr.. Clark, of Missouri.
''In the very heart of the con-
tinent, lying side by side. are the
magnificent Commonwealths of Mis-
nor Southern, neither Eastern nor
Western. they are the great central
States of the Union. A circle with
Kansas City for its center and with
radius of 800 miles would contain more
land of the richest quality han any
other circle of equal size on the habit
able globe. Within it's circumference
ca ha Y,rninppH all tho narpGc1ripC and
most of the luxuries of human life.
Cultivated as scientifically as Belgium
or Holland, Missouri and Kansas could
sustain a population 1equai to that of
the entire Republic at the present time.
at is, however, 1lotin their phenom
email wealth of material resources and
possibilities that these two States are
most lavishly blessed, but in their SUI
perb citizenship. NJ ~
I'm the early day Missourians and
Kansans. inheriting from the fathers
bitter, irrepressibfe. historic quarrel
for which they were in no way respon-
sible, were at daggers' points. and led
the strenuous life.' Now. acting on
the noble philosophy that Peace hath
her victories no less renowned than
war; they are illustrating the virtues
of the simple life nr - ....9
''Missourians and lKansans are riy
ais now only in spatriotisms--in INTEL
lectual. moral. religious. and material
achievement they are leaders in the
Nations triumphal progress. the true
story of which Is more marvellous than
any tale out of the Arabian Nights.
''It was a matter of ineffable pride
with the people west of the Mississippi
that for many years the two most bril-
liant speakers in" the Senate of the
United States lived on the sunset side
of the great river-George Graham
80 -; av,I TTt1t To- Tn
gals. of Kansas.
They were the opposites of each
other in almost everything-in nativ-
ity, in lineage, in methods of thought,
in style of oratory. and in politics. IN
gals boasted that he was New Eng
land Brahmin.' whatever that may be.
Vest was fine sample of the Ken
tuckian. caught young enough and
transplanted to the rich alluvial soil of
Miss ouri.
Both had classical educations. Both
delighted in the wisdom of the ancients
and the moderns and both reveled in
the poets. q
"Ingalls's speeches were composed
largely of aqua fortis, dyna mite, and
Greek fire; Vests were a mixture of
vitriol, sweet oil, rosewater, naphtha,
and gun cotton.
"Danton's motto was: Taudace,
Laudacei Toujours raudace!' ingalls, s
weapon was Sarcasm! Sa.casmi al
days sarcasm" In that regard he ranks
with Tristan Burgess. John Randolph
of Roanoke, Thaddeus Stevens, and
Thomas Bracket Reed. Vest temper
ed his sarcasm with genial humor
which cured :he w0TLi which ne had
inflicted.
Each welded the scimiter of Sa-
Iadin rather than the twO-handed
broadsword of Richard Coeur de Lion.
'In the strictest acceptation of the
term. Vest was never popular in Mis-
souri, and ingalls, was never popular in
Kansas. They had a wondrous hold on
the admiration. but not on the affec-
tions, of their constituents. Thinking
of Vest, a man is proud to call him
self a Missourian. Thinking of In
gals, another is proud to call himself
a Kansan. Thinking of either of them,
one is proud to call himself an Ameri-
can.
Each, through sheer brilliancy of
intellect and soul-stirring eloquence,
aroused intensest enthusiasm among
his countrymen. Men listened to Vest
and ingalls, just as they listen to The
thrilling strains of enhancing music,
but the frenzy of rapture which they
engendered is not adequately expressed
by the paltry word popularity. 1. was
delirious delight! !tif
"It is a queer ifact-perhaps a re-
grettable oHe-that these two celebrat-
ed intellectual gladiatprs never engaged
in an oratoricai pitched battle in tie
Senate. Such a duel would have been
worth journeying across the continent to
witness. Each besngiin perfect fettle,
,..;N 4. H,,.,A hte-fl I'M,