Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Of course you'd have a lot of lawyers naturally. A lawyer likes to be judge, which is only
proper. And they'd elect their own. They'd have a platform, someone would draw up a
platform. They'd have a slate picked, who'd be the chairman of the convention, or the mock
convention chairman, and the sergeant at arms, and I was never chairman. That always
went to a member of the judiciary, in the first place, who was not a candidate at that particular
time. A sitting judge generally, or maybe a retired judge, assumed the chairmanship
of the convention by virtue of seniority and stature.
Q: How did you come to be a representative on the convention?
A: A delegate.
Q: A delegate.
A: Well the party would pick them. Generally they'd pick some of the more active precinct
committeemen. And that was always by virtue of the fact that you held an office, if you
wanted to go. Sometimes I didn't want to go, but they generally sent Harris and I.
Q: I see.
A: Monroe would go, and I guess Daly went before my time.
One thing that's interesting about politics yet, both parties after the primary election, when
they select their chairmen, it's by statute. They both convene the same second Monday in
April or whatever that - it's now the second, maybe after the March primary, but after
the - it used to be in April then. And they'd always meet on the third floor in
Edwardsville. All the committeemen would come you know, not all of them, but those that
were interested in who was going to be their chairman. And if there was two hundred precincts
in the county, on each party, why, you'd see a hell of a lot of people over there. I
haven't been to one in years now. Since I got out, I don't go. I always went when I was
in. It was just a chance to shake more hands and be seen that's all, and get around, and
let people know you're still active and running for office that's all. Of course I went the
time I got beat too. I told them I thanked them.
Q: I see. (chuckles)
A: The time Simon beat me, T went to that organization convention, and called Simon, told
him I'd send him a letter. Well by that they figure, "Well he's going to run again," you
know.
Q: Well now, when you ran that first time, you did a lot of going around to let people know
you were going to run. What else did you do in order to get elected? Did you put up
posters and that sort of thing?
A: Well I had no billboards. I had those pictures, ran ads in the paper. I mentioned my
first time out, that's - well . . .
(taping stopped to find ad, then resumed)
A: Right here. (presents framed copy of ad)
Q: Your first political ad.
A: Yes.
Q: Well for gosh sakes. Boy, you even have it framed.