The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-02-18

Smoke for over an Hour Upon the
Presidents Recent Message, the Fi-
nanciai EtS. .ufbanCe and the I<ariH
observation-disclosures HaHcd VILE
Shouts o4 Democratic Applause and
Salric,&S cI 4.c1JUDlilan Laughter.
Washington, Feb. 13.-Representa-
tive Champ Clark, of Missouri, occu-
pied the attention of the house OF rep
resentatives today for over an hour.
i'm an address upon the presidents re-
cent special message to congress, the
financial disturbance of last fall, and
the tariff question.
In opening, Mr.. Clark asserted that
a. reasonable view should be 'aken IN
matters touching the president, but
that it had not been done as rule.
"He is such belligerent parsonage"
he declared, that his llghtest word Is
a challenge to combat" The president,
he said, could not express his views
upon any question under heaven, |lth-
out precipitating a row.
The presidents whole public life,
cGiIu MI Sldl hh, 4cLo OCOlA oAa'' ASAAS1
succession of spectacular fights. No
man has been more viciously assalled
by men of his own party, and none
was ever, while still in the flesh, so
Iauded by some Of the opposing party.
teBut," he said, "amid the swirl OF
things, the deluge of words, the shout"
ings of the captains, the beating OF
tom toms, the groans of crippled re-
publicans, the yells of friend and foe,
one who was a personal friend OF
Theodore Roosevelt, the man, but
political opponent of Roosevelt, the
politician or statesman, had "but lit
tie chance perhaps of being heard in
this babel of voices" He spoke of his
personal liking for the president, and
said that although, after the manner
of strong men, the president had pro-
nounced virtues and glaring faults OF
character, he never has abused him nor
had grown hysterical in admiration OF
him, but he had supported him when
he was right and fought tooth and
nail" when he was wrong. He believed
that was the way the president want
ed to be treated.
Mr.. Clark spoke of the claim that
President Roosevelt was better than
his party which fact" he estimated,
"easily could be without running any
imminent danger of being translated
in the manner of Slijah in a chariot of
fire by reason of his goodness" But,
he said, whatever the presidents vir-
tues or faults, he was not a demo-
crat. Occasionally he said the pres1-
dent, very much to the delight OF
democrats and the confusion Of re-
publicans, appropriates or absorbs,
borrows or seizes a democratic idea,'
and from his high coign of vantage
used it with tremendous force, for, he
said, the president obeyed to the let
ter at least one scriptural injunction:
what soever thy hand findeth to do,
do it with thy might" 1t was the
heavy hand or "big stick" of the pres
ident, he declared. that had driven so
many republicans ''pell NELL into the
cave of Abdullanl, where there is weep
ing and wailing and gnashing of
teeth and much profane swearing.
And" he added, $50 far as he has
advocated democratic ideas, so far as
he has mauled wicked republicans
with his mailed fist or thumped them
with his big stick he has deserved the
unstnted praise of all lovers of our
country"
No one knew, continued Mr.. Clark.
whether or not the president was
great man He quoted from an old say
ing Count no happy men till he is
dead" and said it was safe and
sane rule to pronounce no man great
until he was in his grave. I'VE have
not enough peers prospective neces-
Sary to fix his status in history" he
said, "and it is sheer folly. to attempt
81 Individually he wished the presi-
dent well until March 4, 1909, when he
hoped the president would quit for
ever, for no president will ever be
elected to a third term till the republic
lis on it's last legs" The republicans,
he declared, grew red in the face
Iauding the president to the skies, 'Efor
he is still the dispenser in chief of
pie" A republican statesman bereft
of pie, said he, was "a spectacle to
make the angels weep" but, he said,
when he say republicans trying to
apotheosize him by mere clip service"
nc seemed to him "the lady doeth pro-
test too much"
Referring to the last campaign, Mr..
Clark charged that "Sundry republican
representatives" sought and obtained
from the president certificates of re-
publican good character to help them