Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-03-03
CHAMP CLARK, FORMER SPEAKER
Of HOUSE, DIES In The SHADOW OF
the CAPITOL AT the AGE OF II
"The Question Is On the Adoption of the Con-
ference Report" the Old Chief Was Heard to
Say in His Last Delirium; Grandson's Death
Is Believed to Have fastened His Demise :
(BY THE AsSOCIATFD PREssl

cumulation of ailments due largely
, to advanced age. 1t was only a
question of little time, DR.. Shoup
knew, despite the courageous fight
his patient was making Besides
Mrs. Clark, the former speakers
son, Bennett. and his daughter and
her husband, Mr.. and Mrs. James
M. Thompson of New Orleans, were
at his bedside.
In the senate word of Mr.. Clarks
death was given by Senator Har-
rison of Mississippi. He spoke feel
ingly of the services the veteran
democratic leader had rendered his
party and the nation.
Although Champ Clark was
known as a Missourian he was
born in Anderson. KY, on March
u, 1853. He was christened James
Beauchamp Clark. but early in life
he reduced this TO Champ Clark.
His first work was as a farm hand,
clerk in a general store. and on a
country newspaper.
He was educated at Kentucky
university and Bethany college, and
the Cincinnati Law school. For a
short time he was president OF
the record of being the youngest
college president in the United
States. In 1875 he moved to Mis-
souri, where he took up the study
and practice of law, and became
prosecuting attorney in Pike coun-
rty. His next step was into the Mis-
souri, Legislature where he framed
the Missouri primary law, an anti
trust statute, and an Australian
ballot law. He was permanent
chairman of the democratic ma
tional convention. at St Louis IN
1904 and headed the committee
that notified Alton. b. Parker of his
presidential nomination.
He was first sent to the national
forum in 1898. Although then re-
garded as green" his strength In
the house developed rapidly When
John Sharp Williams left the house
for the senate. Representative
Clark was made minority leader by
virtue of his seniority on the ways
and means committee which draft
ed the Payne ldrich tariff act.
His service on that committee in
trying to keep duties down won
him the regard of the democrats
and his speech of five hours against
the bill was one of the notable ad-
dresses of that congress.
Mr.. Clark's sincerity, friendship
for opponents and adherents alike,
his fairness as a presiding officer
and his knowledge of history, his
love of clean anecdotes and humor-
Gus stories, and his marvelously re-
tentive memory ranked with his
attributes of leadership. He weld
ed the minority into virtual
democratic unit when he was MI
nority leader, and after the ousting
of Cannon, which robbed the speak
ership of many of its powers, he
divided with Majority Leader I'm
derwood the control of the demo-
Gratis in the house and they formed
great working team.
Physically he was a giant of a
man, standing oven six feet two
inches in height and weighing,
trifle more than two hundred
pounds.
Speaker Clark and Mrs. Champ
Clark, familiar figure in the
speakers bench in the gallery, en-
tertained not only at an annual
New Years house and at other
functions but gave informal week
~ luncheons at the capital to
which members and others were
invited. .Genevieve Clark, whose
engagement to James M. Thomp-
son, a New Orleans newspaper edi-
tor, was announced in the waning
days of the Siuty-third congress,
and Bennett Clark, parliamenta-