Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-16
CHAMP CLARK DECLINES
TO Be Shell we'd At 70
Mere Years and Youngster Can
not Rclcgate Him, He
Declares.

that he WAS growing old or that the poll
ticians of 3 younger generation might
count him out of politics.
''rhe Old Lion Of Democracy" as he
is atfectionately called by his friends
does not make a birthday announcement
that he is candidate for the Presidency
an Office that slipped away from him about
after leading the convention on nine bal
lots, he finally lost the Democratic nom-
nation because of the two thirds rule.
But former Speaker Clark does say
that mere age and youngsters who at
tempt President-making are not entitled
to relegate him Just because he Isl seventy
years old March 2, 1920.
With characteristic frankness MY. Clark
calls the roll of some of the elder statesmen
who recently have made world history
and he is the youngest of the lot.V
These aspiring statesmen who are
trying to make it appear that ! should
not run for President because / am sew
cnty years old had better rub up their
thinkers" is the ''show me" way Champ
Clark has of proving he Is stih full of
fight and political youth.
1T is only few days sincel a man
quit the post of honor in Franfe who
was seventy years old-Clentnccau.
Gladstone was Prime Minister Of England
when he was eighty-three and Faluterston
was Prime Minister when he was above
eighty. Speaker Cannon still call him
.Speaker'-is eighty-three and is ono of
the spryest men In the House.
General Sherwood, also in the House,
is eightv-four and rs straight as ramrod.
There are multitude of men older than
/ who have held high positions-,ery
high"
Champ Clark may or may not get into
Presidential politics-he is debating the
thing now. The ex-Speaker one moment
Is tempted TO contest for the Democratic
nomination: the next moment he thinks
of entering the Senatorial race IN Missouri
and then again he is tempted TO do neither
Whatever his ultimate decision may be.
his words quoted above put Mr.. Clark
In the race so far as age Is concerned.
He says he feels young enough TO run for
President II he wants to and Mr.. Clark
ought 10 know.
Il am seventy years young tomorrow,
said the stalwart Missourian this after
noon. There is an old saying that
woman is as old as she looks and man is
as old as he feels. ! feel as young and
strong and as springy as | did the first
day / ever set foot in Washington, which
was IN 1898
l.
have a great many pleasant memories
and some that are not so pleasant.
have held public office a good deal and
have always discharged my duties s.
pleasant and unpleasant
At this point the formen Speaker
said by Democrats and Repuh hlcans alike
to have one of the ablest and fairest pre-
siding officers the House ever had-drop- !
ped the hint about the Presidency, Clemen-
ceau, Gladstone and so on.
Champ Clark WAS asked to talk bit
about how it feels to be seventy, 10 let |
hn memory run back awhile lover his |
stirring cateer, and TO discuss anything |
that man OF seventy may.
This he tid-entertainIngly breezily, |
happily. His "reminiscences range from |
the time he was a 'hired hand" in farm !
at nine, and a school teacher at fifteen, !
to the eight years he presided over the |
House of Representative. He discussed |
also the high cost of living, as reflected |
by the price he once received for a coon /
skin TO the price exacted for similar |
skin today.
Switching to history, about which he
probably knows more than any man In
the House, Champ Clark said:
'About one-half of the so-called his
tories written IN the United States ought |
to be burned by the public hangman."
Mr.. Clark also wants dictionary
that will show folks how really to pro-
nounce American words in an American
way
Champ Clark is one OF the picturesque
figures of American politics. He is sledge-
hammer debater with humor that has
drawn more laughs in Congress than that
of any other man. At seventy he is full of
IL |
future and melIowed memories of busy
and fruitful life. His one great disappoint-
ment, politically, was at Baltimore, and, |
naturally, he may never get over that,
but there is no bitterness In his heart
today.
Showing the human side of his nature.
MIR. Clark turned from politics, and said
one of the hardest iolts be ever had was
when little grandson died few months
ago.
Here is a human interest recital of
Champ Clark's revere at seventy
Il have done good deal of hard work
md. SO far as i know, none Of it has ever
hurt me- L began working as a hired man |
1n farm when was nine years old, which
gave me very robust body | began act
ng a mans part when i began teaching
school before Twas fifteen i was prosecuting
attorney a good while, and the most
pleasant recollection about holding that
,ffice was that let off twenty-five young
nen for their first offense with a iail
'entence or fine whom / could have sent
@ the penitentiary Twenty-three Of |
hem have made good citizens, raised
antilles and stand well In the communities |
n which they live. Two of them are in
orrigible thieves and went to the peni-
entiary after my term Of office expired.
When i was twenty-three years old !
was the president of a college In West
Virginia. A great many of the pupils
we're older than ] was. broke up hazing
q exactly four hours by the town clock.
md these court-rnartials at Annapolis
nd West Point make me very weary. | I.
ometimes regret that ever quit teaching
chooI
If / were TO wake up tomorrow as
'ch as Rockefeller, the first thing / would
% would be TO establish publishing house
Or the latItute of st. Louis. The first
hing | would have published would be an
nabrldged dictionary which would give
he popular pronunciation Of all the words ?
q our vernacular. If the people have sense n
nough TO elect a President and Con- Z
ressmen they certainly have sense enough I
know how they want to pronounce the 3
lords In our language, and not how some a
nglomaniac wants to pronounce them. 1
hen would project a real history Of the e
mted States, and then WOULD have about q