Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-30
6&|M CLARK BELIEVES
.,.l PRIMARY SYSTEM GOOD
Former Speaker of House Scores
Method OF Naming
Party Leaders.
CALLIs. HrGH.cosT CRY nosH
No Danger Of Country Becoming
Involved in Foreign Entanglc-
rnenes, Missouri Statesman Tells
interviewer.
nr JAMES MARTIN MILLER.

VI ~
WASHINGTON, May 2s.-I inter
Z riewcd u. Champ Clark. former
i Sneaker of the House of Representa-
uves, today. Mr.. Clark is large
mfnanG is the very picture OF a man
in, the most robust health. He is 20
!, ycar1qf age. He is a very plain, out
SPOKEN man with none of the evasions
Of many Of the men in public life.
f'Mn' Speaker, we all know that an
titipa;ion and realization are two
dir&rens matters" said For
mhnY. %oars the American people an
tieirstrSd that such so-callcd measures
as the1primaries, woman suffrage, and
the t1e{erandum. would save the ma
tion-Sfrpm going on the rocks. Now
that. tlso primaries have been adopted
very extensively. what do you think
OF; tire realization"
IInS Tried Both Methods.
IAN nominations for Office in this
country from President TO constable
said Speaker Clark. should be made
thr oHSh- we'll guarded primaries. The
cry that they cost much more than
conventions is all bosh. 1 know, be-
cause have tried both.
1.-THE primaries diminish the power
OF; the power of the bosses and pro-
fessional nanipulaiors, hence the
howlaEainst them. The presidential
primaries this year, however, are
rSnk"humbugs; because, If candi-
date carries State, he has no as
surancc that he Will get the dele
gatesE
Tho trouble is tina: Congress has
!, no FeGrr 10 enact "a primary law: but
the Staics should agree on primary
law that means something.
As to the cost of primaries: In
. 1877 we had ninc-day convention
in, the Ninth Congressional District
or MISSOURI. Colonel Richard II. Nor
ton add myself were both nominated
which insured the election OF Rn-
publican If we both ran. The S:lte
committee took it up. ordered n
primary. assessed us $500 each and
after tho primary returned $500 TO
each OF us as the unused part of orr
$500 contributions.
Ncwberry Casc Proves Sothinr.
The fact that Ncwberry, OF Mich
lSansasecured n bought seat in the
thRed states Senate does not prove
that, tho election OF Senators by pop-
utarNVote is not better than the old
Wayd5n which moro than one pluto
crat thought Scholarships from cor
rupt, legislatures.
There arc laws against murder.
bpt occasionally somebody is muir
dtred; laws against horse-stcaling.
bp MISUNDERSTANDING. though dimin-
iShed' still goes on, and will till the
craek, of doom: but because there
arestsporadic cases of murder and
DEMONSTRATING. nobody is clamoring
for , repeal Of the statutes against
cdirhAa Newberry has been con-
yictsd. and the popular verdict is.
SeFcq him right"
Mr.. Speaker. not very long ago
the ~people OF Ohio gave an uncdu-
c1tSd blacksmith nearly 100000 votes
az the primaries for chief justice of
tHegtSupreme Court OF that great
States' In Nebraska. a small livery
stiole Keeper received a very large
vote at the primaries for President Of
the United States" said.
tho people OF Ohio wanted n
blacksmith for chief justice" an
sTeTed Speaker Clark, that was the
SORT of chief justice they wanted, and
SO as to the Nebraskans who voted
for u livery keeper for Pres
ldent. You say. in view of numerous
cases OF this kind; there are no 'nu-
nrerous cases OF this kind You find
only two in the entire history OF the
country. OF course. the blacksmith
,sSa3gl9zhot have qualifie;1 as Supreme
= Court Judge SO such. examples as
Sto the vagarles OF tho voters prove
Sanoth!ng whatsoever
S Il have stated supra that such pre-
Eferential presidential primaries as
Ehave been held this year are hum
Ebugs: but sensible presidential pri-
Emary could be devised. None OF the
-sooodl!ng candidates for prcsiden;
sscan be elected, even IL nominated. II
e ouna out. continues Speaker Clark
x Wnie the progressive measures.
Ssuch as primaries, initiative and ref
serendum. recall, election o. United
Estates Senator's by popular vote. the
Scurrupt practices act and similar
s4measurcs have not fully realized the
IS expectations % their enthusiastic
Iproponen;s, they have done $50
::esmeasurably and will increase in good
,Sresults''
. DO you believe in woman sunrage?r
81 asked
Il Il 90 not share in the fear that