The Washington times., 1921-03-03


1t is uncle Joe" caansp. loag the
associate and friend Of Champ CLARK.
who always speaks OF -crosstss over"
instead Of dying" Perhaps the tsrm
nts better the passing OF Ar. Clark.
one OF the staiwsrt and 1ictursssue
nsures in the politics and national
life of America
Champ Cisrk's term OF office would
have expired At noon AArcA - 30
he ''disd In harnssS'-As probably he
preferred TO 20 IL the snd was to
come soon ,.r ..N
This is story about Mr.. Clsrk.
not merely his biography. The his-
torians viii write tho latter. giving
to him his great ysr rathsr pathsttc.
role--so far a. his later days were
concerned-in' our history.
SETTING OF SORROW.
A, scene without precedent was
given It's setting OF sorrow when his
death was announced to the House
OF Representatives Consressman
Rucker. of Missouri, himself = veteran
in service and conadant and friend
OF the departed minority leader and
former Speaker. Attempted to make
the formal announcement. HIS feel
ings overcame him. his voicA faltersd
and then he cried.
On the Republican side Congress
man James r. Mann. Of Illinois. who
had served . quarter OF . century
with Mr.. Clark. gave way to hts
emotions. Congressman Madden
wept and Charles r.. Crisp. Of
Georgia, one time pariiame ntAry
clerk under Speaker Clark and nov
member of the House, made no effort
to conceal his grief. Then all about
the House floor men were seen with
handkerchiefs to their eyes. Some
Of them were youngsters in leGtsla-
tive service whom Champ Clark had
advised. Others were men who came
to Congress with him and had lsbored
friendship regardless OF the aisle that
divides the parties. Flags on the
Capitol Building. dropping to half
mast. told the story to the sightseers
and tourists outside. .''-.s ',. ''
Announcements Of the death OF .
member are always occasions OF sad
ness in the House. but old timers
could not recall today when that body
SO openly and generally manifested
its grief. In the bustle1 OF tho closing
days of the session . thtrty-minute
recess was taken In, honor OF. the
memory Of Mr.. Clark. Adjournment
was not ordered because among his
dying requests was one that legis-
tribute.
PATHos IN PASSING. u.
There il unusual pathoa in the pass
ing of Champ Clark. For years he
was q national figure. AZ the Balti-
more, convention In 1912 the Prest-
Dental nomination. was almost Withih
his grasp for twenty-nine ballots.
For eight ballots he had n clear
majority in the convention. but tho
two thirds rule and q coup or his
adversaries took victory from him.
Only once before. II memory Is right,
had the Democratic party failed to
nominate the man receiving . major
ity-and then q great domestic issue
was at stake and the comparison is
not entirely pertinent
Nomination at that time was vir-
tually equivalent to election because
of the split In the opposition. Ollie
James. chairman OF -the convention.
who has preceded Mr.. Clark into the
beyond. SO told the convention. and
his words were prophetic.
Champ Clark never recovered fully
from the shock of that defeat For
several years he showed the traces
of supreme disappointment not un-
mixed with a certain resentment to-
ward the man he held primarily re-
sponsible. Time healed up. but did
not obliterate the scars of the wound
received at Baltimore.
When his convention lines were
faltering Champ Clark came to Baiti-
more at night to make a dramatic
appearance before the convention.
His friends dissuaded him. Had he
appeared there might have been .
difrerent result, with another man
now yielding the scepter OF power to
Warren G. Harding, and with another
man having shaped the stirring events
of the nation and the world during
its recent years Of travail.
SERVED WITH DIsTINCTI0N.
But that is water over the Wheel"
a. Mr.. Clark would sometimes say In
talking Of things that had gone by.
Champ Clark, chastened, disappointed.
the victim of political circumstance
and with his day dreams falling to
come true. went back into the rela-
tive ranks OF the only party to which
he had ever given allegiance, ana
there he served. with all that was In
him. until his fnal roll was called.
Yet no one who knew him. as the
writer has known him. can say that
he spent his last days in contentment-
He died more or less q broken
hearted man.
Last November Mr.. Clark went
down In the Republican landslide
and his district voted to retire MIN
after nearly twenty-siT years OF
patriotic service This hurt him, too.
lie showed II in his walk. In his
mannerisms. and in converse with
intimate friends. Philosopher that
he was, appreciative OF the vieissi
tudes of American poiitics-which he
knew as a participant and historian
-Chaup Clark weakened noticeaoiy
after Mat defepf. Only once IN MS
long service had he been defeated
- - A,.,tion INIT than was a acore