The Washington times., 1912-06-30
CLARK IS FACING
CRISIS OF HIS
POLITICAL CAREER
Gauntlet Thrown to Bryan
Foreshadows Important
Events Monday.
BY THEODORE TILLER.

BALTIMORE, June 30.-Speaker
Champ Clark today is face to face
with the crisis of his political career.
On the twenty-seventh ballot in the
Democratic convention tomorrow the
Speaker and his friends will know
whether he Is to remain a factor In
the race for the Presidential nomina-
tion.
Mr.. Clark has thrown down the
gauntlet to william Jennings Bryan.
He has staked all on a last throw and
a move which he believes he must
make in self protection. On the sur
face, his remuneration OF the Nebras-
kan seems to have helped the Speaker
here today.
Perhaps it will turn the tide before
morning; II 1t does not the logical re-
suit will be that there will be a con-
tinued recrudesence from Clark.
He had been losing votes steadily
when the convention adjourned last
night and the desperateness Of the stu
alton was realized by his managers
when the Speaker came 10 Baltimore
for hurried conference.
Clark Challenges Bryan.
Mr.. Clark has challenged Bryan to
either prove or retract the implied
charge that he has entered into an al
lance with Tammany. This forecasts
another dramatic scene In the conven-
ton tomorrow when Nebraska casts its
twenty-seventh vote.
II the delegations overnight ponder
over this situation and believe the
Speaker has had an unfair deal, that
the American spirit Of fair play has not
been observed, that the "houn dawg"
has been kicked about just for the sake
Of gratifying Bryap's personal antipathy
to Tammany-there will be accessions
to the Clark strength and his feet will
cease slipping down the creased politi-
cal ways.
If Mr.. Clark continues to lose on the
twenty-seventh. twenty eighth and sue
ceeding ballots, frank review Of the
situation impels the belief that his
strength will disintegrate, unless the
Underwood and Harmon delegates com
Woodrow Wilson, whom Bryan has
finally chosen.
0vertures Refused.
The Underwood delegates up to this
hour have refused all overtures.
There's human interest side. a touch
of pathos, in this game fight the
| convention with 44O votes. On the tenth
and isx succeeding ballots, after New
York had thrown its ninety to him, he
polled $50 odd votes, majority of the
! convention.
Except in the case Of Van Buren,, no
| Democratic convention heretofore has
refused a nomination to the candidate
who received majority, irrespective of
the time-honored twot-hird rule.
On the seventeenth ballot Speaker
| Clark dropped to 545, bare majority,
and from that time on he was atop a
receding wave.
On the twenty-sixth ballot, he polled
| only 463La and Wilson had crept from
324 to 407. Massachusetts had deserted
Clark for Foss and Kansas had left him
for Wilson
His Backers Worried.
Members Of the Speakers family, his
campaign managers and close friends
had been in the galleries all the while
At first they had waved banners and
Joy shone in their faces. Toward the
end of the desperate struggle last might
their faces showed creeping despair and
Lafe Pence and some of the more loya
walked about the convention ante-rooms
in restless, detected fashion.
Following Bryan's bitter speech, II
which he said he would vote for no on
for whom New York's ninety votes wer,
also cast, there seemed to be a gradua
disintegration of the Speakers forces
Bryan did not say "Tammany," he saiC
New York" and Kisses arose as h
failed to make the distinction.
Practically every candidate had hope
New York would stampede the conven
ton for him. and now that the Empir
State has gone to Clark 1t seemed t
, act as a boomerang.
Tiger Swallows Houn' Dawg.
A Wilson man yelled unceasingl
through a megaphone THE Tamman
Tiger has wallowed the Houn' Dawg,
and .he blunt expression had its vogue
Meanwhile, desperate efforts wer
3 made, and are being made today. to per
5 suade the Underwood forces TO come I
. the Speaker. The Underwood delegate
in Alabama, Florida and Georgia wave
the suggestion aside; one or two in tn
! Mississippi delegation were willing I
J listen to the proposition. but that wa
all.