John W. Williams letter to Champ Clark - October 26, 1917
Transcript
26th of [October] 1917 - Champ Clark – House of Rep. Speaker - Washington D.C. After reading your anti-draft speech, and the enclosed address made by you, I charge you with being a traitor of being yellow streaked, and of receiving money from [Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff]. I don’t refuse to name my source of information – It your traitorous remarks calling attention to the decline in Govt Bonds, when we are trying to sell them and attacking the people who are patriots while you are pro-German - I have taken $500.000 -
Transcript
of our Govt Bonds, and I am coming to Washington to thrash you for that speech - my boy is in the Army and I hope will fight and kill some German, and I am able to take a fall out of the pro’s in this Country – I don’t want to kill you, but I am man enough, considering your age to incapacitate you for the rest of the war, and my fortune is large enough, if Govt Bonds don’t go to 3g, to pay the damage -, So in December, get ready to take your Christmas in a stretcher – you yellow pup John W. Williams
Details
| Title | John W. Williams letter to Champ Clark - October 26, 1917 |
| Creator | Williams, John W. |
| Source | Williams, John W. Letter to Champ Clark. 26 October 1917. 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 26, 1917, letter to Champ Clark, James W. Williams accused Clark of being a German sympathizer and threatened him for his anti-draft speech. 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 colonel in the Army during World War I, and in 1932 was elected as a State Senator. |
| Subject LCSH | Clark, Champ, 1850-1921; World War, 1914-1918--Political aspects--United States; Bernstorff, Johann Heinrich, Graf von, 1862-1939; Liberty bonds; Draft |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; Conscription; Selective Service Act of 1917; Selective Draft Act |
| 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 26, 1917 |
| Language | English |