The Indianapolis journal., 1903-08-20

A goodly delegation of well-known Grant
county Republicans was in evidence about
the Statehouse yesterday In the party were
Major George w. Steele, his secretary, I.
II. O'Neal and Senator S. L. Strickler, of
Marion; Senator c. c. Lyons, of Fairmount,
and Elam III. Neal and Asa Elliott, OF
Jonesboro. The State Senators and Mr.. Neal
were here, il is understood, 10 use their in
nuence 10 secure the deputy oil Inspector
snip for the Marion district for Mr.. Elliott
Sid Conger, state oil inspector, is sick at
his home in Shelbyville, however, and they
were unable to lay the matter before him.
The deputyship was originally rendered TO
Senator Lyons. but the Senator was advised
that IN order 10 accept il he would have
to resign his seat in the Senate, and he has
decided to hold his present office, although
the deputyship is more lucrative.
Senator Lyons, by the way, has been fire.
quently mentioned as candidate for the
secretaryship of the Republican State COM
mittee. to succeed VIII H. Whitaker, who
recently resigned to accept the superintend-
ency of the Indiana Reformatory. The Sem
ator says these reports have done him an
injustice, as he has never announced that
date.
While there are some reasons that would
lead me to desire the position of secretary
OF the State committee" he said last even
candidate for the place, and L am not a can
didate''
The Senator had charge of the speaker S
bureau at Republican State headquarters
during the last campaign and handled the
work In such manner that IL is under
stood TO be the wish of many of the MEM
bers OF the committe that he consent to as
sumo the same responsibility during the
coming campaign, which national COM
paign will make the position much more
important one.
Along with the arrival of the Grant
county crowd came report that there is
movement to bring out E. H. Neal as the
candidate of the Beveridge forces for chair
man of the Eleventh district to succeed
Adam Beck, of Huntington. Mr.. Beck is un-
derStood to be candidate for reelection
and 1t is only recently that there have been
OF the party professed to know anything
about the Neal boom, and Mr.. Neal him
self made his escape before the reporters
could get hold of him.
Major Steele, whose position on the con-
gressional question is a source of con-
Germ to many Republicans of the Eleventh.
still wears the same inscrutable smile and
insists on discussing farming whenever such
political matters are broached. If the major
is farming half as hard as he would have
the public believe he is in a fair way to
maze reputation as an agriculturist that
Will be equal to his reputation as a politi-
clan, and that is saying a good deal
The nearest Major Steele has come to in
timating whether he will be candidate for
Congress next year was a few weeks ago
when he told the Journal that it seemed
that e. G. Cowgirl, of Wabash, and DR.
Goode, OF Huntington county, were anx-
ious to get into the fight again and could
not or would not unless he became can
didate, and under the circumstances he felt
that he ought not disappoint them. Yester-
day, however, he would not come that
close on the subject.
Floyd A. Woods, member of the State
committee from this district, has returned
from a short fishing trip to Maxinkuckee
and yesterday he was at headquarters look
ing after some Of the duties of the secretary
of the committee which he has assumed
temporarily, pending the selection of q
successor to Mr.. Whitaker.
j. Frank Hanly. of Lafayette, the Tenth
districts candidate for the Republican
nomination for Governor, was in the city
a few hours yesterday, but he came in
so quietly. remained such a short time and
avoided the beaten tracks of the newspaper
men so effectually that he escaped an in.
terview. He was here on legal business, ii
is undersgtood. This was his first visit
to indianapolis since the night before he
formally announced his candidacy some
weeks ago.
John r. Bonnell, of Charlottesville, reve-
nue. collector for the Terre Haute District
was in the city yesterday.
Union B. Hunt, of Winchester, who is a
source of constant concern to reporters be-
cause he may at any time make a definite
announcement as TO his gubernatorial can
didacy, was here yesterday, but he is still
sparring for time.
Captain D. F. Allen, of Frankfort, one OF
the prominent Democrats of the Ninth dis
trict, was at the Grand last evening The
captain is one of the numerous leaders OF
his party who have been mentioned as
available and desirable gubernatorial tim
ber.
w. E. Hogin. Of Marion, a well-known Re-
publican, and former member of the City
Council, was here yesterday. Mr.. Hogin
is inclined to the opinion that there Is to
be clean sweep in Marion's police board
and that the next thing to be expected is
the announcement of the resignation of A.
Z. Gibson, the Democratic commissioner
and the appointment of his successor.
Xxx
satility in promulgating reforms and new
departures as mayor of his city apparently
knows no bounds, is at the English. Few
weeks pass that Mr. Knotts does not do
or say something to stir things up and to
make him the subject of much publicity
His latest move was to announce a solu-
tion of the labor disturbance problem by
requesting the factories of his city to en-
ploy none but married men, on the ground
that married men have such responsibilities
that they will not join strikes, lockouts
etc., unless they are led into them by the
unmarried men of their unions who are
independent and footloose. few weeks
since Mayor Knots attracted attention by
his fight for high license for saloons; short
| ly before that he was given columns OF
space in Chicago and Indianapolis papers
because he had started a movement to
free Hammond of weeds and had himself
| donned overalls, ETC., and Joined the citi-
! zenS' cleaning ur committees; while not
| long before that he introduced the system
| of initiative and referendum in municipal
legislation for his city. Some politicians
| require the services of a press agent but
this is not the case with Mayor Knots
| He merely docs thugs and the newspa-
| pers are anxious TO do the rest.