Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

ecause I was from one section of town and going to the other section of town to
school. And names - oh, I met one fellow that I want - oh, I'm glad you brought that
up - by the name of Donald McLain, who's still in politics. He was in my wedding
party. He became a fast political friend plus a personal friend. I think the first time he
voted - I was born in 1908 so I was old enough to vote in 1929 and I think I'm two years
his senior. And his father was born in Dublin, Ireland, by the way, and his mother was
of German descent like my mother. And the first time hc voted, he voted for himself in
the Edwardsville city election as alderman. He got elected. I think he ran for one city office
one time. He's been a member of the city council for a long time, or was a member, he's
not anymore. But he's on the county board. He's been a long-time member. Ile lives in
Edwardsville. He's raised six children and must have twenty grandchildren and some greatgrandchildren
I guess. And I met him.
And of course Peter Fitzgerald was the new sheriff', and Simon Ilenry was the treasurer,
I helieve, and at that time they couldn't succeed themselves, and I think in the 1934 election,
they reversed it. One ran for one job and the other for the other and they were
elected. Now I'm not wrong on the names, but I could be wrong - either Henry was the
sheriff or Fitzgerald was the sheriff and the other one was the treasurer. And Bill Burton
and, oh, there was a man that was state's attorney there, Luke Geers was a statc's attorney.
And I had Republican acquaintances. I had a Republican acquaintance by the name of Jesse
R. Brown who was a state's attorney, Republican state's attorney, and a good politician. T've
done this all of my life, I don't say this vainly, I've always talked with people who I thought
were smarter than I was. It's like I think I'm getting smarter by talking to you. (chuckles)
Q: Well thanks sir.
A: Well I have in my - of course this was beyond the 1930's - I have in my clientele of
political friends a number of judges who I always used to dine with when I'd go to diuerent
cities campaigning. I'd always go out to lunch with thcm, even in Bond County. Bond
County in the first eight years was in my district. And I just made that a habit, because
I could learn something from them, and they could maybe learn from me what was going
on in Springfield, or maybe what a cigarette vendor thought and things like that. (chuckles)
Q: Yes sir
A: The formation of the Young Democrats though in the 1930's was the formation of my
political career, if 1 can say that as a fact, and I say it as a fact. I say it in modesty though
that I was just active. I just liked it.
Q: What about in 1932. Did the Young Democrats actively support Horner for governor in
that year? Or do you know?
A: Oh I'm sure they did. Oh I'm sure they did. There was a man by the name of Campbell
from East St. Louis that was a candidate for governor in 1932 against Horner. I imagine
there was more than two. There might have been several, because it looked like we could
win the gubernatorial race. I mean Emmerson may have been the governor in 1928, or was
he just secretary of state?
Q: No I think he was governor.
A: Well alright then. Of course he got elected in the Hoover landslide and Horner got
elected in the Roosevelt landslide four years later. And the 1928 election, of course that
was A1 Smith's big bid for the presidency and I think Governor Smith should have come
through Alton. I mention that name McLain, but I think Smith died when I was overseas
and McLain sent me a letter telling me about it because we were naturally Roman Catholics