The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-31
BITTER DEBATE
ON TOLLS BILL
Continued from page ~

public servants are actuated by the
same high, courageous and patriotic
motives by which he believes himself
to be moved.
Il have never for one moment en-
tertained the opinion that President
Wilson is actuated by other than the
highest patriotic motives. l do not
believe that President Wilson has
ever entertained any other opinion
as to the conduct of those of us who
find it necessary to differ with him on
this measure. President Wilson does
not desire a breach in the democratic
party. / do not desirs breach in
the democratic party and there Is no
breach in the democratic party.
would scorn to believe that President
Wilson countenances for a moment
the effort of some Of the jackal press
to represent that we are seeking to
disrupt the democratic party.
The president is too big man not
to desire that this great question
should be fought out on its merits,
free from personalities which can do
no good and may do much harm. The
president has too high an idea of the
duties of a public servant to desire
members to do other than to vote
thsir conscientious convictions. To
most of these who have asserted that
/ am seeking to disrupt the party,
the wish is father to the thought.
The fact that | am making this
fight for our platform pledges may
end my public career. There are
many things worse than being defeat
ed for congress, or defeated for tbs
speakership, or even worse than TO
be defeated for the presidency and
one of them is to repudiate the plat
form on which you were elected.
81 can be happy without the presi-
tency. I can be happy without the
speakership. The happiest hours OF
NV congressional life we're spent on
the floor Of the house. II my consti-
tuents who have stood by me with un-
shaken fidelity should retire me to
private life, I can still be happy in
the love and affection Of my wife and
children, in the society of my books.
and in cultivating flowers and trees.
"One thing dead sure, when I do go
out of public life, whether next year
or twenty years hence, it will be with
nv integrity unimpaired and my self
respect intact. I will not leave my
children much property but I will
leave the rich legacy of a good name
which King Solomon says is more
precious than rubies."
Clark bitterly assa1led the New
York World and the New York Sun.
"These papers declare that l am op-
posing this surrender to Great Britain
as an opening gun in my campaign for
president in 1916. 1t may surprise
these obsequious courtiers to know
that I never limited to any human be-
ing that | would be a presidential
candidate in 1916 and that I am not a
candidate. Consequently their Sian.
der has been gratuitous mental degre-
dation. 1t will surprise these timber
backed ink swingers to know that l
have uniformly told I would not be a
candidate in 1916 and this: If
President Wilson makes a success Of
his administration, he should be re-
elected in 1916, but if he makes
failure, which God forbid, Che nomina-
ton will not be worth having.
Il have not entertained the slight
est ill will toward the president about
tie Baltimore convention. ! wish him
we'll | did all / could to elect him, far
more than some of those who so vocif-
erously and wholesomely oppose him
now and for whom deep down in his
heart he must entertain some con-
tempt. / have steadfastly supported
him until we are called upon to bolt
the platform. l absolutely refuse any
such thing I do believe that the fact
that | led twenty-nine ballots at Balti-
more. receiving a clear majority on
nine and that / got a majority of
over 100000 over the prpesident in
primary elections where he and /