The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-11
THE DRIFT OF POLITICS.

ENdHsNllle JOurHdl-NeWS, ana one Oh the
prominent Republican of the First district,
was in the city yesterday to attend the
monthly meeting of the board of trustees
OF the State Institution for the Deaf, of
which he is a member. Last evening at
the English he was induced to talk of First
district politics, and he expressed the opin-
ion that Representative James a. Hemen-
way. of Boonville. will receive a virtually
unanimous denomination, although Samuel
l.. Calhoun, of Evansville, has announced
that he Will be candidate against the
Boonville statesman
1.-The Republicans of the First district do
not regard Mr.. Calhoun's candidacy Sc
riously." said Mr.. Ross. MIR. Calhoun lis
way is of too great value to the district and
to the State for the Republicans of the
First to turn him down for an inexperi-
enced man, just at the time he is coming
into a greater position of influence I'm Con-
gress the chairman of the committee on
appropriations and the right-hand man OF
Speaker Cannon.
persons outside the district have little
idea of the great hold Mr.. Hemenway has
on his constituents. He established him.
self in what regard as an absolutely i'm
pregnable position, and / believe he can
stay in Congress as long as he desires to
be returned. unless landslide should occur
to wipe out the substantial Republican ma
jority in the district which has been built
up largely through his efforts. Twelve years
ago Mr.. Hemenway was unknown in the
district. / doubt if dozen men in Evans
vile knew who he was or anything about
him at that time, and it was one of the
strange chances of politics that brought
him into the center of the stage and gave
him his opportunity.
"At that time the Republicans I'm Evans
vile and Vanderburg county were divided,
and, in fact, similar condition prevailed
throughout the district When it came to
the election of district chairman Mr.. Hem
enway was suggested as a compromise cam
didate, and because of the very fact that
he was unknown and therefore was allied
with none of the factions, the suggestion
was received with approval and he was
chosen. That gave him his chance. He
took hold of the district organization and
In the face of the most discouraging condi-
tons surprised everybody, except perhaps
himself. by rounding up Republican vic
tory:
nomination, and in a three-cornered fight
between himself, Frank Il. Posey of Evans
vile. and A p. Twineham, of Princeton, he
was the winner. The convention that NOM
mated MIN was sort or continuous per-
Torrance, two sessions of which were held
in different halls in Evansville and the third
and final at Mt. Vernon. He organized his
own campaign FOR the election. and was
successful, even though it freely pre-
dicted by Republicans that he could not
carry the district. He has had fight for
denomination every time since except in
the last two campaigns. Last year there
was not a suggestion of opposition to him,
and the surprising majority by which he
was elected last fall is in itself the best evil
dence, / believe. that his position in the
district Is now unassailable.
IT regard Mr.. Hemenway as the shrewd-
est and ablest politician in Indiana con-
tinued Mr.. Ross, "and there is certainly No
man In the State who has made record
under like conditions that compares with
his. His success is due primarily to the
fact that he is an absolutely tireless worker
1 have known him to work with a COM
mittee until IL or II o'clock at night until
the others were tired out and ready for
bed, and then get a horse and buggy and
start out for fifteen-mile drive through
the country to stop at every farmhouse
where he knew a man and wake him and
talk with him. 1 never knew of a man
who objected to one of these unconven-
tionai calls. And then Mr.. Hemenway
knows almost every man in the district,
they all know him, and they all know him
as Jim The people are proud of him,
proud of his advancement in Congress, and
want to keep him there, and 1 have no
doubt they will.
Speaker Cannon visited Mr.. Hemenway
at his home In Boonville last week, and
they came up to Evansville one evening to
give Mr.. Cannon opportunity to meet
some of our Republicans. Mr. Cannon did
not hesitate to show his high regard for
Mr.. Hemenway, and he told me personally
that he ranks Mr.. Hemenway as one of the
ablest men in the House"
Mr.. Ross says that George A. Cunning
ham, of this city, will be reelected district
chairman without opposition. Mr.. Cum
bingham is abundantly qualified for the
work as a member of the State committee"
he cofd nd in fha of cnv,fo tive
Hemenway, the Republicans of the First
will see that the right man is kept in the
right place There has been no suggestion
of a candidate against Mr.. Cunningham"
Democratic State Chairman w. H.
O'Brien, of Lawrenceburg, was in the city
yesterday. but as usual he said that his
visit had nothing to do with politics. He
will pay no attention TO politics, he says,
until along toward the first of the year
when the date for the reorganization Of the
State committee rolls around.
Will M. Sparks, of Rushville, who has
represented Rush county in the lower
branch of the State Legislature for the last
two sessions. was at the English last even
ing. II have quit politics, temporarily at
least. to practice law" he said. "and
don't know of thing new in a political
way in our part of the State"
Twill you be a candidate for renomina-
ton as representative?
mo, I'm out of 1t. / think / have had
| enough of the Legislature to last me for
some little time"
The Democratic editors of the State have
decided to follow the example of their Re-
publican brethren and hold a basket pic
mic at Broad Ripple. The announcements
that have been sent out fix Sept Is as the
day for the affair.
Representative c. B. Lands, of Delphi,
and Finley p. Mount of Charlottesville,
were registered at the English last night.
Yesterday Mr.. Lands was a visitor at the
fair at Charlottesville and incidentally did
a little log-rollng. Montgomery county is
| one of the few in his district that has not
caught the recent infection of bringing out
| a candidate against him for the nomination
next spring, and naturally he thinks well
| of the good people of that bailiwick
| j. Frank Hanly, of Lafayette, who was
| the first formal entry in the Republican
gubernatorial race, was also visitor at
| the Charlottesville fair yesterday, and he
| too, did not overlook any opportunities to
| Governor Durbin did not arrive home
from Wisconsin last night as had been ex-
pected, and Secretary Lockwood states that
he will not be here until Saturday night
He will leave almost Immediately on his
Eastern trip and will not be in his Office
| until the latter part of next week.
A Forestry Periodical.
| Arboriculture for September is a notabl,