Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-07-02
IAN OUTRAGEOUS ASPERSION."
Clark Demands Proof or RetractiOn
From VIM. J. Bryan.

Baltimore, Md, June 30.-Champ
morning:
Yesterday an outrageous asper-
sion was cast upon me, and through
me upon the Democratic party, by
the one Of all men who ought to be
the last to besmudge or betray his
friends or his party. So far as l am
personally concerned 1t is enough to
say that the charge which reflects
Is utterly and absolutely false.
might afford to forget myself, but
am by the choice Of the Democratic
majority Of the House Of Representa-
tives the ranking officer Democrat in
national public life. cannot be
false or corrupt without rejecting
upon my party in the most serious
way.
"Any man who would enter into
an alliance with any selfish interest
or privileged class Of this country to
gain the nomination for the Presi-
dency is unworthy Of tho Presidency
and Of the Speak kership of the House.
If | have not entered into such an
alliance then the Democrat. however
distinguished, who wantonly charges
me with this act, is traitor to the
Democratic party and to his profess
ed friendship to me.
81 am not here to plead for a NOM
ination or to attempt to influence any
mans political action. Let every
man proceed in this convention ac-
cording to his convictions and the eX-
pressed will Of his constituents.
ask no undue consideration from any
man, be he friend or foe, but ! de-
mand exact justice from every Dem
throughout the nation. With VIM. J.
Bryan and his charge, made in the
convention yesterday, the issue Is
proof or retraction. shall expect
him to meet that ISSUE
Bryan Replies to Clark.
Baltimore, June 3O.-W. j. Bryan
tonight replied to the statement Of
Speaker Champ Clark demanding that
the Nebraskan prove or retract the
general charge made in convention
that the Clark forces had allied
themselves with the so-called privi-
legged classes. In his statement Mr..
Bryan said:
81 have received notice by publ
cation only. The only criticism |
have made against Mr.. Clark Is not
that he has acted wrongfully, but
that he has failed to act. ! may
overestimate the Importance of the
Presidential office, but I have felt
that an aspirant for that Office ought
to manage his own campaign and not
allow people to do things for him
without his direct and specific au-
thority.
"The papers announced that Mr..
Clark was neutral between Mr.. Par
ker and myself in the temporary
chairmanship fight, and that he in
formed his supporters to vote as they
pleased. If that contest were purely
question between Judge Parker and
myself as individuals. his refusal to
take part would not be material, al
though he never sent out a piece Of
literature or had a speech in his be-
half that did not represent him as
my special champion for sixteen
years. If he distributed any litera-
ture in which he associated his name
with Mr. Parker's, | shall be glad to
withdraw this statement upon in
spection Of the literature.
"But the contest between Judge
Parker and myself was not a personal
contest between progressive Democ-
racy on the one side and reactionary
Democracy on the other, and con-
tend that IL such a contest It was
Mr.. Clark's duty to take one side or
the other, If, in his Judgment, there
Is any material difference between
the two kinds OF Democracy. If he
insists that there Is no difference, he
has no right to complain Of criticism
at the hands Of those who believe
that there is a vital difference"