▁D elta ▁K appa ▁E psilon ▁frat ern ity . ▁He ▁graduated ▁Ph i ▁B eta ▁K appa ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁Clar ke ▁did ▁not ▁attend ▁law ▁school ▁but ▁studied ▁the ▁law ▁under ▁his ▁father ' s ▁direction ▁and ▁passed ▁the ▁bar ▁exam ▁cum ▁la ude ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 . ▁ ▁After ▁pract icing ▁law ▁in ▁New ▁Lis bon ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁Clar ke ▁moved ▁to ▁Young st own , ▁where ▁he ▁purchased ▁a ▁half - share ▁in ▁the ▁Young st own ▁V ind icator . ▁The ▁V ind icator ▁was ▁a ▁Democratic ▁newspaper ▁and ▁Clar ke , ▁a ▁reform - mind ed ▁Bour bon ▁Dem ocrat , ▁wrote ▁several ▁articles ▁oppos ing ▁the ▁growing ▁power ▁of ▁corpor ate ▁mon opol ies ▁and ▁prom oting ▁such ▁causes ▁as ▁civil - service ▁reform . ▁He ▁also ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁local ▁party ▁politics ▁and ▁civ ic ▁causes . ▁His ▁efforts ▁to ▁prevent ▁Cal vin ▁S . ▁Br ice ' s ▁ren om ination ▁as ▁the ▁party ' s ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁ended ▁in ▁failure , ▁but ▁he ▁worked ▁successfully ▁to ▁opp ose ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁a ▁Republican ▁candidate ▁for ▁mayor ▁of ▁Young st own ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Prote ct ive ▁Association . ▁A ▁" g old ▁bug " ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁Clar ke ' s ▁opposition ▁to ▁William ▁Jenn ings ▁Bry an ' s ▁nom ination ▁as ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party