Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1908-07-24
Family Socially Prominent.

o1ltI'y oOCIdNy TTVItlHIcllls
The Kern family is prominent go
cially In Indianapolis. Mrs. Kern is a
brilliant woman, endowed with a live
y wit, and the Kern home Is the CEN
ter Of a refined circle composed Of the
most Intellectual people Of the notably
Intellectual capital Of Indiana.
It is no secret that the Kern boom
has been the particularly pet hobby of
the Democratic chairman, Tom Tag
gart who announced to his friends on
the eve Of his departure for Denver
that he should never return unless
John Kern were given the nomination
for the vice presidency. It has long
been known in Indiana political circles
that Taggart has always considered
his friend to be first class presidential
timber, and he saw no especial reason
why he should not be given first place
On the ticket If the Nebraaka man
failed to make good. Taggart's deter
mination to promote the advancement
Of his friend was the cause of much
merriment at Denver, although those
who are personally acquainted with
the nominee are Of the opinion that
Kern is big enough to justify the
chairman's admiration.
When His Aim Was Poor.
A story illustrative of Kern's dispo-
sitton to grow FESTIVE under disap
pointment comes from Indianapolis.
When he was member Of the state
legislature he introduced a bill which
was defeated 1t was a matter in
which he felt great personal interest
and when the vote was counted against
1t he rose in his place, accused the
speaker in no undecided terms Of kill
Ing his bill, and, hurting bulky type
written copy of the measure at the
head of the presiding officer, shouted,
IF you won't pass it, eat itv' For
tunately for everybody the irate legis
lator's aim was defective and the pom
derous missile went wide of the mark
The speaker saw the humor of the sit
uation and was disposed to make
joke of it. So it happened that the
hasty legislator did not suffer from
the consequences of his indiscretion.
1t is altogether to his credit that a
short time for reflection convinced him
that he had been an offender and he
lost no time in making the proper
apology.
The friendship between Taggart and
Kern is really something out of the Or
binary. At the st. Louis convention
the latter might have been considered
seriously as a vice presidential candi-
date but for his determination to put
no obstacle in the way of Taggart's
candidacy for the national chairman
ship. When the party leaders went to
Kern and almost importuned him to
permit them to use his name in con-
nection with the vice presidency he de-
clared that he would not be mentioned
for the place because he wanted In
diana's share Of the glory to go to Tag
CART, who was man that deserved all
he could get. He even went to New
York to urge Judge Parker to stand
for Taggart for the craftsmanship. He
obtained proxy from western men,
Der Of the committee, and he it was
who placed Taggart in nomination at
the meeting in New York at which his
friend was made chairman.
4 Free Silver Champion.
Perhaps tie most telling charge
which will be made against Kern in
the coming campaign is his more or
less sudden conversion from an ardent
advocate Of gold coinage into cham
pion Of free silver at 18 to /. It will
be remembered that at the outset he
was gold advocate, speaking at a
public meeting in Indianapolis In 1895
against what he then termed the "6ee
oliver craze" The leaders Of the gold
movement remembered Kern's 'sdeser-
hon." as they were pleased to term 1t.
and when he ran for governor they
from him many Of the votes
which he might otherwise have con-
1olled.
But in spite Of his somewhat mixed