New-York tribune., 1908-11-14
KERN THE MARTYR.

When Mr. Rryan said in his comment on the
result of the Presidential election, ut is the
simple truth that neither political managers
nor writer's, neither candidates nor counsellors
"foresaw the result Of the Presidential campaign
"as it was written in the returns OF NoVem-
''ber g." he was induiglng in liberal measure
of rhetorical license He was himself, so far
as the Democratic party was concerned, manager
and writer. candidate and counsellor, and in
describing his own state Of mind innocently
imputed IL to the minor participants in the
Democratic canvass. It is possible that Chair
man Mack Josephus Daniels and Herman Rid
der among the assistant managers, and Waiter
Wellman Colonel o. o. Stealey and the ed
ifor of 1.-The Houston Post" among newspaper
prognosticators. really shared Mr.. Bryan's de-
lusions about the outcome Of the election. But
the general public, more than eighty million
strong. was clearly unaffected by them
We learn, in fact from "The indianapolis
News that the Hon. John ". Kern, cc-eandidate
with Mr. Bryan, never expected victory, but re-
garded himself throughout the campaign as an
unIucky martyr to circumstances and duty. No
one would have suspected this from the ardor
and buoyancy with which Mr.. Kern threw him
self into the fray and the confidence with which
he predicted that the people would come once
more into their own-that contamination de-
voutlv to be wished representing in his mind
Mr. Bryan's election as President and his own
election as Vice-President. It seems that ap-
pearances in politics cannot always be depended
upon. In his secret soul Mr.. Kern foresaw the
worst all along and could not be comforted. He
put on a brave front, however. In his tour OF
the Carolinas with the Hon. James Hamilton
Lewis he fred the Southern heart in masterful
fashion and ELECTED this prophetic tribute from
'rThe Raleigh News and Observer:
He is the most deceptive looking prominent
man that has ever visited this section Of the
country.
Mr Kern, Il IS now confessed. was only prac-
tising an innocent deception on the Democratic
voters. He realized that he had no chance of
being elected to the VicePresidency, and was
standing for that Office with ulterior purposes,
which he now frankly states as follows:
I have always had an ambition to represent
Indiana in the Senate of the United States, and
in making the hopeless race for Governor in
1904 and in taking the Vice-PresideRtial nom
ination against my desire and inclination this
year with little chance Of success, I did so with
the hope that If the Legislature should be Dem
Ocratic / might be favored with election to
the Senate and the qualification Of a life ambi-
ton.
Mr.. Kern. in other words suffered a con-
scious martyrdom eli the time he was hearten-
ing the Democratic hosts and predicting the
success Of the Democratic national ticket Now
he wants to enjoy the fruits of martyrdom. He
has led long enough for the mere honor Of lead
ing. He is tired of Ba rmecide feasts. He finds
a real repast In sight after many years and
wants 10 enjoy It. We can hardly blame him.
But 1t will shock the easy going confidence of
his chieftain in the third battle to know that
his powers as a hypnotizer of public opinion
were never rated beyond their true worth by
his clearer sighted associate.