The Prescott daily news., 1914-03-10
SENATOR JAMES p. Clarke AID
DRESSES VOTERS IN PRESCOTT
Continued from Page One.)

election, over the candidacy of the late
Senator Bacon of Georgia, one of the
ablest men in the Senate, and one
longest in service among Democrats.
"The party regularity of this vote
has been challenged by personal and
political critics of mine.
Again, | concluded to submit the
matter of my justification to the high
est tribunal in the Democratic party.
| was delegate to the Baltimore con-
vention, and again member of the
Committee on Platform. Mr.. Bryan
and Senator O'Gorman were appointed
a subcommittee to arrange the sew
eral provisions of the platform. When
their report was completed, it was re-
ported to the full committee. When
the committee had assembled, asked
what action had been taken in refer
ence to the proposed amendment to the
Constitution providing for the direct
election of senators. My attention
was then called to the plank reported
by the subcommittee on that subject.
1t made no reference to the pending
amendment, but declared the policy of
the party to be in favor of the adop-
ton of the amendments to the Con-
stitution authorizing an income tax
and providing for the popular election
of senators. | asked Mr. Bryan if it
biC ta Io n
eral declaration in favor of the alb
stract proposition, or did he intend
to specifically indorse the pending pro
position in favor of the direct election
of senators and recommend its ratifi-
cation. He replied that, Of course, it
was the purpose of the subcommittee
to report a provision that would in
dorse the pending amendment, and to
ask for its ratification as a party duty.
l then stated why made the request,
and, at the instance of Mr.. Bryan, |
added the words here indicated:
"'And we call upon the people of
all of the states to rally to the sup
port of the pending propositions, and
to secure their ratification
"The plank as finally included in
the platform is as follows:
eve congratulate the country upon
the triumph of two important reforms
demanded in the last national plat
form, namely the amendment of the
Federal Constitution authorizing an
income tax and the amendment pro-
viding for the popular election of all
of senator's, and we call upon the
people of all of the states to rally to
the support of the pending PROPOSE
tions and secure their ratification
an view of the character of cam
paign which has been forced to the
front by candidate Kirby, have
though that a joint discussion before
the people would be the best way to
evolve the real and respectable issues
of this campaign, and to put behind
us the petty and offensive accusations
to which he gives so much prominence
when he addresses the voters when
alone. Error ceases to be dangerous
when truth is left free to combat it,
so Mr.. Jefferson says. | am sure
that | could convince even him that
many of the small and vicious things
that he is saying about me are untrue,
and which his own self-respect would
force him to abandon, if | only had the
opportunity to do so. If there are any
large questions involved in the cam
paign, or he has ability and ingenuity
enough to indicate any hereafter,
joint discussion would present the
opportunity for his purpose and be
of real benefit to him, if he possesses
the raw material upon which any bene-
fit can be engrafted.
"On the 22d. day of November, can
didate Kirby opened his alleged cam
paign by a speech delivered at Ben
ton. | was then in Little Rock and to
his knowledge He did not see pro-
per to invite me to join him. On the
contrary, in making some references
to the currency bill, he said:
CHOW, fellow-citizens, while all
that is going on, our distinguished
Senator Clarke has gone away from
up there and is here in the state of
Arkansas. 1t seems to me if there
ever was a time when a man might
be needed at his post of duty it's
when that sort of legislation is pend
IL. -