' s ▁president ial ▁candidate ▁was ▁so ▁great ▁that ▁he ▁bol ted ▁the ▁party ▁and ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁subsequent ▁" G old ▁Bug " ▁convention ▁in ▁Indian apolis ▁that ▁nominated ▁Senator ▁John ▁M . ▁Pal mer ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁Progress ive ▁politician ▁So on ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁president ial ▁election , ▁Clar ke ▁moved ▁to ▁Cleveland , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁partner ▁in ▁the ▁law ▁firm ▁of ▁William son ▁and ▁C ushing . ▁The ▁firm ▁represented ▁corpor ate ▁and ▁rail road ▁interests , ▁and ▁Clar ke ▁soon ▁demonstrated ▁his ▁worth , ▁replacing ▁senior ▁partner ▁Samuel ▁W . ▁William son ▁as ▁the ▁general ▁coun sel ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁York , ▁Chicago ▁and ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Rail road . ▁Yet ▁Clar ke ▁continued ▁his ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁His ▁politics ▁evol ved ▁during ▁this ▁period , ▁as ▁Clar ke ▁abandoned ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁views ▁of ▁his ▁youth , ▁including ▁those ▁involving ▁states ' ▁rights , ▁and ▁emb rac ed ▁instead ▁the ▁program ▁of ▁the ▁emer ging ▁progress ive ▁movement . ▁Clar ke ' s ▁political ▁evolution ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁was ▁facil itated ▁consider ably ▁by ▁his ▁friendship ▁with ▁Cleveland ▁mayor ▁Tom ▁L . ▁Johnson , ▁who ▁helped ▁restore ▁Clar ke ' s ▁standing ▁within ▁the ▁state ▁party ▁after ▁Clar ke ' s ▁previous ▁failure ▁to ▁support ▁Bry an ' s ▁president ial ▁bid . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁Johnson ▁succeeded ▁in ▁taking ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁an ▁effort