Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1908 — KERN REPLIES TO HEARST [ARTICLE]

KERN REPLIES TO HEARST

Editor Had Attacked Him on His Legal Service Record. Fincastle, Va., Oct .9. —John W. Kern, after reading the published attack upon him by W. R. Hearst In a speech Wednesday night at Los Angeles, Cal., gave out a statement in which be said that he had repeatedly stated the facts about his employment by the Big Four railroad in connection with certain damage suits, which employment, he said, would be understood by any fair-minded man. Concerning bls connection with the French Lick Springs Hotel company he said that with other counsel he was employed to defend suits involving forfeiture of charter and the appointment of a receiver'and that he and his associates served the corporations as he would have served any other client Similar service was rendered at the same time to the West Baden Springs company, with which Thomas Taggart bad no connection.

As to his nomination, Kern said: “It la a well-known fact that I did not want the nomination, and so declared at Denver. However, after the convention bad given me the nomination by unanimous vote, the idea that I would insult the men who had thus honored me by saying that I owed the nomination to Mr. Taggart is so preposterous as to need no denial. My record in all official positions I. have ever occupied is open to inspection. T am willing to stand by that record.”