The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-03
McCombs to Manage Campaign.
HE BLAMEs BRYAN.
Clark Places Responsibility for Defeat
Where 1t Belongs.

Washington. July Son his return to
Washington from Baltimore Speaker
Clark issued the following statement:
mo set of men ever made a better
or drawer fight for any man in this
world than my friends all over the
country made for me- They have my
heartfelt thanks. We never had money
enough even to pay for an adequate
supply of postage stamps and Iitera-
ture. I was tied down here by my
duties of the speakership. I could,
therefore, aid my friends very little.
They made the fight, gave me 200 900
majority in the states where Governor
Wilson and 1 competed in the primaries
and caused me to lead on 80 ballots in
the convention in nine of which had a
clear majority. Nevertheless, the nopl-
ination was bestowed upon Governor
Wilson.
Il never scratched a Democratic
ticket or bolted a Democratic nominee
in my life. 1 shall not change the Dem
ocratic habit now. 1 am too seasoned a
soldier not to accept cheerfully the for
tunes of war.
II will support Governor Wilson with
whatever power I possess and hope he
will be elected.
Il lost the nomination solely through
the vile and malicious ISLANDERS of Col.
William Jennings Bryan, of Nebraska.
True, these ISLANDERS were by inuendo
deadly for that reason. (Signed)
CHAMP CLARK
Would Not Play Second.
Defeated after a hard battle. but
satisfied with the fortunes of war,
Speaker Clark returned from the con-
to thunder his remuneration of the lice
presidency over the telephone as Of
ten as it was suggested to him. The
speaker motored back from Baltimore,
where he spent the day at the Balti-
more club, with his son, Bennett. He
took dinner with his family and later
issued a statement pledging his sup
port to Governor Wilson and voicing
his contempt for the tactics of Will
liam J. Bryan, whom he credits with
his defeat. The speaker seemed the
least affected of his family over the
defeat.
This was not as hard fight as
had to get my first nomination to con-
gress,'' said the speaker, commenting
over the results.
He had no complaint to make of the
final break, but said that victory
could have been his, had the Under
wood forces helped him on the tenth
ballot and thereafter. He said Sena-
tor Bankhead merely precipitated the
inavitab BILE. He seemed relieved that
the strain was over and that he could
retire from political activity for a few
weeks.
In most emphatic terms the speaker
disclaimed any desire to be vice presi-
dent. He referred to the nomination
of Thomas A. Hendricks for that Of
flee and said it took the Democratic
party a week to prevail on him to ac
cept it.
Speaker Clark said he would not run
under any circumstances.
II am not mad" he said, but
the vice presidency does not suit me.
I am a rough and tumbler debater. I
am most at home in the house. I
would rather be a member of that
body than tied down in a chamber in
which Z am powerless to participate"
To all couriers Mr.. Clark gave the
same reply and when he heard that
the nomination was being conspired in
spite of his refusal, he displayed some
temper.
"Ten those people over there will
not take that nomination" he in
the Associated Press. when
told of the persistence of the move
ment.
What will you do If they nominate
you and adjourn % he was asked.
"Refuse 1t. I tell you I don't want
it and will not have it, replied Mr..
Clark.