The Washington herald., 1913-02-23

scare heads. ,Mr. Kern had charged
eight Legislators Of his own party with
bribery! II Mr.. Kern believed his ac-
cuaation he would give the names OF
the grafters TO the public! And SO on
| and SO forth in every opposing daily
and weekly in the State. But Mr.. Kern
said nothing. He did not "repudiate"
the interview; he did not seek the COM
mon and notorious refuge of dodgers by
Indignantly declaring that the inter-
view was "unauthorized;" he did not
! say. either. that 1t was accurate. He
| took the stump and ignored the loud
| inquiries that were slammed at him In
newspapers, circulars and handb1Ils.
The Democrats elected the Legislature
and the Legislature sent Mr.. Kern to
the Senate.
The interviewer did not see Mr.. Kern
again until after he came to Washing
ton and was sworn into office. Il am
now inclined to think" he said, that
the interview brought about my cleo
, tion. 1t showed how I was beaten in
1909 and caused the Democrats of the
State in 1910 to nominate me at their
State convention and to make future
bargains impossible between brewers
and politicians. Leaders in the party
came to me. after I was nominated. and
said I would be defeated unless de-
clared the interview to be untrue and
disavowed 1t in the strongest kind Of
language both by writing and on the
stump.
"Tf you persist in trying to have me
say that the interview quoted me
wrongly I replied. I shall withdraw
from the contest so quickly that 1t will
make your heads swim They said no
moro nor did I on that particular SUBJ
Ject. though I was hourly challenged
by my enemies to name the eight men
whom / said had been purchased"
How Robins "Cleaned Up" Nome.
Raymond Robins. the oratorical sensa-
tion of the Men and Religion Forward
Movement. became a Christian while dig
ging gold in Alaska. He sold his claims
for money enough to support him the re-
mainder of his life and began preaching.
Going to Nome, he was elected pastor
Of St Bernard's Church. Miners COM
posed his congregation. He visited the
sick and made himself useful.
"A bunch of thieves" he told me when
I interviewed him in New York. met
and organized a city government. al
though they had no right or authority to
do so. They chose a mayor, judge. and
a chief of police after which they sprung
their scheme OF robbery. One of their
gang would Jump the claim of an hon
miner TO appear at Nome and defend his
rights. At the trial Of the case. the jury
would return a verdict against the right
full owner OF the property.
"A Swede told me that his claim had
been jumped and that he had been order
ed before the court. Stay in your cabin
advised him, and keep away from
Nome He accepted my suggestion and
was assassinated. hitched up my dog
team and brought his body in and buried
II. That was the last of him.
Il called a meeting to discuss the sit
uation. but the crooks got there first.
flled the hall. and sat on the platform.
The room was SO crowded that l had to
stand on a bag of coal just inside the
door man was making a speech. He
called me meddler and a hypocrite. A
number of miners said the speaker was
liar. Before ] realized what was hap
pening, the miners were lifting me up
and passing me over their heads toward
the platform. l began TO address the
meeting The crooks left the room, but
eco men remained.
There is serious work to do l said.
Those who have families to support or
have any one depending on them had bet
ter go away Half of the audience with
drew l picked out a committee OF six
teen miners whom I knew. They were
told TO watch eight men-and l named
them-night and day. and to kill them
when the shooting began in Nome. Then
/ went out into the country and got all
';he miners in the neishborhood to come
to town.
I'VE are going to drive the thieves out
of Office / said. and replace them with
square men. The judge 1 declared, is
the chief OF the gang.
1T was said in Nome that l was bring
ing death to the town. As / shall be
the first one killed 1 replied. the blood
Will not be on my hands.
Another meeting was held. l sug-
gested that the judge be ousted from
Office forthwith. II was done. The
others 7 said. referring to the Mayor
and chief Of police, have simply been
his tools. We shall let them serve so
long they are just to all and obey as
well as uphold the law The meeting
loudly agreed. Ard so Nome was cleaned
up as the saying goes these days"
Copyright. 1919. by James r. Mo-Towl