New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-21
ourlan Denounces Those Who Kicked His Dog Aroun
Baltimore Serves to Give Point and SAVIOR to
Autobiography of Politician

tWenty-nlne balIotS and received a clear
majority Of eight"
The author does not permit Mr..
Bryan to escape with one lashinR. Al
though he admits the strong political
ties which once existed between him
self and the Commoner, he reviews the
whole career Of Mr.. Bryan with good
deal OF candor and spleen. Thus, in
speaking Of the 1896 convention he
records: ut Is a pleasant fiction that
his nomination was solely the spon-
taneous result of his glowing cross
OF gold and crown of thorns' speech.
But the hogshead of Bryan buttons i'm
mediately turned loose did not grow
out of that speech! Hardly"
Indeed, Mr.. Clark relates that, some
time before the convention Of 1895,
Mr.. Bryan, who at that time had not
even been mentioned as possible can
didate, confided to him that he fully
expected to receive the nomination.
Even the cross of gold speech now
seems to Mr.. Clark to have been some
what overrated, although he admits
that it was zone Of the most oppor-
tune speeches delivered in this world
since the confusion of tongues on the
plain OF Shinar, at the foot of the un-
finished Tower of Babel" And one may
be pardoned just an atom Of doubt as
to the extent Of the writer's sincerity
when he remarks: "It in no way de-
tracted from It's merits that he had re-
peatedly delivered parts Of it, perhaps
ell of 1t, before"
There also Is room for suspicion
that Mr.. Clark is not quite frank in
revealing his state Of mind in regard
to Woodrow Wilson. To be sure, he
ends his book with the observation
that "The conclusion Of the whole mat
ter was that Governor Wilson was NOM
mated and elected in 1912, renominat-
ed and reelected in 1915, and the con-
sensus Of world opinion is that he has
been, and is, a great President"
This suspicion need not rest entirely
on the parenthetical quality Of the trib-
ute to Mr.. Wilson's present greatness,
nor depend on the agile manner in
which MI. Clark steps aside and let's
the consensus Of the world pass judg-
ment rather than himself. The reader
Will find that Mr.. Clark is never spar
ing In the use of great" For instance,
William Randolph Hearst Is described
as t'the greatest newspaper publisher
the world ever saw" 1t is rather from
indirect sources that the reader may
gather that Wilson is not among the
highest in the affections of Champ
Clark. His delight in recording the re-
suits Of the Presidential primaries Is
evident when he writes: II carried
nearly two-thirds of the states in the
Union, defeated Governor Wilson by
primaries were held, and could walk
on Clark territory from the Pacific to
the Atlantic and from the Great Lakes
to the Gulf Of Mexico" Due attention
is also paid to the size Of President
Wilson's campaign fund and to the
fact that Cleveland H. Dodge, "znc
trust magnate," was reported to have
sent $4,000 to Mr.. Wilson's managers
shortly before the convention. Yet
none of this is so Illuminating as the
casual remark Of the author: EVERY
body goes to hear and applaud Presi-
dent-any President"
It must be confessed. however, that
Champ Clark succeeds admirably In
presenting convincing case for his
assertion that he was the victim of
exceedingly sharp and questionable
political tactics in the Baltimore con-
vention. He does not succeed in making
these sharp and questionable tactics
appear so much crime against a ma
ton as an injustice to an individual,
for the author gives forth no glow of
greatness in the portrait Of himself
which he draws in the autobiography.
Nor are we inclined to think this
wholly because Of his distinct modesty
in telling his life story.
H.