The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-16
Split-up in Ranks Of Demo-
Gratis Is Threatened and
Kern's Backers May Sup
port Present County Law.
.SHlVELY SUPPORTED BY
LEADING BREWERY MEN
Kern Followers Are Sore at
Them for "Butting In" and
It Is Reported, a Neat Re-
venge Is Planned.
Palladium Bureau.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. II

SVuiouapOhSs SGus w.
There is talk here to the effect that
the defeat of John w. Kern for I'm
tied States senator will defeat the at
tempt to repeal the county local op-
ton law. II has been understood right
from the start that the brewers of the
state we're backing Benjamin F. Shive-
ly. the South Bend man who was
chosen senator by the democratic eau
Gus, and that Kern was not receiving
any brewery support. Now, it is
claimed, many of the Kern men are
sore over his defeat. and to get even
with the brewers for butting in and
helping to defeat him. they will vote
against the repeal of the county option
law. If any considerable number of
them take this stand the law can not
best the vote on the proposition of re-
pealing it will be very close.
s Brewers Fought Him.
1t is true that Kern numbered
among his supporters some Of the lib
eral element, but they were not brew
ers. In the fight against him were two
of the largest brewers in the state,
Crawford Fairbanks of Terre Haute,
and Senator Steve Fleming OF Fort
ANa*ses- Fairbanks was ~at 6gst sup.
posed to be for John e. Lamb Of Terre
Haute, but later changed his position
and came out for Shively. And after
the caucus had made its nomination,
the Shively boomers returned to the
Denison hotel at o'clock in the morn
ing they found Crawford Fairbanks
and Maurice Donnelly. his Indianapolis
| manager there ready to receive them.
Fairbanks and Donnelly hugged the
Shively fellows and thanked them for
giving their support to Shively and
| there was a general love feast.
Fleming Hates Kern.
Fleming's fight against Kern oi
course was based on other grounds
than of the brewery. Fleming hates
Kern because several years ago Kern
defeated him for chairman of the dem
ocratic state committee and that defeat
has stung ever since. So Fleming
went into the senatorial fight not as g
brewer. but for the sole purpose oi
defeating Kern and, incidentally. te
nominate Hoffman if he could. But
the fact remains that Fleming is Z
brewer and that he was against Kern
| Now that the lines have been drawn
so clearly as to leave no question O
doubt as to the fact that Kern wa!
defeated by the activity of the brewin:
| interests Kern's followers are saying
things. And Kern himself has promis
| ed that he will issue statement tina
will scorch somebody. He charge
that he was double crossed in tn,
choice of a senator and that thos,
whom he regarded as his friends threw
him down. Whether this will involv
Tom Taggart or not is not yet known
but Taggart has always been close t
been one of the leaders.
Repeal Law Threatened.
This situation puts the repeal Of tn
county option law in danger. and ther
is a good chance for the effort to fail
There is no question that Kern ha
many friends in the legislature. Thi
was shown plainly by the fact that h
received 35 votes on the last ballot
while Shively received AZ, bare ma
jority If a dozen or more of Kern
supporters take notion to get re
venge for his defeat and vote agains
the repeal of the county option la,
/ the brewers may find that they hav
made an expensive bargain.