The National tribune., 1910-12-01
lticipation of the business Of

hours in anticipation of the business OF
the session.
The prospective Speaker is as eau
tious as ever Tom Reed was in the days
of his great power in the House. He is
giving no interviews. Nearly all he has
said for the press since election night
has been carefully put down in black
and white before it left his hands. The
aspects of party harmony which have
thus far attended his candidacy crafty
him immensely, but he is even more
anxious to lay the foundations for a
harmonious Democratic program. IF
We get thru this next Congress well,
said he, the Democratic Party will
have the White House for 20 years.
He intends to abstain quite generally
from public speaking this Winter. In
Vitations from political organizations
have been pouring in upon him ever
since election day. Democrats in many
States want him at their banquets. He
is declining these invitations as fast as
they come in. Next Wednesday even
ing he will be in New York and make
a brief address of a more or less liter
airy character before the Academy of
Arts and Letters. The occasion will be
in remembrance of the late Mark
Twain. fellow-Missourian. His imme-
diate topic will be Twain as Lobby
ist," dealing with the rather spectacular
f1annelS, made to the Capitol a few
years ago in the interest of new copy
right law.
His desk is in a little cubbyhole
about as wide as a hall bedroom, and
used to be occupied by the Chairman
of Post Offices and Post Roads as
sort of private office. There and in the
larger room outside he spends a few
hours every forenoon and afternoon
talking things over with his Democratic
visitors As minority leader he deyel-
oped some ideas of his own about as
certaining the sentiment of his follow
ers. Instead of calling minority eau
cuses, which generally demonstrate
much scattering thought, he has been
in the habit of writing the particular
question out on paper, and asking the
deans of the respective State delega-
tions in the House to poll their men
regarding it.
That practice in no small measure
contributed to his success last Winter
as minority leader. The Democrats
aired their differences in debate less
than usual 1t was pretty generally
known among them that Mr.. Clark had
ascertained the prevailing sentiment in
advance, and was proceeding in accord
with it. Consequently there was less
occasion for public discussion. and the
party willingly presented a more solid
front to the enemy.
BY methods such as these the Mis-
sourian hopes to get his party lined up
pretty solidly by the time, as House
majority, it puts the gavel into his
hands. He will meet goodly portion
of the new Democratic members s-elect
during the next three months. Most Of
them will come down to Washington to
look around a little before the session
is over. No one questions that he has
convictions of his own on public ques-
tions. In the main he purposes to car
ry out the will of the majority. He will
exercise great care, however, to ascer-
tain what that will is There will be
no slipshod methods about it.
Many have expected him to quarrel
at the outset with Representative John
J, Fitzgerald, of Brooklyn They made
UP their differences last March. and
Mr.. Clark, without ostentation, made
a bridge" on which Fitzgerald could
cross into the big camp. Since he
came to Washington Mr.. Clark has beenf
saying that Fitzgerald is a man of
much ability and a quick thinker, whose
qualities make him of great usefulness
in the House.