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JULY 24, 1908 -
If'
icspect and personal confidence of your neigh
tors. -
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you
Hon. John W. Kern."
ADDRESS BY MR. KERN
Perhaps in all his career as a public speak
er, John W. Kern never was received with more
ardent applause than he was when ho faced the
crowd of five thousand people tonight. Mr.
Kern said' in part:
"Mr. Chairman, I am tired and somewhat
travel worn tonight and 1 .don't know that I
can make myself heard to the uttermost limits
of this vast auditorium. I am sure that I can
find no words which will in any measure ex
press the emotions of my heart upon this occa
sion. (Cheers and applause.)
"It is true as has been said, a mark of
distinction has been given me by the national
convention of my party, and to that convention
and the men it represents, I am deeply grate
ful, but I am more grateful to Almighty God
for the friends He has. given me in Indianapolis,
regardless pf political affiliations. (Prolonged
cheers and applause.)
"I would be very much more or less than
a man were I not touched by the manifestation
of your personal friendship and confidence which
I have witnessed from the time I alighted at
the station this afternoon until the present hour.
I may be defeated at the polls (cries of never,
no, no, no!) but if so that is not a killing mat
ter (laughter) because I have become accus
tomed to that; but if I should go down to defeat
in November the memory of tonight will amply'
pay for whatever of toil may be my lot between
now and November and the fact of this great
assemblage attesting your loyalty and friendship
to me, I will bequeath to my children as a richer
The Commoner
legacy than any on the face of the earth.
"An honor of, a very high character has
come to mo. I will try with God's help to wear
that honor worthily, wear it in such a wa'y as
to bring neither discredit nor dishonor upon my
native state nor this beautiful city which has
thus honored me on this occasion. I am not
vain enough to claim or to believe for a moment
that the nomination tendered me, given me by
the national convention of my party, was due to
any merits or ability of my own. If you will
permit me to take you into my confidence I will
toll you how It happened.
CAST EYE ON INDIANA
"That great convention in looking over the
country could not fail to observe that the great
state of Indiana was midway between the
oceans; that she occupied a commanding posi
tion at the foot of the lakes and Is the exact
Center of population of the republic. They ob
served that the star which represents Indiana
on the flag was in the inmost center of that
glorious starry b- nner. They observed that Indi
ana had produced all the great authors, novelists
and poets of modern times. They were not un
mindful of the great list of statesmen which had
been furnished by Indiana in the past that have
illuminated the fame of the country in times
of peace, nor of the glorious records that are
recorded by a quarter of a million of loyal sons
in the time of war. They did not fail also to
note that the Indiana with this record deserved
some sort of recognition at the hands of that
great party and so the nomination came to me,
not only as an humble Individual, but as a dis
tinct representation of that great common
wealth which we all honor. And when It became
known that I lived in the most beautiful city In
the United States, made of 225,000 of the fair
est daughters and brv.vcut xons of Amorlca, thoro
was no undertaking to caeapotho action of tho
convention.
"I understand most fully that this groat
demonstration has not tho slightest political sig
nificance. It was my pleasure years ago to bo
one of the speakers at a groat demonstration
given in honor of that great Indlanan, Benja
min Harrison, when ho roturncd to citizenship
after an honorable torm of sorvlco as president .
of the United States. Four years ago, how glad
I was to take part In tho exorcises at the homo '
of Mr. Fairbanks, when ho returned from his
convention bearing tho same honor which I now
wear, and a little later on when ho had been,
elected by a majority that has never yet boon
counted. Within twenty-four hours after I had
gone down to defeat with a plurality of some
thing like 83,000, I rose from tho nshes of de
feat and made a speech of congratulation to my
victorious friends (applause and laughter).
"My strength will not permit me to con
tinue much farther. I want to say to you hero
tonight and I want all to hear and understand,
that whether you vote for mo or not In Novem
ber I love you just tho same (cheers and ap
plause). All I ask of you and I am sure my
friend here (indicating the vice president) will
join In the request; that every voter should
study tho issue beforo tho people from tho stand
point of patriotism, that ho Inform himself of
the right and wrong of the questions at Issue,
and then when you have made up your mind thus
intelligently and patriotically, then with the
strength of American manhood, go and doposlt
your vote for the right as God gives you to seo
.the right and we will, abide by your judgment as
expressed at the polls.
"I thank you."
THE VICE PRESIDENCY
M
' )'
In an article printed recently In an eastern
magazine Mr. Bryan expressed the opinion that
the office of vice president did not carry the re
sponsibility to which it was entitled and that
the vice president should have more activity in
public life. Newspaper correspondents mado
much of this statement seeming to regard it as
a piece of news so far as Mr. Bryan's opinions
are concerned.
Long ago Mr. Bryan expressed himself,
plainly, on this point. In the first issie of The
Commoner, January 23, 1901, Mr. Bryan point
ed the following editorial:
"It has been intimated that Vice President-elect
Roosevelt is desirous of receiving
more consideration at the hands of the presi
dent than has, as a rule, been given those occu
pying his position. Whether or not the report
is true is no.t, material, but 'the ambition, if he
does entertain it, is an entirely worthy one.
"Why has the vice president been so gen
erally ignored by the chief executive in the past?
It is said that Mr. Breckenridge was only consult
ed once by President Buchanan and then only
in regard to the phraseology of a Thanksgiving
proclamation. This incident was related to a
later, vice president who was noted for his skill
at repartee and he replied, with a twinkle in his
eye: 'Well, there is one more Thanksgiving day
before my term expires.'
"According to the constitution the vice pres
ident succeeds to the office in case the president
dies, resigns, is removed, or becomes unable to
discharge the duties of the office. The public
good requires that he should be thoroughly In
formed as to the details of the administration
and ready to take up the work of the executive
at a moment's notice. The vice president ougl .
to be ex-ofilcio, a member of the president's cab
inet; he ought to sit next to the president in the
council chamber. Receiving his nomination
from a national convention, and his commission
from the people, he Is able to furnish the high
est possible proof that he enjoyi the public re
spect and confidence and the president Bhould;.
avail himself of the wisdom and discretion of
such an adviser. While tho responsibility for
action rests upon the occupant of the White
House, he Is entitled to, and, of course, desires'
all the light possible before deciding on any
question. .
"Congress can by law Impose upon t-io vice
president tho duty of giving such assistance to
his chief, or the president can of his own voli
tion establish the precedent and it would In all
probability be observed by his successors.
"Many public men have avoided the second
place on the ticket for fear It would relegate
them to obscurity; some of Colonel Roosovolt'8
friends objected to his nomination on that
ground. A cabinet position has generally been
considered more desirable than the vice presi
dency, but the latter In dignity and Importance
is, in fact, only second to the presidency and the
occupant deserves the prominence and prestige
which would come from more intimate official
association with the executive." . l
r
PUBLICITY FOR DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN CON
TRIBUTIONS-AND BEFORE ELECTION TOO ....
" Resolved, That the Democratic National Committee, in pursuance to the pledge
given in the national platform recently adopted at Denver, announcesihat it will ac
cept no contributions whatever from corporations; that it will accept no individual con
tributions above $ 1 0,000, and that it will make publication before election of individ
ual contributions above $100, contributions received before October 15 being pub
lished on orbefore that date, and contributions received after that date being published
upon the date which they are received, and that no contributions above $100 shall be
accepted within three days of the election." Statement adopted by the Democratic
National Committee in session at Fairview, July 14.
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