New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-13
THEY HAD FUN WITH MIR. KEN.

THEY HAD FUN WITH NIX. KEN.
THE BROKEN BOW snvERITE STOOD AGHAsT
WHEN HE SAW A "GOID-BrG" SPEECH
CREDITED TO HIM IN THE RECORD"
Washington. Feb. IL (Spec.aD.-When Mr.. KEN,
Of Broken Bow. Neb.. opened his copy Of THE
Congressional Record" this morning he found there
in something which made him stare and gasp and
indulge in remarks not able for publication. He
forgot his breakfast and seized his hat and STROBE
to the Capitol with pace as hot as the anger that
burned within him. What will they say of me In
Broken Bow when they read that he asked him
self over and over again as he hurried along. and
always the answer came: 1T will ruin you. my
Popul!s friend" 1T Is foul gold-bug conspiracy
another damnabe Wall Street plot. It's worse than
the crime of 1871 he exclaimed and over again
he FASTENED on. and passers-by hearing his ejacu
latons and observing his wild gestures. eyed him
curiously and tapped their foreheads az they went
on their way They might not have done so # they
had known the wild-eyed pedestrian and the cause
Of his agitation and excitement. They probably did
not recognize in him the Populist Representative
from the State OF Nebraska and they could no;
have been aware that a "god-bug" speech had been
published under his name In II he Record" of to-
day. Yet there he stood-leastwise strode-and IN
The Record" at the head of speech denying
every proposition of the free-conagc men. among
whom Ken Ia one OF the hercest and most extreme.
stood this legend printed in big letters: Remarks
Of Hon Omer NJ KEN. of Nebraska. In the House
Representatives D.
1896"
No wonder KEN stared aghast when he read the
remarks attributed to him in opposition to the
Senate free-coinage substitute for the Bond BILL
remarks which closed follows. Sincerely
believing that no man would be benefited by this act
except the silver-mine owner. and that 1t would
entail distress, disaster and ruin upon millions
must vote against it" As soon the journal Of
yesterdays proceedings had been read n the House.
Mr. KEN claimed the floor on a question OF personal
privilege" and called attention 10 his grievance
the fact that "a straight radical gold speech rad
been published and the authorship of ~ imputed 10
him Mr.. KEN took the matter very seriously In
deed but OF the other members were dis
posed to be merry at his expense Does the gentle
man d.sclam and repudiate the sentiments there
imputed to him. soeinny asked Mr.. Perkins. OF
Iowa. chairman of the Committee on Printing. and
Mr.. Mercer. OF Nebraska answered for his coll
league by saying: "Oh. hope not. ! wish that for
once the Nebraska delegation could be solid and
sound the money question"
But Mr. KEN In no mood for testing He said
he had been asked If he had not been hypnot!zed,
but he could not imagine how free-silver man
could be hypnotized at any time pace. He was
continuing in d serious vein. when W. a. Stone. Of
Pennsylvania. quietly asked: "As The Record
shows you have had lucid interval why not .et "
merrlment TO encourage the Nebraskan. who finally
said that unless some member would rise and falher
he Would move that ii be expunged from The
Record" Chairman Perkins. Of the Committee On
bette, u,.' way wouil be to expunse MI Kem's name
and insert that of the real author This was agreed
to after the latter had explained that he had no
doubt the real author was much ashamed OF see
ing his (Kems) name a. the head OF the speech as
he Kemj was chagrined at finding II there.
!, turned out that the author Of the speech. which
was an unspoken one published under the r. genera
dent furnished another illustration of the evils OF
the practice OF allowing the publication in The
Record" Of speeches which never delivered In
the House OF Representatives. This s probably the
frst case where the unspoken speech Of one mem
Der has been attributed to another member. but the
fact is well remembered by men whose observation
OF the proceedings Of Congress has covered long
sions that the Speech" word for word and
sentence for sentence, has been contsmporaneous.y
and credited to as many different members. Their.
was no ground for q charge OF plagiarism by one OF
the members against either Of the others. for all
in the same boat each having bought his copy
OF the Speech from the enterprls.nR and able
vcnder who had prepared 1t, and who was not a
Member Of Congress at all