Champ Clark letter to Bennett Champ Clark - October 29, 1918
Transcript
Save letter to Gen. [John] Pershing U.S. A., [October] 29, 1918. Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett C. Clark, Asst. Chief of Staff 88th Division American Expeditionary Forces in France Via New York: Dear Bennett: Col Jim arrived Sunday morning (27) and we have all had much conversation with him about you and got out of him every particle of news about you. He gave a fine account of you, your surroundings and duties. He enjoyed his trip hugely and now that he is back safe & sound am glad he went. It will be a satisfaction to him all his life & a [ms illegible: 1 wd] for conversation. Awfully glad he saw you. Last night he had George Creel & some other newspaper friends to dinner with us. - We are all up in air about a recess. The proposition was to adjourn from to-day (29) till [November] 12. It was agreed on by Senators & Representatives informally. House actually passed Concurrent Res. and sent it over to Senate; but in meantime the President published strong letter ordering Country to elect Dem, Senate & House, which made Repub. Senators so mad that they refused to even consider res. to recess till 12 and we reconsidered the Concurrent Res. vacated proceedings thereon, Tabled it and adjourned till Thursday and the Senate also adjourned till Thursday. So I am not certain that I will even get home to vote. The Repubs act like wild men since the publication of the President’s letter – biting, snapping, cussing, snarling. They attack President mock savagely, Roosevelt, Lodge & Col Harvey leeding van. They have raised the War cry of “Unconstitutional Surrender”
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[page 2] and are accusing President of being a “Pacifist”, “Friend to Germany” etc. Col. Roosevelt and Col. Harvey describe him as “Last in War; First in Peace” etc. The effect of his letter is problematical – but on the whole, I think it will help. News from our district continues good. Glenn says Pearsons, Sandeltons, Persnell & Eour Judge Harris, Ovid Bell, Bob White and Bill Hughes say they will vote for me; but I have my doubts. Nous verrons. The Epidemic seems to have reached the Crest here and is slowly receding. My office force is all busted up. Sutton in War Service; Cannon at home fixing up his affairs so as to answer call to be a Captain in Judge Advocate General’s office; Jacks at home sick abed; Hatch left for home with incipient case of Influenza; Estes at boarding house waiting on wife who has bad case of Influenza. Genevieive and I are both well again, Your ma & Champy have been well all the time. He is growing like a weed and chatters like a magpie. Theodore Bell is Independent Candidate for Governor with Democratic endorsement. The Dems. have no nominee by reason of worst marvelous mix up in all history. I enclose you copy of letter I have written to Gen. Pershing; Also copy of letters from Col. Roosevelt & Gen. Wright; also piece of letters from Dr. J. D. Motley; Also my 13th Chapter; also article I wrote for Outlook; also some minor clips.
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[page 3] There is still much talk of scratching Folk. All of us, the President, Secs. McAdoo, Daniels, Dockery, et. al have done what we could and I think he will be elected – though you know how a great many Dems. Hate him. He had every reason to believe from the first that he would beat Urlfley and therefore Should have made a Conciliatory campaign with an eye on November – but he made a polecat campaign & enraged many of the Urlfley men; but still I think most of them will vote for him while holding their noses. The trouble is that many will stay at home, thereby losing votes to all of us. Genevieve, Jim, Won & Wurta leave for [New Orleans, Louisiana] tonight. We will miss the boy very much. He is very fond of “Hon”. & “Pa” as he calls us. He’s got so he knows uncle Tom’s pictures but he familiarly calls him “Sam” – plain Sam and nothing more. Cooper is running independently in Wisconsin; Austin ditto; Hilliard ditto. Repubs. captured Dem. nomination in one Brooklyn dist. Shealey tells me that Fitz is making money hand over fist and has bought himself a $30,000.00 home. Glad. Frederick A. Mayhall still here looking for job - been here for month! Guess he will finally land something. Nothing like perseverance. - Suffs tried to storm Senate & burn speeches etc. in Senate Chamber. Senate Police interfered. One Suff. Kicked one
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[page 4] Policeman on testicles & laid him out. Alice Paul took off a slipper and broke windows of her prison house! Others cut high jinks. The Sup. Ch. of Texas knocked out Texas Prohibition Law as unconstitutional! The prevailing impression here is that the war is about over because it is believed that the Central Powers will surrender absolutely & unconditionally. It really seems that Turkey & Austria are fixing to surrender. The Repubs. are making an awfully bitter fight on Henry Ford with chances of beating him. Jeanette is running independently in Montana for Senator. Doubtful whether she will weaken Dem. candidate more than Repub. I wrote the Gen. [John] Pershing letter very carefully and hope you like it. May God bless & protect my dear boy. Your Loving Father Champ Clark. Repubs claim the Dems. Are fixing to surrender Senates prerogative of participation in Treaty – making power. - Election is one week from to-day. Will cable results.
Details
Title | Champ Clark letter to Bennett Champ Clark - October 29, 1918 |
Creator | Clark, Champ |
Source | Clark, Champ. Letter to Bennett Champ Clark. 29 October 1918. Clark, Champ (1850-1921) and Bennett Champ (1890-1954), Papers, 1853-1973. C0666. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
Description | In this October 29, 1918 letter to his son Bennett, Champ Clark discussed the Republican opinion of President Woodrow Wilson, and a brawl in the Senate chamber. Champ Clark, a long-time resident of Bowling Green, Missouri, was a politician in the Democratic Party. He served as a representative of Missouri from 1893 to 1895 and from 1897 to 1921. From 1911 to 1919 he served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Bennett Clark served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 140th Regiment, 35th Division and as Assistant Chief of Staff for the 88th Division during World War I, and was Missouri State Senator from 1933 to 1945. |
Subject LCSH | Clark, Champ, 1850-1921; Clark, Bennett Champ, 1890-1954; Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924; World War, 1914-1918; Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Paul, Alice, 1885-1977; Suffragettes |
Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
Site Accession Number | C0666 |
Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
Date Original | October 29, 1918 |
Language | English |