Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-01-27
BUSY LITTLE BEE BUZZES
FOR BOOM OF CHAMP CLARK
AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT

BILE candidate for the party leadership in
1872 and he certainly commands as
much interest as a receptive aspirani
as Judson Harmon. Governor Wilson
or Mayor Gaynor
Champ Clark may prove disappoint-
ment as "a speaker. Many people-even
some of his friends-believe he Will
There is no doubt, however, mat he is
an astute and accomplished politician
His policy, of frankness and Cancellation
in dealing with the several factions of his
party. is largely responsible for the har-
smorious caucus last Thursday night. He
made friends for himself and won re-
newed respect from the country by his
management of this caucus.
And while he was harmonizing the
Democrats of the house. Clark was play
ing some smart politics for himself, He
was looking forward. undoubtedly. He
had the presidential nomination in his
mind. The busy little bee was buzzine
invitingly in his ear
1T SEEMED UNUSUAL
1t seemed unusual that Clark should
advocate the election of the standing
committees of the house, in view of the
fact that he had just been nominated
for speaker-and the nomination was
.tantamount to an election. A cocoanut
without the milk is not half so good. and
s a speakership without the power, is an
empty honor. 1t seemed strange that
Clark should urge the election of stand
ing committees, when single word 10
the contrary from him would have STAN
peded the caucus and again bestowed
upon the speaker the power to name the
committees
Clark explained. in advocating the cleo
tion of committees. that the independent
voters of the country expected 1t. He
may have been right. He probably was.
and HIS interest in the Independent voter
was commendable. The independent
voters turned the tables in the last cleo
ton, and the independent voter must
be pleased. But the ]. ", isn't, or
wasn't, half so interested in the
orSanization of the next house OF rep
resentatives.4 as Speaker-elect Clark is
in his presidential boom
Wherefore, being interested in his as
pirations for the nomination two years
hence. Mr. Clark did not want to APP
point the standing committees of the
next house. His occupancy of the speak
ers chair-the empty honor-will keep
him in the public eye, whether he is
powerless or whether he is car. Clark
knows this, And. what's more to the
point. he knows that no speaker. since
James E1 Polk's time has ever had a
look-in at a presidential nomination.
Moreover he knows also that the ex-
ercise by speakers of the right to ap-
point the standing committees has
smothered the ambition of every speaker
who wanted to be president.
POLITICAL HISTORY.
There was James G. Blaine. The en-
mites he made as speaker of the house
beat him out of the Republican nominal
ton, when ne could have been elected.
There was. Thomas B. Reid of more re-
cent fame and memory. He, too, saw
his life's ambition ruthlessly brushed
aside In a Republican national conven>
ton, largely on account OF the enemies
he made in appointing the standing
committees of the house.
Champ Clark is a close student Of
political history. He is probably the
best historian in congress. He certain
ly knows. more about the political his
tory of American than any man in
either house He knows what beat
Blaine, what ruined Reid, and he didn't
want to go to pieces on the same shoal-
Clark has no enemies now worthy of
consideration. He will make none.
There will be plenty of dissatisfaction
over committee assignments, and there
will be many sore Democrats in time.
but none Of them will be sore with
Clark He, will be their friend, He, can
condole With them. He can help them
all on the floor of The house, and he
can cement their friendship.
In the several clashes that have al
ready occurred over the Democratic plan
of Organization II has been singularly
true that Champ elarlk,s name has eS-
capped criticism. Our, speaker-to-be is
not responsible for this situation; he is
powerlssss" that's the burden of every
statement. and thus he is eliminated and
holds the friendship of the combatants-
This lacks a whole lot Of saying that
Clark Will be Nominated for the presi-
dency by the Democrats. There is many
a slip. fetc- but Champ Clark will bear
watching from now on-and he wouldn't
be such a bad candidate either.