The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-03-22
CLARK BOOM
LEADS In RACE
All Forces Working To-
ward His Nomination.
FAVORITE SONS WITHDRAW.
Old Politicians Are Surprised at the
Great Strides in the Presidential
Race Which Mlssouri's Chosen
Leader ls Making.

Race Which Mlssourrs Snosen
Leader ls Making.
Washington, D. c., Feb. 24.-Even
old politicians are surprised at the
great strides that are being made by
the Champ Clark presidential boom.
Already three favorite sons have with
drawn in his favor--Joseph w. Folk
OF Missouri, William R. Hearst OF Cali
fornia, and Carter Harrison OF Illinois.
To state it in few words, 1t means
that those three states will go to
Clark without struggle. The action
of the Missouri state convention in in
structing Missouri's thirty-six dele
gates for Clark gave him the first in
structed delegates in the United States
and he is happily rid of his troubles
at home, while Harmon and Wilson
are still struggling against great OPP
position in their respective states.
Just few months ago it was doubt
full if Clark would be able to go into
the race at all, but the consensus of
opinion among political leaders now is
that he is in the lead of the race and
that as other candidates drop out he
will inherit their strength and sup
port.
The hard logic of elevating the
speaker to the presidency is daily win
ming him fresh support. Assuming
the duties of president would be as
easy and natural as to step from one
room into another. He has fought his
way up step by step from hired pillow
hoy on a rocky farm in Kentucky. He
has clerked in country store, taught
school, worked his way through three
colleges, was president of college
when he was 90, has edited country
newspaper, practiced law, served as
deputy city attorney and as city at
tOrney, as deputy county attorney and
county attorney, member of the legis-
lature, presidential elector, delegate to
the national convention, member of
congress, minority leader in congress,
and finally speaker of the great house
of representatives.
Clark is the man who battled with
and killed Cannonism in the house of
representatives He is the man who
led the minority, which he had welded
into q solid phalanX, so well that he
succeeded in removing Speaker Can
pNtInc Dnittnn anH
stripped him of his power. He stopped
the custom of having the speaker APP
point the committee, saying, This is
too much power for any one man, even
though it be myself" Though nobody
believed he could do it, he has led the
Democratic party. in congress in an
unbroken line for three years and If
he were elected president, knowledge
gained and friendships made in con
gress would enable him as president
to work in harmony with congress.
This is just as important as it is to
elect Democratic president, as was
shown in the administrations of Cleve-
land and Mckinley. The former had
never served in congress, while the
latter had spent sixteen years in the
house of representatives.
William J, Bryan has said that Clark
has always been progressive. The
truth is that Clark was Progressive
years before the word came into use
1t has been eighteen years since he
called together his congressional cam
paign committee in his district and
had them call congressional district
primary, so that every man who cared
to run for congress against him would
have fair show. You are now con
sidored to be a Progressive if you
favor primaries.