The Washington times., 1912-07-01
CLARK URGES
HIS DELEGATES
TO STAND FAST
Speaker Declares Bryan's
Charges False and
Infamous.
NEBRASKAN MAKES
POINTED REPLY
Missourian Accused, He Says, Not
So Much of Activity as
Inactivity.

BALTIMORE, July 1.-The breach be-
tween William ]. Bryan and Speaker
Champ Clark was further widened today |
as the result of statements issued by
both the Commoner and Mr.. Clark. In
brief. Bryan accuses Clark of evading
the Judge Parker issue, which was the
fight at the opening of the convention,
and the Speaker asserts that he is in
the race to the end and scores Bryan's
implied accusations that he, Clark, has
made trade with Tammany.
William Randolph Hearst, ardent sup
porter of Mr.. Clark, also frightened the
deadlock when he issued statement &C
cusing Bryan Of an attempt to disrupt
the party, and declaring that Bryan
himself has accepted the aid and money
Of Tammany in past campaigns.
Clark Scores Bryan.
Speaker Clark's statement was in the
form of a letter to Senator Stone. The
Senator wrote Mr.. Clark that his sup
lporters wanted to stand firm. MIR. Clark
declared himself in the race in the fol-
lowing positive language, which shows
his bitterness over the fact that the
convention, for the second time in Dem
ocratic history. has so far failed to give
the nomination to a man receiving the
majority vote:
Replying to the communication Of
my supporters forwarded to me by you,
beg to say that, in ordinary circum-
stances, would be the last to encour-
age any movement which might tend to
create a deadlock in a Democratic ma
tional convention. and thereby perhaps
imperil the standing of our party in the
estimation Of the country.
L believe that I am speaking the ex-
act truth when I say that no personal
interest would weigh with me for one
moment as against my lifelong devotion
to our party.
Has Support of Majority
If majority of the delegates have
not declared their preference for me as
their candidate, l could not entertain
your proposal. The fact, however, that
they have done so on eight successive
ballots creates an exceptional condi-
tion which surely merits careful and
conscientious consideration.
1T is undoubtedly true that the Gus
tom of our party was violated when
the convention refrained from ratify-
ing by a two-thirds vote the expressed
wish of a majority. This was done,
according to my understanding, at the
instigation of Mr.. Bryan. who success
fully solicited the cooperation Of others
in an effort to prevent such ratification.
"Mr Bryan set forth his reasons for
pursuing this course in his speech ex-
planning his own change of vote. He
declared that / q candidate af ha
primaries of Nebraska as a progressive
and that upon this understanding he
was elected a delegate and instructed
to vote for me in the national conven-
ton.
This is correct. I was regarded ther
and had been regarded for years as
progressive by the Democrats of Ne.
% braska and by Mr.. Bryan. What has
that though in his Judgment a progres,
sive only two months ago, and ever
only a Weels ago, l am not a progressive
now?
Recreant to no Trust.
Have I suddenly proved faithless t.
the principles which l have upheld fol
twenty years? No. Have benn recre
ant to my trust as Speaker of the House
of Representatives.? No.
Mr. Bryan cites no act of mine O.
evidence of his assumption. He with
holds his vote from me because he will
not participate in the nomination of an!
man whose nomination depends upol
the vote of the New York delegation
Mr.. Clark then quotes at lengtl
from the statement which Mr.. Bryal
read in the convention, and continues:
although Mr.. Bryan's words ar
shrewdly chosen to avoid making
direct charge upon me, the implication
Is plain. 1t is that If elected Presiden
OF the United States ! would conside
myself obligated to those whom h
mentions. and that l would be unde
the control Of those influences
1T would be unbecoming in one hold
ing my present official position to ex
press the Indignation which l feel a
these yelled aspersions upon my charac
ter.
MY integrity has never before bee
questioned. for the simple reason tina
never once during the seventeen year
have served in Congress have l bee
subjected to the test OF temptatio
through wrongful influence in any form
Bryan's Charge Infamous"
"But whether ! shall become you
designated candidate for President
not, am your Speaker at time whe
your party Is in the crucible of scrutin
and I cannot. In duty, permit thes
aspersions to pass unheeded. AS Speal
er OF the House of Representatives,
a lifelong Democrat proud of my part!
as an American man. I pronounce NJ
Bryan's implied accusations both falls
and Infamous.
'If am speaking the truth with r.
spect to this matter, 1t follows nece
sarily that the reasons advanced
Mr.. Bryan for departing from the time
honored custom of our party in recoi
niZinR the voice of the majority al
not reasons at all. but the shallowei
pretexts, put forward to achieve SON