Evening star., 1933-09-09
Former Iowa Senator, g.
Was Figure in Farm, Labor.
and Dry Fights, e1
tccntsnued FROM FIRST Pare,

publican forces to Kenyon. But. he
pleaded that his vife's health forbade
his return to politics, and besides he
preferred to remain On the bench.
His only essay away from strictly
court work came in 1929 when he was 3
member Of President Hoover's Law En-
forcement Commission. That body sur
veyed the effects Of prohibition laws and
also made . report on the country's
crime, deuouncing the third degree"
methods practiced by police In many
cities.
Judge Kenyon, while he was Q mem
Der Of the Senate, was Q strong cru
sader for prohibition. He was co-au-
thor Of the Webb-Kenyon act designed
to protect dry States from shipments
It is along the lines Of this act that
the proposed twenty.first amendment
to the Constitution, now up for ratifl-
cation by the States, was drafted to
protect dry States and II the amend
ment Is ratified, will In effect write the
law into the Constitution itself.
Judge Kenyon was the author also
Of legislation for the District Of Co.
lumbia. wiping out the red light dis
trict" here. ~
Was Federal Prosecutor.
Kenyon's road to the Senate was
opened by his work as . Special As
sistant Attorney General Of the United
States In 1910 and 1911. He had charge
for the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion Of cases arising under the Hep
burn rate act and the Sherman anti
trust law and prosecuted rebate suits
against the Southern Pacific, Hooking
Valley and several other roads. He also
received wide recognition for the part
he played in the famous packers rebate
cases In Chicago.
While serving on the Circuit Court
Of Appeals In st. Louis, Judge Kenyon
wrote . decision in the Teapot Dome
oil lease litigation that was . bitter,
sweeping denunciation Of the transac-
ton. The opinion reversed the District
Court of Cheyenne, Wyo., which had
held there was no fraud in the dealings
between the Mammoth OIL Co. and the
Department Of the Interior under Albert
B. Fall.
The opinion, bristling with such words
as deceit, falsehood, subterfuge and bad
faith, held the entire transaction was
tainted with favoritism, collusion and
corruption, defeating the proper and
lawful function Of government" It
ordered the District Court to oust the
corporation from Teapot Dome.
William Squire Kenyon was born at
Fergus L. and Hattie Squire Kenyon.
He was educated at Grinnel College,
Iowa, and In the law school Of the State
University Of Iowa and started practice
Of his profession at Fort Dodge. where
he Afterwards made his home On
May IL, 1898, he married Mary Dun
combs Of that city. "a. -~"s
As q practicing attorney, Judge Ken
yon tried for varied experiences, al
ways with the idea Of fitting himself
for place on the Federal bench. Hence
In his early professional years at Fort
Dodge he was q railroad attorney for
while. prosecuting attorney Of Webster
County for hve years and then Judge
district.
Union Labor Champ3on.
In the Senate, which he entered In
1912, he became Q champion Of union
labor, urged passage of . law creating
a Federal tribunal for settlement Of
disputes between employers and workers
and also sought legislation regulating
the coal industry.
He was frequently . -conformist
so far as party rule was concerned and
the climax Of his 10 years service in
the upper house came In 1921, when
he led the newly formed farm bloc"
to a victory on its first test Of strength.
Western legislators In both houses Of
Congress had tried to obtain enactment
Of . group of bills designed to aid their
agricultural constituencies. Despite the
efforts Of such men as McNary Of Ore
gon and Capper Of Kansas, they were
unsuccessful, and saw the end Of the
session approaching without having OBJ
tanned serious consideration for their
bills.
Sponsors and proponents of the
measures then organized formal
"bloc" with Senator Kenyon as chair
man. Under his guidance the group
mustered sufficient strength to prevent
the scheduled adjournment Of Congress,
and after the session had been pro-
longed, the farm bloc" had its way.
Ultimately only one vote was cast
He left Warrington with the obSer-
vation that "the aisle marking the
dividing place between the Republican
and Democratic seats was q purely artt-
ficial demarcation." He predicted that
in time the old parties would change
and IN their places would be parties Of
progressive liberals and conservatives.
He opposed third party movements.
He also denounced what he termed
"the social bloc" In Washington.
II do not believe there Is q man in
the American Congress whom money
could influence" he said. But there is
an influence coming out Of society, per-
sistent and insidious.
1T sounds Ike the old days Of Hoyt's
Texas Steer but 1t Is not all farce.
hn aI>k - - "a
ttons on committees by the social Affairs
they have engineered and the society
stunts Of Washington are affecting leg
His place in the Senate went to
Charles A. Rawson, . chum since col
lege days. The two men were 90 close
to each other they were called the
Damon and PythiAs Of American poll
tics. Rawson was best man at Kenyon's
wedding, was manager Of his campaigns
for the Senate and later Republican
National Committeeman for Iowa.
!. Aside from his devotion to RaWson
and to court work. Kenyon's chief In
terest was In pitching horseshoes. At
too short, he was tnstrumental In hav-
ing lights placed around the lot where
he and his cronies were won't to prac-
tice "barnyard goh."
Mrs. Kenyon Resident Here.
Mrs. kenyon bad, made. her home
during the past fve winters at the
Mayiower Hotel here. where Judge
Kenyon visited her when his judicial
duties permitted. He made his head
quarters ct st. Louis. The Summers
Judge and Ma. Kenyon spent near Be-
basco, where he wrote opinions on cases
In his court.
Mrs. Kenyon. wrote friends here sew
eral weeks ago that Judge Kenyon had
and since had been under the care Of
4 hAnSt Hneciafigk and Y,lifse They had