Mexico Missouri message., 1911-09-21
FORMER AUDRAIN BOY.
Writes an Able Letter Support
ing Champ Clark For
President.

Ipl1Scd from time TO time To
note i'm the Message the EXPIRES
sious from different parts of
Missouri proposing to have the
Missouri delegation in the next
| Democratic convention instruct
ed to support Mr.. Folk for
president. do not think there
is any MiSsouriau who is not
proud of the fact that Mr.. Folk
is a product and resident Of the
good old state" and who take
pride in his achievements, but
without discussing the relative
merits Of any of Missouri's dis
tinguished citizens in regard to
the presidency, there is no
question but what circumstan-
ces have made another much
more prominent in national
councils and placed him in n
position where he is Il much
larger figure in a national sense
than Mr.. Folk. This is Champ
Clark,
| spent some time in Wash
ington City last winter and
spring, and while my regard
for Mr.. Clark was already very
high, ! was surprised at the es-
TEEN in which he is held by his
associates in Congress, regard
less of party.
| try to keep in touch with
the affairs in Missouri as much
as when resided there, and by
being removed from the loca-
ton and viewing the situation
from distance, believe | can
see the national political phase
fully as we'll or better than if i
We're still a resident of the state.
1t has only been few years
since the Democratic party was
so demoralized that they were
not considered even an eifec-
tive opposition force, and TO
great many had become a joke
compared with their old time
opponent. This was about the
situation when Mr.. Clark be-
came the minority leader in
Congress. He held his col
leagues in Congress together
as none Of his predecessors had
done since the Cleveland adj
mlnlstration, and the accom-
plishments of the lower house
under his leadership, in what
they did and the inspiration
they gave to the country and
the party, was little less than
marvellous. If Mr.. Clark had
not been recognized as the one
deserving the greatest credit in
Congress for this work, he
would not have been so unani-
mously and cordially supported
for speaker. The accomplish
ments of the Democratic Con-
gress and the confidence inspir-
ed enabled Democrats all over
the country to rally and gain
some remarkable victories. Mr..
Clark, by the able manner i'm
which he led the Democrats in
the lower house of Congress,
deserves more credit for the
present good standing of the
party than any other Democrat.
lie proved himself too big to
play party politics on the Cana
dian Reciprocity Bill, at the ex-
pense Of a wise policy, and raj
he'd the Democrats Of the House
to the support of the President
on that measure. Had he done
that, the last Congress would
have passed and the Republi-
can President been without the
most popular measure of his
administration. Mr.. Clark
proved himself a patriot before
a politician, a rare quality in
our public men of today.
On the free wool bill he again.
demonstrated his wisdom and
Independence by standing for "A
reduction rather than an aboli-
ton Of the tariff duty, in the
face Of severe criticism from
many of his political associates.
and particularly from Mr..
Bryan.
Eighteen years in Congress.
at all times in close touch with
national affairs, have given Mr.. |