Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-28

ran country paper for another year
and then started the practice Of law. |
He tried for the legislature, but was
defeated. He was made city attorney |
Of Louisiana and afterward Of Bowl |
ing Green. his present home. He was
deputy prosecuting attorney and pros |
ecuting attorney of his county. When |
about to leave the last named Office |
the grand jury nominated him for the |
legislature. He regarded 1t as a joke,
but the people Of the county heard Of
the indictment and sentenced him to
one term. There he was tia wit Of
the house and floor leader. Grand
the penitentiary, but this is the only
case on record, SO far as l know,
where that useful and salutary body
bound man over to that kindred in
stitution, the state legislature.
Champ was such a big man during
his one term at Jefferson City that he
concluded he ought to run for con-
gresS. There were not enough others
Of his way Of thinking, however, SO he
| was defeated for the nomination. Two
years later he tried it again. That
was the most spectacular campaign
ever known in the district, which was
used to hard scrapping, as may be
| judged from its name, "the bloody
Ninth 1t was also called 1.-The toss
up Ninth" for the reason that Dick
Norton, Champs predecessor and an.
tagonist, had tied with another man
for the nomination and the two flip
ped dollar to see which was it, Nor
ton winning. Dollars have decided
exactly in that way.
Gained a National Reputation.
In Clark's case there was no heads
I-win-tails-you-lose proposition, how
ever, but two good, hard fights. In the
first convention there was a contest.
with two sets of delegates from one
county, the rest of the counties break
ing even. The case was appealed to
the state central committee. which
ordered a new primary In the contest
ed county. Both candidates, therefore.
went into that unfortunate county and
mule and jack rabbit In 1t, making as
many speeches day as people would
stand for Champ won and was elect
ed This was in 1892. In the ensuing
congress he made his maiden speech
and gained j national reputation, Of
course. He also spoke before Tam
many and gave its members new kind
of oratory which made them wake up
and cheer like real live men. In 1894
the Democratic party, after its great
victory Of two years previous, went
back to sackcloth, ashes and crow
Champ went along. He was beaten
132 votes by q music teacher. The
music teacher was the fifth man the
Republicans had offered the nominal
ton and accepted 1t only because he
thought it would give him the control
of the district patronage. When he
was elected he was surprised, and
Clark was surprised more. He said
eight years in the presidency would
not reconcile him to that reverse. He
was doubtless thinking of it when he
answered a query as to how 1t felt to
be defeated: THE first sensation Is
that produced by an ice water bath
then one of anger, then determine
ton to pick your flint and try it again
Clark did try 1t again in 1896. won
out and has been elected to every con-
gress since. In the house he has stead
lily gained in influence, being Leader
Bailey's right hand man, then contest
ing for the leadership with John SHARP
williams, but being defeated, serving
on the ways and means and other i'm
portant committees and finally going
to the head Of the minority when VIII
liams relinquished the reins. Mr.
Clark was the permanent chairman OF
the Democratic national convention Of
1904. notifying Judge Parker of hi,
nomination. He was also an unsuc
cessful candidate for the senate. Thi.
year he was widely urged as a candf
date for governor, but declined to ruI
on the ground that he wanted to sta!
in congress. Had he been nominated
the result in Missouri probubly would
have been different.
AS minority leader 1t is thought tina
Clark will give more responsibility t
his lieutenants than did Williams, VIII
. was accused of wanting to be thu
whole thing and doing all the talking.
e Mr.. Clark's real name is Beauchamp
s from his mothers people. He behead
e ed it with his own hand. It was a for
t. tunate thing Think Of the irrepressi
% BILE Champ Clark mesquerading unde
# the name of Beauchamp or the dimin
E. utive Beau! The man who aske'
e whats in name" has his answe
d right here.
- Aided to Fame by His Wife.
~ Mrs. Clark is also a Kentuckian. be