New-York tribune., 1921-03-03

helped nightly to get him into Con-
gress and to force him into conspicu-
GUS place. When he spoke in tho
House or on the platform he let out
every notch Of that voice until it be-
came raucous and terrifying. He ges-
ticulated with his whole body, and
the sight of that powerful form wav-
ing and surging on platform gave
just the impression he designed to
create-that of political crusader.
In the House, whenever he unloosed
a tribue to Democracy. his body
swayed with the rhythm of his enun-
citation, and not n syllable of his power
full periods was lost in the big cham
Der.
A friendly estimate OF Clark in The
North American Review for June.
1912, when he was candidate for tho
Democratic Presidential nomination.
said:
Champ Clark sprang from that
hardy stock which produced The Ameri-
can pioneers. virile, intense, honest.
triotiic, headstrong. The red blood
courscd swiftly through his veins until
the mellowing influence of time checked
its speed. sponsibility begat refec.
tion and calm, tolerance of the opinions
OF others, evenness of disposition, mod
Grafton in thought, word and deed.
ut ls simple fact that never before
has the business of the House of Rep
resentatives been conducted with more
decorum, greater dignity or truer eff
cheney than under his guidance as
Speaker. That much of his success
Is attributable to exceptional popular
i'y acnleved by a winning personality
Is plainly evident. But it is no less
obvious that underneath are qualitie.
oh
sense, of undoubted integrity. of in
tense patriotism, of sympathy with
humankind, which constitute char
acter'
The most dramatic event in Clark's
career, and the disappointment which
tlnged, although it did not embitter,
his whole after life, came after the
delegation from his state, Missouri,
had been instructed to vote for him
Tor President on every ballot at the
baltimore convention in 1912.
The essentials of that convention
already have been related With 725ia
votes necessary to the nomination
Clark received 44O1s votes on the first
ballot and Wilson 324. Clark remained
IN the lead until the thirtietn ballot.
His highest vote-566-was cast on the
tenth ballot, on which $50 were cast
for Wilson. After the thirtieth ballot
the la.ters vote rose from 400 to sol "a
on the thirty ninth. After the forty
fifth ballot the name of Oscar W
Underwood, of Alabama, was with
drawn and virtual stampede for
Wilson started. On the forty-sixth
ballot, which nominated Wilson, he
received 900 votes and Clark 34
After the declaration of war against
Germany IN 1917, in the course of the
House debate on the conscription act,
Speaker Clark took the floor and led
the fight against the bill. He asserted
that so far as Missouri was concerned
there was little difference between a
conscript and convict.
A year later. following the death of
senator William j. Stone, of Missouri.
Speaker Clark declined the proffer Of
an appo olntment TO fill Senator Stones
uneXpired term. In 1920 he was a can
didate for reelection to the House. but
was defeated by Theodore ". Hukriede.
in the political revolution which cave
to the Republicans all but two Of Mis-
souri's sixteen Representatives Six OF
the eleven counties in his district. the
9th, went Democratic, but The other