The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-08-31
THE ATTITUDE OF JOHN W. KERN,
On the Proposed Minority Report on
Platform at the Kansas City
Convention.

The following statement and let
ter are self-explanatory. They
should put at rest, for all time, a.
question raised in certain quarters,
probably not with a disinterested
purpose, on the attitude OF John w.
Kern toward the proposed minority
report on platform at the Kansas
City convention:
THE QUESTION SQUARELY PUT.
Soon after the Kansas City con-
vention there was report current
that John w. Kern was in favor OF
the financial minority report, charg-
ing him with advising the Indiana
delegation in that direction, which
caused many Of our people in the
Eleventh district to feel hard tow
ards Mr.. Kern, and as knew the
charge was entirely false and mis-
leading, | wrote TO Judge Moffett,
of Bloomfield, in regard to the mat
ter, as he was the only one of the
Indiana delegates who voted that
ca; against the minority report, and
he certainly would not favor Mr..
Kern if he had advised the dele
gates from Indiana to vote for it..
JULIUS RosENHEINER.
JUDGE MoFFETT's REPLY.
BLOOMFIELD, Ind, Aug. 20 1900.
Hon. Julius Rosenheiner, Koko-
mo, Ind. Dear Sir:-I am told
there is an impression in the minds
of some in your congressional dis
trict that the Hon. John w. Kern
democratic candidate for governor,
during the Kansas City convention
favored minority report on plat
form, and that he urged the Indiana
delegation to vote for a minority re-
port and against 16 to l, etc.
If it be fact that such impres-
sion exists in your district, it is SC
far from facts and so wrongful thai
II am prompted to make some en-
deavor ~ remove such erroneous
impression.
| was myself delegate to tha
convention from this state and tn
one delegate of the thirty who vote'
against the making of a minority re
port. | was present at every meet
ing of the delegation during its sta.
in Kansas City and was cognizan
Of all its doings. Mr.. Kern was no
present at any of the meetings Of tn
delegation except the one beld il
the morning after the resolution
committee had been in session al
night. AT that meeting the Indian
member Of resolutions committee
was present, and asked the expires
sion Of sense OF the delegation a
to whether he should favor or op
pose minority report.
1t was at this meeting Mr.. Kerr
appeared and asked and was grant
ed the privilege to speak on tha
subject. He was solicitous in tn
matter and had right to be. ! re
member well the impression hi
! ! solcitude made on me. My ow
! 'es|convictions and judgment wer
q strongly against minority report
''land Mr.. Kern's position taken in hi
ii'Italk at that time very much please
!, me, and believe have a tolerabl
= accurate recollection of what he sal
on that occasion. The substance {
= what he then said was that the pla
y form to be reported by the majorit
: should be adopted without division
and that in case a minority repo
j be submitted that Indiana shoul
= not stand with New York and th
east and against the west and soutl
Y He called attention to the fact thu
q the Indiana platform re-afiir.led til
Chicago platform and that when e,
!, |treme silver men asked why the Ii
y y diana platform did not specilicall
- ldeclare for free coinage at the Leg
= - ratio, their answer was that that W;
! Included in the reatiirmation.
"This morning." he said, "yo
r|are confronted with the question
!. ARE you in favor Of the free coinas
"A Of silver at the ratio Of 16 to ~ an
!, ,Iyou have to answer that questio
= YES or no. the minority report wi
oi mean no, and if this delega ton +
u ~ vors a minority report you will b
! !. that action acknowledge an effort
!. deceive at your state convention.
ask you to remember that at lea
, nine-tenths of the Indiana dem,
y Gratis are enthusiastically for ind
!, pendent bimetalism at the legal r
= ito. They we're taught it by Hel
tricks, Voorhees, and other leader
md I believe it to be disastrous f
~ the Indiana delegation to stan
10 10 against the majority report as 1t
! now forecast. | don't want to