Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-03-21

Honorable Champ Clark of Missouri Interests Wausau
Audence.-Address Non-Political in Character

from the lips of public men during
debate
AS congress is made up of men
from every section of the country,
naturally one finds much in the body
which one word covers -antithisiS.
He said this was particularly true OF
the SD, where every type of man
could be found-tall, short, lean,
corpulent, young, old, rich, poor, all
jumbled together. 1t is curious
fact he said that the men of our con-
gress who have lowered above all the
rest in intellectual strength-who
were the best qualified 20 hold down
the presidential chair-haye not been
elected, because they were not good
politicians. 1t is the politicians who
get the plumS. He named a list OF
men whose lives were shortened te-
cause their hope of sitting in the
presidential chair was not realized.
In a rapid fire line of talk Mr..
Clark told of many witty sayings OF
men and of peculiar incidents in con-
gress. He said that many of the wit
tiest things which men have said
were not the result of studied effort,
but were blurted in the heat of de-
bate, sometimes accompanied by a
display of passion. Thus in almost
an unconscious way they have said
things which will live long after their
bones have crumbled to dust. The
speaker said that some of these epi-
grams should be carved on their tomb
stones.
In describing some of the men in
public life, such as Jas. G.. Blaine and
Thos. b. Reed, Mr.. Clark gave evil
dence that he does not belong to that
class which is so hide-bound in its
views that it can see no good in the
opposition. When these two men
were in life they were villified by the
press and from the rostrum, but Mr.
Clark said that no higher type of
American citizenship ever existed
than was represented in these two.
And it is a curious fact that the Pine
Tree state, situated in the extreme
northeast corner of our country, has
been represented at most every ses-
sion of congress by one, two and
sometimes three just such men as
they. No other state in the union
has supplied so many illustrious men.
The speaker in no mistakable
language condemned the tendency of
the times to claim that men who are
in public life are all rogues. There
are crooks among congressman, he
said, as there are among lawyers,
bankers, merchants or any other class
of men, but as whole congress typi-
ties the best that is in our citizenship.
Its members have been pictured as a
lot of drunken sots and irreligious men,
when just exactly opposite conditions
are the fact, he said.
Men may differ on economic queS-
tionS, and it would be poor body of
men who would not, but when any
thing comes up Of vital interest to
the integrity and welfare of this
nation, congressman forget party ties
and sectional differences. This was
illustrated at the beginning of the
Spanish-American war, when without
a dissenting vote, even the speaker Of
the house himself voting on the
measure, the sum of S15,000,000 was
voted to VIM. Mckinley, to be used
as he pleased in prosecuting the war.
We realize that this article does not
begin to do justice to the address, and
it should have been heard to be
appreciated. 1t had twang pecu-
liarly its own, and the subject matter
was handled so differently from any
thing heard in WauSau that it was
all new to the audience.
When Mr.. Clark had ceased speak
ing Mr.. Genrich announced that a
reception would be rendered the
speaker at the club house, and this
event is mentioned below.
Before he could leave the opera
house many people went up on the
stage and shook his hand
Mr.. Clark spoke here under the
auspices of the Mems club of the
Methodist church, and it was an
event which is a mark of credit to
that organization. Aside from w. j.
Bryan he was the best drawing card
of any man of national note who has
ever appeared here 1t was the last
lecture which he will deliver for MANY
months to come, for from now on he
will be deeply engrossed in the affairs
of congress.
A great many people ayailed them
selves of the opportunity of visiting
the club house and shaking hands and
having few words with our guest.
He was kept busy greeting people for
some time, but had to set a limit.
He had been on the road several days
and nights previous to coming here
and was completely tired out. AS
he had to leave again Sunday morn
ing the reception was cut short and
he retired to get much needed few
hours of sleep before train time.