The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-04-14
CHAMP CLARK'S VERSION OF
THE RECENT GREAT FIGHT
AT WASHINGTON.

A Washington special newspaper
correspondent recently interviewed
Champ Clark, the democratic leader,
regarding the fight on rules in the
house, and writes as follows:
Looking back at the recent fight
on the house rules, what in your
opinion are the predominating polit-
ical features of the situation?"
put this question to Champ
Clark, of Missouri, the man who, as
the minority leader, led his forces
through the spectacular fight on the
rules in such manner that no dem
ocrat finds it necessary to make
apologies for the position of the
democrats at any period of the great
contest. Mr.. Clark had received me
at his apartments at the Toronto in
order that we might go over the
events of the preceding forty-eight
hours step by step.
aiken all together" said Mr..
Clark, giving me my interview piece
meal, 1.-The republicans received the
bloodiest licking in the house on
March 18th that any majority party
in any parliamentary body in the
world, ever received.
At the present time they have a
nominal majority of As representa-
tives in the house. Yet we held them
in continuous session for 20 hours
and then beat them by vote of 1911
to 155. This was done on nearly a
full vote of the house. Every man
was present that could be got there
by any means known among men.
Letters, kilograms, telephones, and
special messengers were used to the
limit, and every man who was close
enough to Washington to get there,
and was not fiat on his back sick,
was there. OF the 1911 votes against
Gannonism in the house, all but SO
were democratic votes.
1t was an astounding victory in
the cause of good government, but
does not by any means end the bat
tie, because the last vote, that is,
the vote by which the house re-
fused to accept Mr. Speaker Can
mons resignation, is plain and posi-
tive notice to the country that Can
nonism, while badly crippled, still
survives. And, if the country wants
to get rid of Cannonism, the only
thing to do is to elect a democratic
house, for, if they have a republican
house, he will be nominated for
speaker in the republican caucus be-
cause the 39 republican insurgents,
even if they are all reelected, will be
cut voted by the regulars in the eau
Gus and the regulars seems to be
still for Uncle joe
therefore repeat the statement
that the only way to be sure to get
rid OF Cannonism is to elect a demo
cratic house, which l have no doubt
will be done
The two most notable results of
the long-continued warfare in this
congress which began on the 18th of
March, are: First, that the demo-
Gratis are thoroughly united; second,
that the republicans are thoroughly
disorganized.
A great many causes have con-
trihuted to this state of affairs. The
long continued lease Of power of the
republicans is one of them. They
came to the conclusion after their
tremendous victories under Roose-
welt and Taft that they could do any
thing with absolute impunity and
that the people would either indorse
or condone it.
This made them utterly reckless
and they committed many gross
abuses.
''In the second place Roosevelt
educated the people up to expect a
thriller every day, and failing to get
their daily thriller, they became dis
appointed and disgruntled.
In the next place the republicans
promised to revise the tariff down
ward, and proceeded Immediately to
revise it upward. This did not set
we'll on the stomachs of honest and
candid republicans.
There has always been much op-
position in the republican party to
.sldrich and what he stands for, and
when the president passed eulogy
after eulogy upon the Rhode Island
statesman it disguised the people be,
yond measure.
''All these factors and others
which might be mentioned are ele-
znents II the great victory which We
won last week.
For the first time in many years
the democrats lined up to a man
and if the democrats of the country
will do likewise, we will win 8
sweeping victory in November"
""=-=
MIR. TAFT'S BLUNDERS.