Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

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Q: Oh I don't think so. A: I still - I could - there were some here . . . (taping stopped for search for cards, then resumed) A: Well there's one from the first time, right there. Q: Well by golly. A: That's a blotter. Q: Well. "Tuesday, November 5, 1946, a veteran of World War 11." How much did being a veteran of World War I1 help you in your campaign? A: Well I've been asked that and I always - there's something I passed out at Shell in my 1950 primary election I believe. Or was it . . . Q: Yes, "Primary, April 11, 1950." A: I only done that that one time. I never sent out any handbills like that. Now just to show you how politics operates, Mueller and McConnell had both been big supporters of mine. They both worked out at Shell. And Mueller had run a terrific race for the county board the spring before. And he wanted to run for the assembly. Simon was going from the house to the senate, which is alright. And he and Mueller and McConnell had been feuding, and McConnell told me he was going to support mc. But I think Paul Simon had opposition. He wanted to have some strength and all, so he went and got McConnell to run, but that was alright. McConnell camc from a big family, the fellow had six or seven sisters, and all live around here. My wife sees them all of the time, and I see them. They're all girls in my wife's generation, and we see them all of the time. Rut he's - he's very unfriendly, but I wouldn't make any issue of it in the memoirs. He's just that type of man. But he later went to the city council, but he could ncver get reelected. &: Well I'll be darned. A: And last time - about three or four years ago, he was on the city committee, somebody beat him for the precinct committeeman. He just - kind of arbitrary. Hc had a good job out at Shell. He's got a lovely wife and lovely family, but he rubs people the wrong way. You mentioned about how much help does a veteran be. I don't know how much help, but McConnell wasn't a veteran. He had a family and he didn't have to go, which is alright. But when he was the township of Wood River supervisor, and I couldn't prove this, below his farm was a veteran's organization out in Cottage Hills or out in that area there. The people that live in Wood River Township, Cottage Hills is one of the muncipalities, and it's a heavy Democratic vote. A heavy Democratic primary precinct., township, or howcvcr you'd refer to it. Q: Yes. A: And I think that's where he got beat for supervisor. And you know, I didn't campaign much out there in 1962. Q: How much did it cost to run that first time? A: Oh, it cost less than a thousand dollars I imagine. Well my assessnlent in the fall was four hundred dollars I believe, right at four hundred, but I'd saved some money and if you're going to talk - like walking money and gasoline money and lunch money for you and your
wife and family when you're out, or supper money, I don't know. But I would say my assessment wasn't four hundred dollars. It was only four hundred dollars in 1962. I think it was two hundred and fifty. I'd say a thousand dollars roughly, a thousand or twelve hundred. Q: Did you hold a fundraising of any sort? A: No. I only had one fundraiser in my life, in 1971. Q: Oh is that right? A: I sent out a lot of letters after I got in the assembly and got to know people statewide and district wide, and different people would - oh, the different financial institutions, the savings and loan institutions and banks would always contribute to my campaign. And I got some help from labor and some guys would just walk up and give me a ten dollar, twenty dollar bill you know. And things of that nature. And some lawyers would give you more. Your walking money was your own responsibility I always figured, just one of those things. Did you see in yesterday's paper where Stevenson's raised two million and Thompson's raised four million? Can you imagine that? Q: I didn't notice but that's a tremendous amount. A: Isn't that terrible? &: Gee whiz. A: I always watch NBC, Mudd and Brokaw, and they had - I think just last night before the ball game came on - that in the district out in California are going to spend two million dollars for a job that only pays sixty thousand dollars a year. That's almost sinful, really it is. The Ethics Committee makes you report that but just imagine that kind of money. And I think the guy that's running against the incumbent people - that guy two years ago - and he's been there three terms, now he's trying to get back in. Some district out in California. I couldn't tell you their names or where - I guess it was a swing district. I imagine the California guy elected last time was Republican. They beat a Democrat, a Democrat's trying to get back in. And imagine that. Christ, you'd think that you'd owe your shirt. If you got beat you'd owe it I'm sure, but if you won you'd - why, you couldn't go to bed. SESSION 6, TAPE 11, SIDE 1 A: I had cards and I didn't put the election on and the date. Q: Oh I see, yes, so that you could use them year after year. A: And I used - you asked about placards . . . (holds up placard) Q: Oh good. I see and you didn't put the date on them either then. Well. A: No. I knew I was going to run again. And with reference to my service in the army, I think I told you that after I'd been hurt, why, I was sent to Fort Mason. I found that - my wife found it. Q: Oh. (reads) "San Francisco port of embarkation, Fort Mason, California, 28 September 1945. Tech. 4, Leland J. Kennedy, 36697143, joined this station, 1300, 28, September,
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University of Illinois at Springfie
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ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ORAL HIST
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Preface This oral history of Leland
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Volume I Leland J. Kennedy SESSION
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next to us was a duplex house and a
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Q: Were these family meals that she
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I was awful fascinated by politics.
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Q: Yes sir. (chuckles) What part of
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that much about it, about the makeu
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out and there was the number of my
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A: Well. Yes, I always remember one
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Q: Was it a paddle wheeler or what
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een that far back, in that era, may
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that wanted to take roomers or boar
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A: As you go by, that's the Alton W
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Q: Oh? Were you a pretty good corn
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A: Maybe it makes good talking to m
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A: The Fourth of July and Christmas
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A: I mean his wife is I think, and
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golden handshake. They'd give you m
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A: . . . and the twenty-five. But y
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day I would say that half of the fo
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Young Democrat convention, elected
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in Edwardsville, and you had to pay
Page 50 and 51: - and we were for Smith, and fighti
Page 52 and 53: work. I never was drafted for nothi
Page 54 and 55: more German than I was I guess. (la
Page 56 and 57: Of course there were war clouds han
Page 58 and 59: A: Twice a month. Q: Twice a month?
Page 60 and 61: There was neighbor against neighbor
Page 62 and 63: A: And they did, so that's . . . Q:
Page 64 and 65: SESSION 4, TAPE 7, SIDE 2 Q: That w
Page 66 and 67: ' I 59 you couldn't get across that
Page 68 and 69: A: Well they didn't have none of th
Page 70 and 71: A: Oh no, never saw any. I saw some
Page 72 and 73: VOTE FOR LELAND J. KENNEDY DEMOCRAT
Page 75 and 76: Q: Now when you first went in did y
Page 77 and 78: A: A port of embarkation or for sup
Page 79 and 80: A: Oh yes. I'm sorry about that now
Page 81 and 82: A: Alright. August. I'll tell you -
Page 83 and 84: And he got out before I did, but he
Page 85 and 86: A: No no, never said a word. Oh the
Page 87 and 88: though. He was a good talker, and o
Page 89 and 90: play cards or just talk. Women like
Page 91 and 92: Q: Yes sir. A: We had a strike in s
Page 93 and 94: Of course you'd have a lot of lawye
Page 95 and 96: A: Well that was - that was the bes
Page 97 and 98: polls in a particular city and he's
Page 99: Q: Yes. A: Bond never did like bein
Page 103 and 104: of Illinois) library and muse aroun
Page 105 and 106: A: Well legislative process, commit
Page 107 and 108: A: Yes I think so, had a column. We
Page 109 and 110: A: Well I recall - I guess they're
Page 111 and 112: state central committeeman. Now sta
Page 113 and 114: not an Italian name, but what those
Page 115 and 116: Q: Oh? WOKZ in Alton, Illinois? A:
Page 117 and 118: This is going back, and I don't hav
Page 119 and 120: had twelve in the pool. I think it
Page 121 and 122: Q: Oh is that right? A: Oh my first
Page 123 and 124: a federal gasoline tax thirty years
Page 125 and 126: Q: No sir, no sir. Well let's see,
Page 127 and 128: they changed those desks after reap
Page 129 and 130: Q: He started that in the 1951 sess
Page 131 and 132: That wasn't a bone of contention a
Page 133 and 134: Q: Oh I see. A: I think they'd do t
Page 135 and 136: Talking about lodging, 1'11 always
Page 137 and 138: his wife's sister. Of course they w
Page 139 and 140: A: Oh did she? Q: Yes. A: Well some
Page 141 and 142: And a lot of those people are all g
Page 143 and 144: I believe there's a lot of that fam
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Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

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