Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1911 — KERN IS NOW SENATOR; ELECTED BY PARTY VOTE. [ARTICLE]

KERN IS NOW SENATOR; ELECTED BY PARTY VOTE.

Prominent Hoosler, Long In Politics, Chosen to Seat to Be Vacated by Beveridge March 3d. 1 / John Worth Kern was elected to succeed Albert J. Beveridge as a U. S. senator from Indiana by the state legislature Tuesday. He received every democratic vote in both houses of the general assembly, while all the republican votes were cast for Albert J. Beveridge. One democrat, Representative Peter J. Coble, of Dubois county, who was one of the men charged with having deserted Kern for Shively two years ago, considered it his duty to explain himself, and he did so in the following language: “Because he was nominated by the Democratic state convention I cast my vote for the Hon. John W. Kern for United States senator, and in doing so desire to say that two years ago I voted for him in the Democratic caucus until I saw him losing to a third man. I then voted for the Hon. Benjamin F. Shively until his nomination and election. I did so without cowardice, cash or compensation of any sort, and I am proud of it, particularly so afler the dignified, gentlemanly and cultured stand he took when the late uncalled-for interview of Mr. Kern was published. For one I dare any man to assail the honesty a Democratic caucus.” Senator Edgar E. Duree, who made one of the speeches seconding the nomination of Beveridge and who is regarded as one of the most eloquent in the state senate, spoke in the following language regarding the charges John Kern made after' his defeat of two years ago: “I am willing to forgive the aspersion that Mr. Shively was elected by unclean methods in view of the fact that no fair minded person familiar with the facts believed his election to have been obtained other than by honorable means,” said Senator Duree, facing the Democratic side of the Senate. “1 can accept the choice of the majority with the best grace of a good loser, but I would be better satisfied if the imputation had been erased by some excuse or apology by the recipient of your generosity.” The remark carried a sting that went deep into many breasts. Mr. Kern had said that eight members of the democratic legislature, and he thought he could name them all, had deserted him under brewery influence and cast their votes for Shively. When Senator Robert E. Proctor arose to second Kern’s nomination he undertook to palliate the remarks of Senator Durre, but the sting could not be removed. These remarks will probably close the Kern-Shively controversy, but as Durre said, it would have been better if Shively could have erased the imputation cast upon him and the members of the legislature by some excuse or apology. John W. Kern has been long in politics. He is a clever and entertaining gentleman, but we do not expect him to accomplish much for the people during his term in the United States senate. The toga was conferred upon him by democrats of Indiana as a debt for the party sacrifices he has made, and not because he was considered to embody any great possibilities as a legislator. He will be able to .tell a lot of interesting reminiscences of his early life in Kokomo and Indianapolis, and should prove a fine thing for Washington newspaper correspondents, but he will rattle around in the shoes of Beveridge like a bean in a boot ' Mr. Kern will be the junior senator from Indiana, and B. F. Shively will be the senior senator after the retirement of Senator Beveridge.