“Mr. Kern, when he began his duty as a member of the Lorimer investigating committee--it was a distasteful duty--realized as did we all that the country stood at the parting of the ways. Whether corruption was to continue in connection with the election of United States senators or whether the people were to be given an opportunity to have their own representatives in the upper house was the question he was called upon to investigate and determine. I know the pressure that was brought to bear upon him directly, indirectly, openly and insiduously, and I know that he stood up against it with that whole-hearted courage which he manifested in other matters he faced. “As a member of the investigating committee it was Mr. Kern’s cross-examination which frequently brought out points that even members of the committee were endeavoring to cover up. If he had not been on the committee, I hesitate to say what the result might have been. Not only in the committee, but on the floor of the senate he pressed the fight against corruption. His arguments, or rather his presentation of facts, were absolutely convincing, but more than this, the fact that he had come to the conclusion that Lorimer’s seat had been purchased unquestionably influenced senators who recognized his integrity and the reliability of his judgment. “There is no doubt that the expulsion of Lorimer from the senate, which was due largely to Senator Kern’s efforts, brought about the amendment to the Constitution for the direct election of senators. In itself, this is a monument to Mr. Kern.” VI