The Ocala evening star., 1922-01-02
FRANK CLARK WILL
REMAIN WITH Us

There has been much talk in the
last two years about Congressman
Frank Clark, representative in the
House from the Second Florida Dis
trict, making the race this year
against Park Trammell for the SEN
ate. This has been very interesting
public subject, as it is generally con-
ceded that Mr.. Clark is about the
only man in Florida who could defeat
Mr.. Trammell. However, the people
of the second district feel like the
Hon. Frank is their own special prop
| erty and don't know of anybody who
can fill his place in the House. Con-
sequently, they have brought all kinds
| of pressure to bear on him TO announce
for another term as representative,
and as will be seen by his following
letter he has acceded to their requests.
Mr.. Clark is now serving his ninth
. consecutive term in the House. When
/ Congress met in special session April
| II last, he entered on his seventeenth
/ year of service in that body. Before
| going to Congress, he had served three
terms in the Florida legislature. He
was United States attorney under
| Cleveland, and was for awhile chair
man of the democratic state commit
tee. There is no man in Florida who
| knows more of the needs of the state,
and no one who could possibly have so
much influence in the House. AS long
as he is able to serve, it is to the in
terest of his state as we'll as his dis
trict to keep him on the job.
| Mr.. Clark's letter follows:
Washington, Dec. 29.
Editor Star; Your very kind favor
of some days ago calling my attention
| to the fact that the newspapers and
people of the state had for some time
been discussing the question as to
whether or not | would become can
didate for United States senator in
the primaries of next year, and sug-
gesting that in your opinion the time
had arrived when | should advise the
people as to my intentions, was duly
received.
Hitherto, have not publicly refer
red to this matter because | felt that
it was entirely too early to involve the
people in a discussion of suitable can
didates in the next primary, but /
agree with you that the time has now
arrived when | owe it to my friends
and to the public generally to make
some pronouncement on the subject.
l have had proffers of very valua
BILE support from practically every
county in Florida, and l appreciate
beyond measure this unmistakable
evidence of the confidence of the peo-
pie of my state, but the good people
of the Second Congressional District
of Florida have been exceptionally
kind and generous to me during the
years | have tried to represent them,
and I should very much regret at this
time to sever the existing relation
ship.
The Senate is, frequently referred
to as the upper body" the "higher
branch" etc, but l have never regard
ed it that way, and would not now
consider a transference from the
House to the Senate as a promotion.
The fact is that the trainers of the
constitution regarded the House as
the more important of the two
branches of the lawmaking power,
and today intellectual decadence is
not so marked in the House as in the |
Senate. | have, through the generos- |
ity of my fellow-citizens served a good |
long time in the House; am known /
there to my colleagues; whatever of |
reputation l have made has been
made in the House, and to go to the |
Senate now would place me where |
am fearful | could not render so use
full a service to the people as / can
render in the House. Believing, there
fore, that / can be of greater service
to the people of the district, the state,
and the nation in the House than in /
the Senate, l have determined to ask
my fellow democrats to honor me with
another term as their representative
in the Congress of the United States.
l want all those who have so kindly
mentioned me in connection with the
to know that | am pro-
foundly grateful, and the good people
of the Second District may rest assur
ed that no honor can ever be bestowed
upon me which will be more deeply
appreciated than their oft-repeated
vote of confidence as their representa-
tive in the Congress of the United
States.
With assurance of my continued re-
gard, l am, Sincerely yours,
Frank Clark.