Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-11
ACTION LONG|NM|ND
Folk Discusses Withdrawal
From Presidential Race.
OPPOSED TO BRYAN PLAN
Points Out Objections to Instructing
the Delegates for Two
Candidates.

| ST. LOUIS, Mo-, February 1O-Former
Gov. Joseph w. Folk withdrew as an
active candidate for the democratic nomi-
nation for President today. He withdrew
after he had received a telegram from
Champ Clark. which agreed to divide
the Missouri delegation to the democratic
| national convention as recently suggest
| ed by William J. Bryan.
Mr.. Folk not only agreed to divide
| the delegation, but asked his friends to
| make no further effort in his behalf.
He promised to support Mr.. Clark.
Contemplated for Some Time.
Former Gov. Folk issued statement
| tonight in which he said that he had con-
| tempiated today's action for some time.
THE acceptance of the Bryan plan en-
abled me to say what 1 should have liked
to have said long ago." said Gov. Folk.
When the Bryan plan was first proposed
IT was my intention, If accepted, to have
| refused the instruction for half of the
delegates.
Such instructions would not have been
impressive and would have imposed the
burden of an active campaign of the
other states which I have neither the
money nor the organization to make.
The delegation, under the accepted
plan, Will be comprised OF half my friends
and half Mr.. Clark's as nearly as prac-
ticable. This announcement would have
been made some time ago If plans could
have been agreed upon earlier. but had
no control over that"
Folk Men to Support Clark.
Friends of Mr. Folk said that he Will
have half of the state delegation which is
to be selected at Joplin February -, but
that the Folk men on the delegation will
support Mr.. Clark. If it Is seen that
Speaker Clark cannot get the nomination
on a reasonable number of ballots in the
Baltimore convention the former governor
will consider that he has the right to en-
ter the race for the nomination.
Lon Sanders. Folk manager. is au-
former governor has, as Sanders puts
1t, practically Withdrawn from the
race" Sanders today announced that
FOLK headquarters here would be
abandoned.
Results Of the Primaries.
Speaker Champ Clark, according to
reports from forty of the ninety coun-
ties holding primaries today, was sue
cessful in all Of the twenty Eight ex-
cept Girardeau. This county went for
Folk
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, February 1O-To-
days democratic presidential primaries
to select delegates to Mondays district
conventions which will choose delegates
from Kansas City and Jackson county
to the state convention at Joplin, were
purely perfunctory. There were no Folk
for-President delegations and only one
Tor Champ Clark. The others were
regular democratic
ST JOSEPH, Mo-, February TO-
Champ Clark had no opposition at the
primaries in Buchanan county today, fol-
lowing the announcement that Folk had
withdrawn as an active candidate for the
presidential nomination. BY a narrow
margin Clark won in De kalb county
Clark Men Now Confident.
The announcement that ex-Gov. Folk
had withdrawn from the presidential
race. leaving the Missouri and middle
western field clear for Speaker Clark,
was received in Washington yesterday
with a demonstration for Clark that was
extremely significant.
Although the Speaker has always been
confident of his ability to win before
the people in Missouri and had himself
made the proposal to Folk to abide by a
popular decision, the withdrawal of
Folk assures perfect harmony in Mis-
souri,. and will add great strength to the
Clark candidacy.
The Speaker received an ovation in his
room in the House yesterday afternoon.
many prominent democrats congratulating
him. There Is general feeling among
all the Clark men that the Speakers
candidacy, now that it is backed solidly
by his state. will begin to grow by
leaps and bounds, and that he will 20
into the convention with solid delega-
ton from all the middle western states.
Friends of the Speaker are determined
to push his candidacy until it becomes
nationwide, and are convinced that he
will be SO far in the lead by the day
Of the convention that his nomination
will be assured