The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-12
BY SAvoYARp.

whose superior as a jurist the Ameri-
| can bench has not yet produced, not
even in John Marshall. Clark gets his
stalwart physical development from the
Robertsons, and much of their intellect
went with it. His father was a farmer,
and Clark was put to work as soon as
he had the strength to perform the
| lightest share that is a part of farm
economy. Thus he is Of the soil, of
the farm, OF the cornfield. ST the to-
baccc patch, of the hemp brake. He
shot squirrels for recreation and hunt
ed 'possums for excitement. He had
penetrating mind, and thus he could
read, write and cipher before ordinary
boys were half through the old blue
back Webster's spelling book. His was
healthy body, and cornbread strength
ened his bones and tOughened his mus
cles as the blue grass does those things
for the thoroughbred. He was left
motherless at the age of three years,
and was reared by an elder sister, now
the wife of a beloved clergyman of
Richmond, Va. She helped to form the
boys character and make useful man
of him. How well she succeeded is
shown in the fact that he taught
school to which went boys older and
larger than himself. when he was bare
iy Is, and that was a community where
no moral or intellectual weakling could
teach school at all.
He was taught the virtues of frugal
lily from his childhood and from his
savings he managed TO sustain him.
self at the Kentucky University for
three years, and until he was expelled
for shooting a man from Ohio. He was
quick to learn and his memory is like
tar bucket that retains whatever
touches it. Especially was he swift to
learn facts. and they serve him well in
the American congress and on the lee
ture platform to this day
X X
Later we find him a student at Beth
any college, Alexander Campbell's
school. do not state it as fact, but
l am of the impression that 1t was the
! intention to make a preacher of the
Hon. Champ Clark. Be that as it may
they made an intense Campbellite of
him, and the man who assails that
church in his presence can get all the
argument, of whatever sort he can well
manage. When use the term Camp
bellite" I mean no offense. Alexander
Campbell was one of the greatest men
of his time. our greatest divine of
whatever sect, and see no reason why
his name should not be perpetuated as
Martin Luther's was. Clark remained
at Bethany until he graduated, the head
of his class, in 1878, and with the high
| est grade any student ever attained in
that institution. He did not become a
minister of the gospel; but he was chos-
en- president of Marshall college at
Huntington, w. Va, where he remain
ed a year and then entered the famous
| law school of Cincinnati, and George
Hoadley was one of his masters In the
study of that great profession.
Kentucky is the child of Virginia, and
Missouri is the child of Kentucky. Be-
fore this century shall have completed
its fifth decade Missouri will be the
empire state of the Mississippi valley.
Not so prolifically endowed by nature
/ in the variety of products as Kentucky,
her area is greater and the gross prod
ucts of her soil larger. Farmer Hatch,
the grand old man who so long repre-
| sented in congress the Hannibal dis
trict, always grew eloquent on the agri-
cultural products of his state-corn,
wheat, oats. rye, cattle, swine, and
mules. To those are added the products
of the barnyard and the orchard-poul-
try. eggs, and fruit. Missouri will pass
Ohio in the race the next census, and
collar Illinois by 1920, when she cele-
brates her centennial, as state in the
American sisterhood. Champ Clark,
too. loves Missouri as devotedly as did
Father Hatch, and he is eloquent when
sounding her praises. No blebeian lit
tie adjectives for him. 1t is always
Imperial Missouri when Champ talks
of his and Father Hatch's adopted
state And Pike county! One must
hear Champ on Pike before he makes
up his mind about the hub of this
union Of ours.
In 1875 Clark, now a lawyer, went TO
Pike county and pitched his tent. He
taught school, edited q newspaper, and
practiced in the courts. He was young,
healthy, vigorous. gifted, determined,
popular, and, IL sometimes pervrese, he
was never goddess. He succeeded. was
chosen to office. and in 1880 was elected
on the Democratic ticket of Hancock
and English. Later he was In the state
legislature, and in 1881 he married the
excellent woman who is now his wife
and the mother of his children. She,
too. was born In Kentucky. Miss Gene
We've Bennett. closely related TO the
famous McAfer family that contributed
SO much TO the character and civiliza-
ton of the state. Her father was a
causin of Cenator McCreaTy, OF Ken
lucky. Both husband and wife were
students, with congeniai tastes, and
their reading is both extensive and var
| led Few women have such profound
knowledge of American history as Mrs.
| Clark, and she has been OF invaluable