The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-05-11
CLARK SHOWS
STRENGTH IN
HOME STATE
BY EARL GOODWIN

Clark Of Missouri being punished
politically for his anti-Roosevelt
court stand is not as strong in the
land Of the Ozarks as it is here,
yet Missouri politicians are dis
cussing the matter with all the
colorful interest Missourians show
about their politics. That is the
State where they learn politics at
their mothers knees.
One Of the interesting facts
about the situation is that Off
setting washington gossip that the
Administration political leaders
will hurt Senator Clark among
democratic voters in Missouri,
comes the story (well authenti'
cated) that Missouri Republicans
will 60 into the next primary to
help nominate Clark.
This would engender fight Such
as would have been dear to the
fighting heart Of son Benefits
father, the late Champ Clark,
Speaker Of the House for many
yearS-one of the colorful char
acters Of the era ending with Wood
row Wilson.
Lineup Partisan
MisSourians are not very much
interested in the court fight; not
as much as they are in the Threat
that comes from Washington to
make Federal relief a permanent
Federal function, But on the court
matter, there seems to be consld'
cradle basis for belief that Mis-
sourians are dividing largely along
party lines. r 's -
AEpoll Of about 200 Missouri
newspapers Of all sizes and shades
Of opinion shows that all the Re
publican editors oppose the Roose-
ve1t court plan: that out OF about
112 Democratic papers, all but ten
supported the plan. ,
The most experienced political
writer's at jefferson City and at
st. Louis told this writer on q
visit to that section that it will be
very difficult to defeat Senator
Clark, with or without the support
of Republicans. OF course, when
one party's voters rush into an
other party's primaries there IS al.
ways Ill feeling, but in this case II
may turn out to be nothing out
talk generated at washington 70
scare Senator Clark or any other
Democrat coming up for nomlna
ton and reelection next year.
Precedent for Guide
The natural political method OF
exerting pressure on Clark would
be from Chairman Farley through
the Pendergast machine. With the
O. K. Of the Farley machinery here
a Pendergast boss-picked Demo
crat would be pushed forward as
a loyal Roosevelt Democrat. HOW
ever, Senator Clark could then
avail himself of the old cruSad.
ing ideals of his father, who would
have loved fight between the
plain Missouri folks and the pollt'
ically notorious city bosses.
It was just this sort OF q Sit
uation which permitted Senator
"Jim" Reed to win his first sen
atorial nomination; the regular
boss controlled Democratic ma
chine was dead set against Sen
ator Reed who fought it to =
fare-ye-Well and won out with
the Missouri spirit Of independ'
ence. Such a fight would not be
impossible in the case of Senator
Clark, who knows the vigorous
Language Of his State. ...
Republicans are not in so propi'
tious a situation, either. The G.
o. P. at one time appeared to
be cleaning up in Missouri; but
since the days Of Harding, Cool.
idge and Hoover, to whom Mis-.
souri, gave pluralities, the scene
has changed. They are not so
strong In st. Louis, and their sole
congressional strength is one man
from the Ozarks; so if the Repub
licans hope to send Republican
to the Senate next year they will
have to increase their strength
considerably.