The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-07-16
STALWART
DEMOCRAT AT ALL
TIMES
Is Kern, Named as Bry-
ans Running Mate
Fought For Gold in 1896
Before Convention But
Worked Hard For the
Cause of Party After.

indianapolis, Ind, July 10-John w.
Kern nominated for the vice presi-
dency by the Denver convention today
has been a prominent figure in state
politics TOR a period of "a years. He
has served as reporter of the SUI
preme court; four years in the state
senate from this county, and has twice
been honored by his party with the
gubernatOrial nomination. On one
occasion he received the compliment
tary vote of the legislative minority
for the United States senate.
Mr.. Kern has always been a staunch
party man. In the preliminary cam
paign of 1896 when there was such a
determined free silver sentiment and
it seemed inevitable that the ap-
preaching Democratic state conven-
| ton would indorse free silver, he was
a pronounced gold man and entered
! freely into the fight to create senti-
ment in the party against the new po-
| litical dogma He made number of
| speeches in opposition to the doctrine
and predILted that the party, if it
should indOrse free silver in the state
and national platforms, would go down
to defeat When the state convention
met he was arrayed on the side of the
gold standard and was one of it's most
eloquent and at the same time fear
| less champions in the face of certain
defeat.
When the state and national con-
ventions had spoken on the subject
he declared his allegiance to the par
ty and went into the campaign that
followed and did his utmost to elect
Bryan. His pre-convention Utterances
were hurled at him by the opposition
press and by orators on the hustings
hut Kern took the ground that his
psrty had spoken and it's utterances
we're law unto him.
Unlike many who had been gold
Democrats but accepted Bryan and
the 1896 platform for the sake of party
regularity, Kern's earnestness nor
honesty was never questioned and
though losing the support of the gold
Democrats who stood by their convic-
tions he got a frmer hold upon the
free silver element and has ever since
enjoyed its confidence.
1t was in the campaign of 1896 when
so many Democrats of prominence
were opposed to Bryan that Kerns
won the esteem of the Nebraskan and
received many marks of his favor.
While not a polished orator John w.
Kern is a iorCible and logical speaker
and a Campaigner Of more than ordn-
AIRY tact and ability and has the fac
ultV of getting crowd in SNmpathV
with him, wherever he speaks. He is
thoroughly acquainted in Indiana and
has made two Creditable though losing
campaigns as the party's nominee for
governor.
1t was unde' God before the Indiana
delegation left here for Denver that
Bryan would tour the state this year
and it was proposed as an argument
in Kern's behalf, both with the Ne
braskan and the delegations to the con-
Ventton to urge upon them that he was
a man of enormous energy, unyielding.
determined and thoroughly in earnest
in any work in which he engages. There
are fewer intenser naturers than Kern's
and no Indiana politician was ever
stronger in his friendship or more out
spoken in his emnities than he.
Four years ago he was defeated by
the anti-Taggart faction for chairman
ship of the city committee, but despite
the abuse of the factiOnal struggle he
was one of the most loyal supporters
of the men who defeated him as well
as of the candidates nominated by the
same faction for Office.
Mr.. Kern's political advancement be-
gan when he was mere youth in the
city of Kokomo. where he was elected
city attorney just after he was ad-
mitted to the bar. He had always been
a hard student and entered upon his
profession with larger stock of kno~l-
edge of men and government than is
! possessed by the average man Just at
tanning his majority. But before ne was
p he was a spet-er in Ie2al campaigns
in his native county which was over
whelmingly I.eo' L"tan, and his fare
spread to other sections and whuE 10
years of age he was in demand al all
political gatherings in dozen Indiana
counties.
As reporter of the supreme court he
edited and published seventeen volumes
of decisions which bears his name.
This office at the time OF his inCum-
! bency, was one of the best paying state
offices in Indiana but Kern was not a
tnanCier and he came out of il a poorer
man.
In 1900 he was nominated by the state
, convention for governor and made an
active campaign of the state but went
down TO defeat with the state national
ticket. In 1904 he was again nominated
and was again defeated. Both of these
= campaigns were noted for the laboriOus
work that the nominee for governor
/ performed and for the creditable vote
that he received over and above that
} polled by others on the ticket.
Mr. Kern has been twice married.
= His first wife died while he was maxi
ing the campaign for reporter of the
supreme court, leaving a daughter but
: two years of age, He was REMARKED in
December, 1895, and two children are
the fruits of the second marriage.
Though Mr. Kern had been 6usily en-
I gagged in. politics and in the practice
{ of his profession, he is nevertheless a
home man and takes great pleasure in
' its comforts and in entertaining his
friends.
While Kern is popular with his party
and in the social life of the city and
E state, some Democrats have criticized
him very freely in the past three or
four years because of the close alliance
existing between him and National
! Chairman Taggart, The two men have
been political friends for more than
a score of years an Kern has been
the legal adviser as well as the per-
, sonal defender of Taggart in all the
assaults that have been made upon him
/, by Democrats who resented TaggaTts
. domination of the party and by Repub-
o liCan state officers who attacked him
in the courts because of the resort Oper-
e ated at the French Licke Springs.
! The temp erance element in the party,
T however that has criticized Kern on aC-
count of his affiliations with Taggart,
c concede that he is a clean man, to-
/, tai abstaner and aCtuated wholly by
friendship i'm his continued allegiance
n II is said of Kern that he never turned
upon friend no matter what others
- ~. -. g