New-York tribune., 1921-03-03

childless couple in an adjoining county.
When the boy was eleven years old
the father moved to Mackville, taking
poth children with him. and there
Champ entered school. Previously
ne had dug what education he could
from newspapers and an occasional
booS. He worked when he was not in
school on the farm where he lived. and
at twelve ne was doing practically a
mans work.
Before he was fifteen wears old he
was teaching school "Of course I
idn t know much he said later in
ME but 1t was the only way had to
make money enough to go TO college. "
lie taught. IN one capacity or an
other, until he was twenty-four wears
oid. Meantime, at eighteen he entered
kentucky University, and for three
years ne both studied and taught In
ls'o ne returned 10 his home county
ana took charge Of country school.
4 Record Scholastic Achievement
Two years later he entered Bethany
College in West Virginia and was grad
uated at the end of a year with the
nlghest grades ever attained by stu
dent there.
ne WAS tNeN twenty three years Old.
and was offered and accepted the
presidency OF Marshall College. The
state normal. at Huntington. ". Va.
becoming the youngest college presi-
dent III the United States. Although
he left Marshall College at the end Of
one year to enter the Cincinnati Law
school, II was nearly a quarter Of a
century before any other American col
lege was presided over by man as
young.
After completing his law course. in
1915. he went to Kansas. where. in the
vicinity Of Wichita, he essayed vent
ure in farming. which. because Of
grasshoppers and hot winds. resulted
dlsastrously. A brief attempt TO acquire
a law practice in Kansas City followed,
and then he went to Louisiana, Mo. a
town OF several thousand on the west
bank of the Mississippi.
There he bought an independent
newspaper, converted it into a Demo
cratic organ, and in less than a year
resold II to its original owner at a
profit. He became principal OF the
Louisiana nigh school. and for vear
neld that position while getting a start
N his law practice He met there
DAVID A Ball. a young attorney. and
the Two formed a partnership which
continued throughout life.
Marriage in 1881
1t was in Louisiana that he met
Genevieye Bennett, whom he married
December II, 1881, shortly afterward
moving to Bowling Green, the county
seat OF Pike County, which was his
home the remainder Of his life.
From boyhood Champ Clark planned
a political career. All his other activi-
ties were stepping stones to this in
one way or another. His experience az
teacher college president, farmer.
new spaper editor and lawyer. while
each In turn serving as means OF
earning a livelihood, furnished experi-
ence and material for what he regarded
AS the chief aim of his life He be-
came City Attorney of Bowling Green
and Of Louisiana in 1913, and retained
the offices for three years. In 1870 he
was Democratic Presidential elector.
He was Prosecuting Attorney Of Pike
County from 1885 to 1889, when he was
elected 10 the lower house Of the Mis-
souri, Legislature
His Entry Into Congress
His first election to the House of
Representatives was in 1892 Two
years later. when Missouri sent to
Congress eleven Republicans out of
delegation of thirteen, he was de-
feated, but was elected again in 1895
and at every subsequent Congressional
election until that of 1920, when he
was overwhelmed by adverse votes in
Woodrow Wilson's great and solemn
referendum"
He became at once striking and
picturesque figure in the House, and
his prestige and influence in the
councils Of the Democratic organiza-
tion increased without d break until
Il eliminated in his election to the
Speakership of the Sixty-second Con
gress-the first Democrat to WELD the
gavel in the house in sixteen years
and the first man OF any party to be
nominated unanimously for the place.
For several years he was the able
and forceful lieutenant of John Sharp
Williams, then House minority leader
And 1t was trying and
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