Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-10
IND|ANAPOL| FIGHT
Municipal Election Which
Takes Place Next Tuesday.
THREE IN THE RACE
OPPOSITION TO THE REGULAR RE-
PUBLICAN NOMINEE.
Senators Pleading for Harmony on Ac-
count of Effect on State
Next Year.

The west-bound trains today carried
many Indianapolis voters, temporarily resi-
dents of the capital, who were going home
to the municipal elections, which will be
held next Tuesday. Indianapolis is the
first of the large cities to lead off with
municipal elections this fall.
The contest, which has been one of the
bitterest in the history of the city, pre-
sents some unique features. The city nor
mally is about 1900 republican. Two years
ago Charles A. Bookwalter was elected
mayor on the republican ticket by about
2,C0O plurality. His administration, it is
alleged, has been unsatisfactory to the re-
form element of the city. Early last spring
there developed within the republican party
in the city aggressive opposition to the re-
nomination of Mr. Bookwalter. He fore
stalled the plans of this opposition by call
ing what was charged to be SNAP con-
vention in March and was nominated.
Republican Opposition.
The opposition to him within his own
party refused to surrender, and one of the
forces in the campaign is an independent
republican organization composed of sew
eral thousand influential representatives of
the party. The closing meeting of this in
dependent republican organization, which
is supporting John w. Hoffman, the demo-
day night, at which meeting a letter from
w. H. H. Miller, former Attorney General
of the United States, was read, advising re-
pubicans to vote against the republican
nominee The principal speech in OPPOSE
ton to what is known as the Bookwalter
machine was made by Smiley M. Chambers,
former United States district attorney.
The Prohibition Candidate.
The situation is complicated by reason of
the candidacy of George w. Hitz, re-
publican of some prominence, who was
nominated by the prohibition party. The
dissatisfied republicans have been disposed
to support the prohibition nominee rather
than the candidate of the democrats. The
platform on which the prohibition candl-
date was nominated pledges him to enforce
the laws against gambling and liquor SELL
ing to the letter. The democratic platform
makes a pledge almost as binding Inc
Bookwalter platform is silent ON these sub
jectS.
Effort for Harmony.
A powerful effort has been made by the
republican politicians to whip the dissatis-
fed republicans into line for Bookwalter on
the ground that his defeat might lead to
the loss of the state to the republicans next
year, which would also mean the election
of a democratic United States senator. The
chairman of the state committee was per-
Suaded to write a letter calling on all party
men to support the nominee, and Senators
Fairbanks and Beveridge and Representa-
tive Overstreet have been under pressure
to use their influence for the ticket Sen
ator Beveridge has made one speech for
party loyalty. and Senator Fairbanks is
billed to preside at the final. meeting of the
regulars tonight. Representative Over
street has made two or three speeches
pleading for harmony ~:
The local betting so far it is. reported,
has been 3 to on Bookwalter, whose man
ayers have an impression that the OPPOSE
ton vote Will be SO equally divided be-
tween Hitz and Hoffman as to elect the
regular republican nominee.