New-York tribune., 1919-03-31
Murphy Said
To Be Planning
Clarlx's Defeat
Continued from page 1

Tammany. Murphy is said to have told
some go-between that he was inclined
to join in the fight against Clark, but
the anti Clark men will not quote one
or more of them on this.
Clark Men Not Disturbed
But the Clark men are not disturbed
In the Speaker and in Kitchin they
probably have the two most popular
men in the entire House Half q
dozen members with no particular in
terest IN the fight say Kitchin can
stampede the caucus, no matter how
many votes seem to be lined up against
Clark. The anti-C Clark men, their on
ponents say, are at the crest of their
strength right now, and will come a
cropper when they announce the name
OF their candidate for Dem ocratic
leader. The Clark men then will have
some one to shoot at besides BufIeson.
and their fight will become. they think,
spondingly more vigorous.
The anti-Clark men were particularly
pleased to-day at being able to give ont
a statement attacking the Speaker. It
contains an interview with Representa-
tive Henry I. Rainey, Of Illinois. Mr..
ON the Ways and Means Committee.
The statement, issued by the "Demo-
cratic Reorganization Committee. !"
says;
The Democratic Reorganization
Committee feel greatly elated over be-
ing able to smoke Speaker Champ
Clark out into making q statement
tavoring league Of nations, when he
had formerly stated that the speech of
Senator Reed against the league Of
nations, was uf1ans swerable.
CIark's Utteranees Too Late
"The few short sentences uttered by
MT. Clatk on this important question,
came so late that IL clearly shows his
luEewafmhess to the subject and
Wefa made after. fifty Senators
from his own stats had taken EaHstef
Reed 10 task for being against iba
league Of nations offering 10 resign
Their positions with him, spd TO take
Inc issue direct TO the people Of Mis-
sssufi Those interested ia securing a
Democratic minority leader are now
more frmY convinced that unless a
lender can be secured who is firm. ar
gressiye, progressive and in full accord
with the administration and the Demo
Gratis Of the country, the party has
ioukH SEEDING ahead.
Representative Henry r. Rainey, OF
lillnols, the ranking member of the
Ways and Means Committee of the
Sixfy-ffth Congress. who has had six' da'
teen years service in Congress. strong
~ endorsed the movement TODAY in the
Iollowlng statement given out by the
democratic reorganization committee.
MIR. Rainey's Statement
"Mr. Rainey's statement is as fol-
lows:
THE way to escape the kind OF
leadership We have been having in the
past is to submit the control of The
Democratic minority in the next House
to steering committee. It is n we'll
known fact that throughout the wal
leaders of the Democratic majority of
the House were not in sympathy with
the Administration and there was no
attempt on their part to conceal their
hostlllty 10 the Administration and the
Administration plans for organization
or the army and carrying to a success
ful conclusion our participation in the
great war.
1T would be particularly unfortu-
nate at the present time to place the
democratic Administration between two
hres. We can expect all sorts of in
yestigations to be inaugurated by the
Republican majority in the House. We
ought to at least have a Democratic or
ganization and minority leader who
Will defend the Administration when
it ought to be defended. A militant
minority leader properly elected by the
steering committee, which cannot be
said to be sectional in character act
ing in harmony with the Democratic
Administration, may retrieve the losses
of last November. The Democratic
party is not sectional. There are more
Democrats in Illinois, Northern
state, than there are in several South
ern states. steering committee such
as proposed will offset the argument
often used with so much effect that the
Democratic party is merely party Of
the South.
" 7 regard it as of the greatest i'm
portance that the Democratic minority
in the next House of Representative
act IN harmony with the Administra-
ton, and my duty, as I see it. compels
me to support the plans of the Demo-
cratic Reorganization Committee.'