Evening star., 1921-03-02

Representative Champ Clark Of
Speaker of>the House and conspcu-
Gus figure in Congress for twenty-six
years, died this afternoon at 2:10 O'Clock
in Congress Hall Hotel. His death had
been expected hourly since Tuesday. At
his bedside at the end were his wife. his
daughter, Mrs. John II. Thompson of
New Orleans. and son, Bennett
Clark.
Mr.. Clark was taken Ill ten days ago
with pleurisy and complication of
other diseases. Hope for his recovery
was practically abandoned Tuesday
by his physician, DR.. Jesse Shoupe.
Born in kcntscky.
Born inf Anderson. KY. March :,
1850. Champ Clark Would have reach
ed his seventy-fitst birthday mex
Monday He lacked two days of
rttnding out his twenty sixth year
as member. of the House of Repre-
sentatives. during eight of which he
served as it's Speaker. -
The first indication Of the serious
ness Of Mr.. 0Park's illness came last
week, when his physician was sum-
monded to his bedside. His condition
improved. but the relapse he suffered
Monday night was seen by those around
him to be the beginning of the end.
He rallied slightly Tuesday morning.
but that afternoon HIS physicians
gave up hope for his recovery.
Although Champ Clark was known
as Missourian he was born in Ken
lucky. He was chr,stened James
Beauchamp Clark. but early in his. life
he reduced it to Champ Clark. He
received his education at the Ken
lucky University and Bethany Col
lege and the Cincinnati Law School.
For short time he was president
of the Marshall College, in West Vir-
ginia, and at the age of twenty-five
held the record of being the youngest
college president in the United States
Practiced Law in Missouri.
In 1875 he moved to Missouri. where
he began the practice of law. His
next step was to enter, the Missouri
legislature. He was permanent chair
man Of the democratic national con-
vention at st. Louis in 1904 and
headed the delegation which notified
Alton B. Parker of his presidential
He was first sent to Congress in
1898. When John Sharp Williams
left the House for the Senate Champ
Clark was made minority leader by
virtue of his seniority on the way,;
and means committee. which drafted
the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill.
The Old Lion of DEMOCRACY suffered
bitter disappointments during his rug
ged fight from a hard bovhood to poIiti-
cal eminence which would have torn
the heart out of mos, any other man i'm
public life. Perhaps nothing in all his
long and eventful life so broke his spirit
as his recent defeat in the district which
he has SO long honoT'ed by his service
But he took the defeat like a dead
game sport" just as he did when after
the Baltimore convention. to which his :
name was presented for the presidential
with 4 clear majority of
elected delegates. and. when for nine
ballots he held sthe majority and for
twenty-nine ballots his name. like Abou
Ben Adhem's, led all the rest. was-ie-
feated for the nomination. sat tight on
hair: in fact. played the game for his
successful rival from that time on.
; Champ Clark had as many sides as
has facets:
One of the best Greek scholars in this
country, versed in. Latin. as well as a
competent to calculate
aclipses, a lawyer of parts. an orator of
admitted and proved eloquence and con-
rincing quality. sincere and reverent
student of the Bible, the man was
known more popularity as "the states-
nan from Pike County. Missouri
SenrchIisht ON Pathway.
A seareblight thrown along Champ
clar,-'s rugged pathway gives 4 new in
sight into how human a being InEs great
nan was When four years old drawn
gently from his mothers grave because
/ rainstorm had set in. he pulled away
md rushed back declaring he would not
cave his mother In the rain. l
Then, when in the days-of his appren-
iceship he had been cruelty treated by
farmer, after growing up to stalwart
manhood he returned to give his tor
mentor lacihg. found, the oppressor of
I'D a broken man. gave him money in
'tead of beating. Champ Clark never
,ould steel his heart to pity.
Fight-of course, he could fight. and
lid. He got into lots Of scrapes that
my two-fisted sixfoot, ed-blooded
nan might be expected to get into.
some were serious. bpt he saw them
through and came out All right. He was
broth of boy" justt the same, all
he time he was studying those Latin
oots and Greek enditgs and mathe-s
na tics. =, Z. , A,
One incident is Indicative of the man. :
There was the time when he was ex-s
,elled from church. He was a devoted
md sincere Campbellite+if anybody. in
hese parts know that scot He taught
sunday schools went, to meeting regu-.
ariy. and all that. He was in fine=
taTding. But here one ray comss=
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