Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 160, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1910 — ACCUSATION AND CONDEMNATION GIVE WAY TO EULOGY AND DEFENSE. [ARTICLE]

ACCUSATION AND CONDEMNATION GIVE WAY TO EULOGY AND DEFENSE.

JOHN W. KERN. In Interview published Dec. 26, 1909. V“Brewing is one of the special interests that assumes the function of lawmaking for its own benefit. “That is true. (I answer to question whether the brewers prevented his election to the United States Senate.) The Democratic newspapers and voters of Indiana favored my candidacy. Forty-four Democratic members of the Legislature openly gave me pledges of their shpport.) Forty-;two votes were all I needed. “When I seemed sure of the nomination the brewers suddenly manifested a lively intrest in the situation. It was proposed that the Democrats, meeting in caucus, cast a secret ballot I understood what that meant—pledged members of the Legislature could vote for the brewers’ candidate, whoever he happened to be, ant no one would know of it.

“Eight men were purchased, and the> secret ballot went through. I received thirty-six votes, and Benjamin F. Shively, attorney for the brewers, was nominated.

And yet there are forty-four men who will make affidavit today that they gave me their support. I can not prove bribery on any one, but I think I know the names of eight men who were bought up.

JOHN W. KERN. In French Lick speech June 24, 1910. One of the crowning features of the victory of i9OB was the election of a Legislature, Democratic on joint ballot, which made possible the election of a Democratic United States senator. There may have been, and there were, before the Democratic caucus older soldiers than Benjamin F. Shively, but there were none better. His election to the senate by the Democratic members of the Legislature without a single dissenting vote secured to the people for six years the services of a man ripe in scholarship, rich in experience and eloquent and convincing in expression—a man of unquestioned integrity and commanding ability. And I stop to say here that, from the hour of his election to the present time, I have never failed whenever opportunity offered to express by appreciation of the character of the man, and since he entered the senate my approval of the splendid record made by him in the exalted position to which he was called. «

I shall not speak of my present candidacy for the senatorship, which came about by the unanimous demand of my party in Btate convention assembled, further than to say that it is my ambition to serve the people of my native state in that great Legislative forum by seconding the efforts of Benjamin F. Shively.