The Washington herald., 1912-03-03


be. '.wfiI offer prayer" But Ar. Clark
was brought up in the campbeIltte
Church, and insthat religious denomina-
ton the pastor Is not the father OF his
ffock, but the leader thereof.
II is duh work at the Speakers desk
usually. When the House goes into
Committee of the Whole, Mr.. Clark es-
capes II this does not happen, he will
often catch the eye OF a member and
beckon him to the chair, 10 act as Speak
er pro tenn. Then he goes back to his
once, where there Is plenty for him to
dc. Commonly there VIII be from nifty
to 100 people wanting to see him during
the afternoon Nobody Is excluded. Up
to date only one person has been shut
out-an ugly drunk"
The Speaker Is looked upon as one OF
the "sights'' of Washington. Sightseeing
tourists, 100 or more In party. arrive
on rubber-neck wagons to pay him a
visit. On such occasions he comes out
into the ante-room and shakes hands
all around. Sometimes he makes brief
speech. He likes to talk TO college boys;
for he himself was honor man" in two
colleges, and at Bethany. w. Va, he
established a hieh-water mark OF scholar
ship never since touched One thing he
always tells the. boys Is to get the habit
OF voting. and to take an interest In pub
lie affairs.
At o'clock he goes downstairs to the
House restaurant to lunch-usually ac-
companied by his son, who comes nearly
every day to the Capitol for that purpose.
Often as not the two partake OF their
meal IN the room set aside for such
common folks as Capitol employees and
newspaper men. The Speaker takes apple
pie, milk, coffee, and a glass Of water
three kinds Of drinks and one kind OF
eats" as his private secretary says. Ten
minutes suffice for the banquet
At s o'clock Mr.. Clark starts for
home. At he dimes, and in the even
ing he stays home II he can People
: are always trying to get him to attend
banquets and other festivities, but he
| would rather enjoy an evening OF re-
pose and a good book He Is an ON
| nIvorous reader. devouring everything
| in the literary way that he can get
hold OF, from fiction to history. Not
| long ago he sat up all night reading
| Great Expectations" though he had
| read IL twice before. Hardly q week
| passes when he does not get several
books sent as gifts by the authors.
Champ CIarks real home. however,
J Is the little town OF Bowling Green,
Mo. He thinks Il Is the greatest town
u
/ there Is his personal friend. and at
/ election time he gets every vote On
such occasions the c. A R. post meets
Il at Its hall and marches with fags 10
/ the polls to vote as one man for Clark
Ia Democrat, Somebody the other
l day said to the Speaker: You have
i been in all parts OF the United States
4 What IN your opinion Is the best place
i to liver To which Mr.. Clark Instantly
1 replied: "BowIing Green, Pike County.
i Mo-"
4 When he is at Bowling Green, his
favorite amusement Is planting trees
/ and watching them grow. But Tor
4 such outdoor sports he has little time
i He never takes a vacation When MS
i work as a Congressman let's up. he
j starts on q lecture tour which may
a merge into a political speech-making
l campaign. He likes to lecture about
people, being q specialist in human ma
ture and a favorite topic OF MS IL
"PecuIiarities Of public men nave
known"
, Mr.. Clark proudly called attention to
, the fact that no region has produced SO
! many able public men as the section OF
Central Kentucky In which he himself
was born-within a radius Of 100 miles
; from lexington. Lincoln and Jefferson
Davis were both among the number. So,
likewise, was the late Justice Harlan.
and Gov. Stone Of Missouri, that brilliant
political strategist. halls from the same
|, neixhborhood. Curiously enough, the
, grandfathers Of Champ Clark, Under
| wood (the Democratic floor leader), and
, Mann (the Republican floor leader were
. lawyers in the same Kentucky village
; A story quoted by Mr.. CLARK was told
, him by the late Senator George Vest, VINO
I T1rI q n
. VILE, KY. Vest. talking with DR.. Tur-
ner. who had been president Of that edu-
cational establishment for nearly half a
/ | century, said: Can you tell by observa-
, tion of a boy at college what he Is going
to amount to afterward?
We'll" replied DR.. Turner, II thought
. the class in which you graduated was
. lust about the dullest and stupidest tha,
; ever came out of Center College. Yet Il
produced one Vice President Of the United
, States CBreckinridge), four United States
Senators, and fifteen members OF the
House of Representatives. Only two boys
, in the class seemed to me especially
bright. One Of these Is now teacnei
in a school for the blind. and the othei
was drowned in a mlllpond.
The withdrawal OF the privilege OF ap'
pointfnz committees has deprived tbs
speaker of much OF his former power
, But It was Champ Clark who was chienS
instrumental in bringing about TINS re
form, which, he says, has restored rep
> resentative government to the people"
For the loss OF power, there Is ampk
> compensation in the removal OF oppor
tunity 10 make enemies. A Speaker en-
dowed with authority to appoint the com
mittees OF the House cannot fail to ere
late a multitude Of personal animosiues
!. and these, in the long run, have cumu
lative efIect-which. in fact. got Uncl'
!. Joe Cannon eventually. For this reasoI
? II is that the Speakership has not hither
{ to been a stepping-stone to the Presi
. dency.
\ On one occasion. several years ago
! Uncle Joe gave lunch to distinguishes
; visitor from England. As they wer'
leaving the table. the visitor said: Mr.
, Speaker, I have been glad to hear You
/ name mentioned so frequently for tn
( Presidency"
:, Mr.. Cannon took his cigar out Of hi
:. mouth. and. with a twinkle of his eye
= replied: You won't hear 1t mentione'
; any more in that connection after hay
n appointed my committees"
e Under present circumstances being de
prived Of this power. Mr.. Clark Is abb
II to retain his friends and 10 keep hi
8 party together. which. OF course. has a.
: Important bearing upon his prospects
: n candidate for the Democratic nomina
e ton.
r The Speaker likes to go to the theate
l. and is especially fond OF plays with poll
IS tics in them. Also. he finds much enter
n tainrnent In broad farce. "a Texa
4 .fs.ne srr-ea