Evening star., 1919-04-13
BY n. O. MESSENGER.

TIME movement to wrest the mi
nority leadership in the next Con-
gress from Champ Clark shows
every indication of being fiat
failure Recent careful inquiry has de-
veloped that out of the democratic mem
bership of 1875 in the House not more
than thirty can be counted upon as de-
clared opponents of Mr.. Clark.
This srnan minority, it is prophesied.
will be come less as soon as the word
gets around. as it will in a few days,
that the administration" denies oppos-
ing Mr.. Clark's leadership and give it
out that ''it was all a mistake" for the
overzealous group in the House to have
assumed that the administration wants
the ex-Speaker deposed from the posi-
ton of minority leader. The fight on
Mr.. Clark fed and was nourished partly
upon the theory that the administration
wanted him out, as wei. as largely upon
the personal ambitions of individuals in
the House seeking advancement at his
expense. The administration has indi-
Gated to some of the prominent demo-
Gratis in the House that it will keep
hands of the reorganization of that
body. and has no objection to Champ
Clark Pains will be taken to see that
this statement reaches every democrafic
member of the next House.
Some of the careful politicians of the
administration are said to have con-
cluded that with such an over thelm-
ing sentiment among the democrats fa-
vorable to the old war horse it would
be the height of unwisdom to allow a
party split in this parlous time. such
split as, it is alleged. would
certainly follow the effort to drag the
administration into support of move
ment against him.
On the Sunday before the adjourn
ment OF. the last Congress a de1ega-
ton of three
Kitchin Put members of the
Aside the Crown. rroun 1sxht,ne
Mr.. Clark called upon Claude Kitchin.
The majority leader at that time, and
offered him the support of the insurg-
ents IL he would run against Champ
Clark for the minority leadership in
tho next House. Mr.. Kitchin refused
spiritually TO consent to any such ar
xRngsment. SAYING that he would not
be . party to the nndeserved and un-
just humiliation Of Champ Clark.
Thay ti3sas beseught him to retnain
passive In the contest. but he declared
he never knew hoy to be passive in
a-Axnf Tor his friends. and he was in
fAas Asht tor Champ Clark with an
- might When that decision be-
o@e notssd around. the insurgents
40 6sid to have lost about twenty
sn between suns II Claude Kitc6n
'-d htB supporters were to be for
Cp CaKk. the insuryent body
Ouu3d b no paace for ambitious men.
1eesnss tiss other camp would contain
~ 1cst inhuential democrats in the
Hs9as, they argued.
A. IN example: There will be ten
denecfzts on the ways and means
committee of
Clark Men Rule the neSt House.
Committee Places. tom Of the the @ n.st
eight years should be followed. these
ten would constitute a committee on
t. their places on all committees. Well.
out of this ten. there is Just one who
is an anti-Clark man. The other nine
are strong for Clark. 1t is generally
assumed that the committee on COM
mittees win be continued. since it op-
Grated SO successfully and smoothly
during the past eight years. One
main reason for this harmonious work
was the fact that the members of this
on other committees, and do not as
sign themselves to desirable places.
1t rs held that membership on ways
and means and the duty of making up
committees should be honors enough
for any reasonable ambition.
. Comparing the list of names of men
who are fighting Champ Clark with
the committee lists
Leaders in Main of the House. it is
Support Clark. in e neeli<is,s .si ,ne' m,s ate
nority on the important legislative
committees. Only one of the demo-
Gratis of the appropriations committee
is against Mr.. Clark, one on banking
and currency, one on ways and means.
as stated; one on merchant marine and
fisheries, two on interstate and for
eign commerce and none at all on sew
eral other important committees. in
Guiding foreign affairs, naval affairs,
the dominating committee on rules. on
military affairs. on rivers and har-
bors and on public buildings and
grounds. So, it would appear that not
only do the Clark adherents outnum-
Der the other side, 165 to approxi-
mately so, but that they include the
men who comprise the membership OF
the committees having to do with the
most important legislation that comes
before Congress. They are. in fact
classed as democratic leaders"
In addition, the two men who di
rected the destinies of the democratic
congressional campaign committee for
the past eight years-Doremus OF
Michigan and Ferris of Oklahoma
are for Champ Clark. These and 9th.
er considerations lead Mr.. CIark's
friends to make the prediction that
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