Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-04
Missive Sent Broadcast Over
Nebraska Purporting to
Come From American In
dependence Conference
Without Authority.
SWEDISH CITIZENS PROTEST
Denials Pour in From Them
From Over State Of
Nebraska.
ALL SUPPORTING KENNEDY

T' Branded by those whose names
have been attached without authority
as an eleventh hour fraud, letter
written in Swedish directed against
the candidacy Of John L. Kennedy for
United States senator, is being sent
out to the votersofNebrask of Swedish
origin by "the American Independ-
ence conference" Chicago and New
York organization. The letter is
literally translated begin "Honored
Countryman: Now in the eleventh
hour of this heated presidential cam
paign we desire to write you"
1t then goes on to urge the Swedish
voter to work for the election of Gill
bert M. Hitchcock. The letter is
signed by the American Independence
conference, and is endorsed by
Johannes Hoving of New York City.
On the letter head is the statement
that among the Swedes who belong
to the association may be mentioned
DIR. Johannes Hovink, New York;
Rev. c. A. Lonnquist, Axtell; Rev.
Olof Lind Holdrege; Rev. Joel
Olsenius, Holdrege;, Rev. Gunnar
Forsberg, Swedeburg, and Oscar Kin
man of Keone, Neb.
Have no Knowledge of It.
All of the Nebraska ministers whose
names appear on the letter when
called by telephone have stated that
they know nothing of the conference,
that they had never been consulted
about the use Of their names on the
letter head, and positively were not
members of the organization nor in
any manner connected with it.
Information from Chicago obtained
last night disclosed that the Ameri-
can independence conference is an.
organization entirely foreign to Ne
braska, and not made up OF Swedish
membership,
Who Are Backing It1
The officers of the so-called organi-
zation, supposed to be aiding demo-
Gratis in other states, as we'll as here,
are said to be Carl Smith, president,
and William R. Mcdonald of Chicago,
secretary. The letter was known not
to be from Swedish source, from the
fact that it was written in the Swed-
ish language. All afternoon yesterday
voters of Swedish origin were calling
at the offices of John L. Kennedy
here, incensed at the attempt to reach
the Swedish vote by such move. The
swedish voters of Nebraska read and
write the English language and take
special pride in the fact of their
absolute loyalty to America, and their
freedom from prejudice because of the
conditions brought on by the Euro
pean war, and they are especially
proud of the understanding which
they have of American ways and
American customs.
Holdrege Pastor Denies.
When his attention was called to
the fact that his name was used on
the letter Rev. Joel Olsenius, pastor
of the Swedish Lutheran church. at
Holdrege, stated: Il have nothing to
do with this conference, and the con-
ference is entirely unknown to me.
1tis only political trick intended to
give the appearance of support from
the churches. The statement that I
belong to this society is a lie. l am
honest. and fair and won't stand for
it. | am for John L. Kennedy for
United States senator"
False, Says Wahoo Educator.
Rev. A. T. Seashore, head Of the
Wahoo college, at Wahoo, Neb.,
whose name also appears on the let
terhead, stated to Rev A. T. Lorimer,
pastor of the Zion Lutheran church of
Omaha, over the long distance tele-
phone yesterday afternoon, that he is
not member of the American Inde-
pendence conference, and that he had
never heard Of the conference, nor au-
Continued on Page Six, Column One.)