Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

think he might have got beat one time in a off-year. But I always got along with Curly
and in later years, why, when I went back in again, why, his wife and my wife became fast
political friends. And we used to visit each other's house. Of course that was after my
second go-round. It was in my second go-round.
But Harris had come out of the steel mill and I made acquaintances down there. The CIO
was just becoming - well it had been active for a number of years. It was in the 1940's
then, it became active in the 1930's. I remember about Curly though - he might have been
an officer in there, in the old steelworkers before they - the CIO was different than the
AFL wasn't it, at that time?
Q: Yes sir.
A: Sure it was. They never joined for years. Oh, he had a family and good legislator, a
good clean man and very affable and easy to get along with and lived downtown near the
steel mills. He later on moved out to a better home, which is alright. 1 guess he earned
it.
Q: Do you remember talking any particular issues with him at that time?
A: We each had experience in the city council and it helped you, or maybe gave you a different
light, on General Assembly things. We both had a feeling that you shouldn't maybe
get too close to the county officers. They might always want to use you for something. I
think he practiced that more than I did. I always went through the courthouse and all that.
I think he was referring to the county board, but county boards were different then than
they are now. They were much larger. The Madison County county board is twenty-nine
members now and - for a much larger county; and then it was - oh I think they had fifty
members, which was alright. I never disapproved of it at all. And had a smaller population.
And oh, Burton had been in the General Assembly and naley had been in the General
Assembly and Dave Siebert had been in the General Assembly and I knew those people and
talked to them and they always were reluctant to associate politically with county
boards. Now why that was I don't know. It never bothered me. And it might have been
just a political - what would be a good word? just a political fear that you could - well
counties are, of course, all tax subdivisions. I think when you're in politics at a parliamentary
level, beneath Congress or - of course Con~rcss, we had this saying then, "They're
always wanting something." (chuckles)
Q: Yes sir.
A: Of course that's the only way they get it. They have referendums for it, and you just
try to avoid as much controversy as they can. You have your committee meetings and they
can express their viewpoint there. 1 had my own group of friends that I used to pal around
with, and that's just the way the thing was, that's all.
Q: When you went to Springfield to these meetings while you were home on leave, do you
remember anything particularly about those visits?
A: Well the one thing I remember - they were arguing about the bonus. I know
that. They were having the bonus debate. Rut I can remember Reed Cutler - he was a
kind of - well he wasn't kind of, he was an outstanding legislator. Rut he had a tic you
know. And I guess you've heard about him. He'd shake all the way from the bottom of
the floor up . . . and he'd make a talk. I got to know him before I went in the
assembly. How? I guess I was running around the third floor and ran into him and introduced
myself to him. Rut he had been on the county board I think. He was an attorney