“Tipton no place for a LL. D.”--Opens office in Kokomo--Anna Hazzard calls--Prospects--Office loafers--The “boys”--His popularity--Considered a genius--C. C. Shirley’s recollections--Eloquence before juries--Pranks in court--Buys a $30 cake--Marriage--Takes first rank as criminal lawyer--Battle with Hendricks and Gordon--Hendricks predicts brilliant future--The Hawkins case--Court battle with Voorhees--Voorhees’ tribute--The Kokomo of the seventies--The community orator. III--AS DEMOCRATIC LEADER IN HOWARD, 1870-1884 47 County convention of 1870--Kern writes resolutions--Nominated at twenty for legislature--Brilliant campaign--Pays election bet--Helps establish Democratic paper--Writes for papers--Democratic convention of 1872--Establishes a Greeley paper--Rides in political processions--Makes reform fight in 1874--The McGill machine--Active in ’76--His keynote--Addresses “hack drivers on Indiana avenue”--Phillipic against Worden--His regrets--Opposed to Tilden’s nomination--“I’m a liar”--Attacked in the press--A Scurrilous story--Campaign of ’82--His views on money in elections--The faith of his followers. IV--REPORTER OF THE SUPREME COURT, 1884-1889 68 Seeks nomination for reporter of Supreme Court--The great convention of ’84--Nominated--A spirited campaign--Wins state reputation--Challenges Holstein to debate--Considered gubernatorial timber--Recollections of his campaign of ’84--His retorts--Evenings with ballads--Work as reporter--Joke on Judge Niblack--Extends acquaintance--A day of conviviality--Defeated in 1888--Marriage to Miss Cooper--The Indianapolis lawyer. V--LEADER IN THE INDIANA SENATE, ’93 AND ’95 88 Elected to state senate--Conceded leadership--His appearance--Nominated Turpie--Espouses an unpopular cause--Relations with labor organizations--Leads fight to legalize unions--His speech for Deery bill--Attracts national notice--Unpopularity of labor--Leads senate fight for employers’ liability law--Dramatic incidents--A signal triumph--Fights for child labor law--Leads minority in 1895--Fights Republican gerrymander--Excoriates Republican legislative record--The Nicholson law--Kern’s part--Estimate of colleague. VI--EUROPE AND THE CAMPAIGN OF ’96 114 Rest in Europe--Meets Alton B. Parker--General Collins--Paris days with Morss--The silver pre-convention debate--The English opera house meeting--Kern’s speech--The convention--Kern enters campaign--Effect of developments on him. VII--GUBERNATORIAL BATTLES 126