Clark lauded by Congress on his birthday

 Editor’s note: The following by contributing writer Brent Engel is in observance of the 175th anniversary of Champ Clark’s birth on March 7, 1850.

 It almost certainly would not happen today.

But on March 7, 1912, a Republican stood up in Congress to pay an eloquent tribute to a Democrat.

Champ Clark was celebrating his 62nd birthday, and in four months would come within an eyelash of capturing the Democrat presidential nomination.

Richard Austin was a Republican from Tennessee and a former United States Marshal. Like Clark, he was more conservative, yet still was enough of a rebel to back women’s voting rights at a time when it was controversial.

Austin asked for two minutes to deliver his praise of Clark, but was given five.

As with Clark, Austin was a lawyer, and started by saying the Speaker had been “kind, considerate and absolutely just and impartial” since taking the role in 1911. He congratulated Democrats for choosing such a leader and hailed Republicans who understood Clark was right for the job.

“I congratulate the American people because we have a typical American in that high place,” Austin said.

Then came the part which would absolutely not happen today.

“He would make, if he had the opportunity, a wise Executive of the American people, one who would have their welfare and interest always uppermost in his mind in the administration of that great office,” the congressman said.

Austin realized some would take his words as an endorsement, so he quickly backtracked.

“If we are to have a Democrat, we would all prefer him, but we are going to have a Republican President.”

Clark acknowledged in his autobiography that House members sometimes would “maul one another in debate,” but that they still were part of “a very generous body” and could “act most handsomely” when “in the proper mood.”

Democrats held a large reception for Clark in Washington the night of his 1912 birthday. One of the songs included the lines “Old Champ Clark, gavel in his hand…guided legislation to the promised land.”

The Speaker controversially lost his party’s nomination in July 1912 to New Jersey Gov. Woodrow Wilson, who defeated incumbent Republican William Howard Taft and third-party candidate Theodore Roosevelt in the general election.

Austin died at 61 on April 20, 1919, just a month after completing his final term in office.

Clark passed on March 2, 1921, five days short of his 71st birthday. He is buried in Bowling Green City Cemetery.