The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-01-11
Even if Elected Speaker of Next
Congress by Democrats He
Will face Threatened Re.
dictionary Movement
In Own Party.
BY JAMES A.

Detlcr u II, II Cn0mp
.... Clark is elected speaker-he
will have two very important appoint
ments to make. Already it is under
stood there is fierce rivalry in Missou-
ri as to these places. No, they are
nothing so trivial as committee as
signments, secretaries or anything of
that sort.
Some time ago Mr.. Clark announced
that when he reached the coveted
place he would ride down Pennsylva-
MIA avenue behind a pair of Missouri
mules. There is a scramble among
Missouri mules for a place in that
team. Presumably Mr.. Clark will
choose two products of Pike county
muledom, not only because he lives in
that county. but because the Pike mule
Is more vivacious and takes a deeper
interest in his country's welfare. To
pull a full fedged speaker Of the
house down Pennsylvania venue is
an honor that any mule might court.
No wonder all the mules from st. Joe
to the Ozarks and from Kansas City to
Hannibal are active candidates for the
job.
Long Wait For Champ.
Champ Clark has been waiting long
for the speakcrship chair. Any time
these ten years he might have been
United States senator or governor of
Missouri. but preferred to remain in
the house and wait for the open door
that would let the Democratic donkey
and the Missouri mule into the clover
patch. Now that things have come his
way he is no shrinking daisy waiting
for Dame Fortune to pluck him and
veal him in her hair. He is a candi-
date and wants the world to know it.
. 1t is perhaps not surprising that
when the Hon. Champ has the coveted
plum in sight obstacles should appear
in the way of his picking 1t off. These
obstacles are in the form of other men
who banker after that same plum.
Then there are also objections to Clark
on the score that he is Il free trader,
once having said he would destroy
every custom house in the land, or
something to that effect. The Demo-
cratic conservatives of the north are
said to be after Clark's scalp, even
though there is little hair on it. Rep
resentative Fitzgerald of Brooklyn,
who led the revolt and helped Uncle
Joe with his rules, Is said to have
another uprising left in him and that
he will spring it when Champ comes
mp in the speakcrship caucus,
More important than all, Representa-
tives Hay of Virginia and Sims of
Tennessee are determined that the
rules shall he revised still further ana
the power to appoint standing commit
tees taken from the speaker. This
was to have been the next step in the
program of the %insurgent Republicans.
Clark was hand and glove with the
progressives when Uncle Joe had the
chair and was willing to go any
lengths in trimming off the extra pre-
negatives of the speaker. but the mo.
ment the shoe was on the other foot
and there was Il prospect that he him
self might wear the Cannon toga it il
averred that his ardor cooled.
Champ Becomes Conservative.
Now he is not very keen for Il com
mittee on committees. so his opponents
state. He thinks the house might sc
too far in looping off the powers OF
the chair. But not so with Hay and
Sims. They are determined that tn,
committee on committees proposition
must go through as per original SEIZED
ule. 1t is not impossible that out OF
this issue may spring up Il new brand
of insurgency, only this time it will
be in the Democratic party. On this
proposition the Republican and Demo
cratic progrcssives may unite and give
the new speaker rs much trouble as
Norris and Champ Clark gave Can
non. 1t is not beyond the range Of
possibility that Uncle Joe himself ma,
join in the assault. The spectacle o
the sage of Danville as an insurgen
would be worth Il long journey to see
Despite all these ~forebodings, how
ever, it is a safe bet that Champ Clarl
will be the next speaker Of the hOus'
of representatives. For him to los
out now after all these years Of wait
ing would he a national calamity. BE
sides, it would be a disaster to MI
Clark, to say nothing Of those Mis-
souri, mules. They may deprive tn
new speaker of the power to appoin
standing committees, but never shal
they deprive those devoted mules Of tn
privilege Of prancing in state dow
Pennsylvania avenue. Or does a mul
prance? Anyway, this particular tear
of mules will prance even though non
OF the patient scions of muledom eve
did 1t before.
More Rebellion Possible.
This question Of the further reforl
Of house procedure Is quite a seriou
one, and it is not believed that NJ
Clark will place himself in the wa.
If he should do so 1t is safe to sa
that the rebellion against Uncle j
would be carried owe to himsel
Thor inato0d NJ n ~donunciatioN {