The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-07-09
BALL VS.. CLARK
Hon. Claude R. Ball, Of This City.
Definitely Announces Candidacy
For Congress
"PREE TRADE CHAMP" MUST FIGHT
A Lively Time Promised From Now
on Among the Democrats of the
Ninth Cong. District.


recently announced for congress in
this district against Free Trade
Champ" Clark, Is out in an inter
view in response to a message
from Clark, printed in the st. Lou
is Republic a few days ago and in
the TRIBUNE Of last week, in which
Clark said "Claude q. Ball nor
anyone else has any authority to
announce whether he would be a
candidate for the United States
Senate, an any other office; that
when he got ready he would do
his own talking"
Mr.. Ball virtually throws down
the gauntlet to Clark, which no
doubt will be accepted, and a
great many think that the fur will
fly in this district from this on un-
til the close of the 1910 campaign;
"a thing that has not happened in
the "Bloody Ninth" since the days
of Robinson, Merton and Hutton
when the district acquired the
bloody cognomen.
Mr.. Ball said: "When he
(Clark) gets ready he will do his
own talking. Well, if am wrong
and Clark is not going to run for
the Senate, then Clark must do
his talking now ii he is going to
be candidate for congress. BY
his talk he has managed to get
eight nominations out of nine
without opposition, but that talk
of his is to old and stale with the
people ofSthie district. He would
MT talk in the last days of the
primary in 1908 to save his friends
because he thought by doing so he
might endanger his own candida
cy. Now it is different. He's got
to talk, for the fellows who did his
talking in 1892 won't do his talking
now. They all believe as l do
that sixteen years in the lower
house of congress is enough for
him and hat the must move either
up or down and step out. Either
course he persues will be satisfact-
ory to me, for, to tell you the truth
/ don't care whether he
runs for anything, and you can
say another thing as coming from
me, and that is that Mr.. Clark
don't carry the vote of the Ninth
congressional district in his vest
pocket by whole lot, and that if
he is looking for trouble he has
found it,"
Mr. Ball continued, saying: 81
felt quite sure Clark would be a
candidate for the senate If he
wins he has six years without a
fight. To ruin against me would,
if he wins, give him only two
years. My friends say that Clark
can be nominated for the senate
and Clark's friends want him to
run for the senate, and they want
me to run for congress. / think
we both have strength with the
people generally, and the friends
of both say that the party would
be much stronger if Clark is nom-
mated for the senate and I am
nominated for congress, but if we
both run for congress it would be
a horse race.
"I have only held four years of
o flee, that of prosecuting attorney
of this county, while Clark has
served four years as prosecuting
attorney of Pike county, two years
in the Legislature, and when his
term expires he will have served
sixteen years in congress, having
received nomination nine times
and been elected eight times out
of inc. Our friends agree that
this is long enough to keep one
man in congress. 1t is longer
than Butler remained and no one
else has ever held the office as
long as Clark, and while he has
made a good member, think
would d make equally as good.
/ "My friends say that Clark can
get the nomination for the senate