Evening star., 1939-04-09
Stark
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q soldier and farmer, and Senator
Clark, who has been LAWYER, a
soldier and a politician. have been
close friends. They were both born
in Pike County, Mo And Gov
Stark was appointed to the Naval
Academy by the late Speaker Champ
Clark, father of Senator Clark.
Reelection Barred.
Those who should know. predict
Gov. Stark will not seek to under
mine Senator Clark's hold on the
prospective delegation to the Demo-
cratic national convention, because
Of his friendship for the Senator
They 60 further, however. and say
that If he should be persuaded by
the New Dealers to throw his hat
In the ring against Senator Clark,
the latter's hold on the Democrats
In Missouri and particularly on the
Democratic organization. would
prove too strong to be overcome.
Under Missouri law. Gov. Stark
Is barred from running for Governor
at the conclusion of his present a
year term in January, 194l. He is
not barred however, from running
for Senator. if he desires. next year,
and Senator Harry S. Truman must
either make the race or relinquish
his place next year. In the past
Gov. Stark has had an ambition to
serve as Secretary of the Navy. an
ambition he may still cherish
There has been no indication, how
ever, that Secretary Swanson is to
be superceded
How much of a New Dealer Gov.
Stark really is, despite his friend
ship for and support of President
Roosevelt, it is somewhat difficult
to say. Some of those who know
him say, however. that if the New
Dealers were able to put him in the
White House, they would find them
selves very surprised, and not
pleasantly, from their point of view.
1t is not surprising. however. that
New Deal opponents of Senator
Clark. who bucked the President on
his court bill. his reorganization
measure and much of his spending
program. have turned their eyes to-
ward Gov. Stark. regarding him as a
possible Missouri rallying post for
Mr.. Roosevelt. Yet Gov. Stark has
not had to vote on the court bill or
any of the other pet measures ad-
vanced by the President in the last
few years nor has he had to run the
rantlet of New Deal approval. The
New Dealers have sought here and
there for a possible acceptable pres
idential nominee-provided they
cannot have Mr.. Roosevelt himself.
One of the latest to be advanced
before Gov. Stark-was Justice Will
liam O. Douglas of the Supreme
Court, who has just been confirmed
by the Senate.
Stark Newcomer to Politics.
Last year the New Dealers did not
find themselves strong enough to
tackle Senator Clark in Missouri.
He was not included in the attempt
ed presidential purge" list of Dem
ocrats But next year they must
buck the Senator or give up all
thought of the Missouri delegation
to the national convention, a sizable
delegation.
While Gov. Stark has been strong
friend of the President, and Senator
Clark has been off the New Deal
reservation. the two Missouri DEM
ocrats have moved along In har-
mony. Gov. Stark, a newcomer to
politics. was elected in 1886 with the
aid of Boss" Pendergast-although
Mr.. Pendergast was not particularly
enamoured OF the choice. Four years
earlier. Senator Clark hucked the
Kansas City boss and won the Dem
ocratic Senatorial nomination and
election. Mr.. Pendergast in that year
moved heaven and earth to defeat
Senator Clark. He rolled up a plu-
rality of 10000 votes in jefferson
County, which includes Kansas City,
for his candidate against Senator
Clark. and polled bigger vote by
$4,000 than had ever been polled
But Senator Clark won, carrying all
the other counties except two.
After he had been elected by an
overwhelming vote in 1886, Gov
Stark found he was not able to get
along with Mr.. Pendergast. Indeed,
It Is reported that Gov Stark had
determined not to keep r. E. O'Mal-
ley, then State insurance superin-
tendent. in that job. Mr.. OMalley