The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-03
THE DRIFT OF POLITICS

trict Elan II. Neal, of Jonesboro the
newly elected district chairman. was in
the city last night and authorized this an
nounccment.
state Chairman Goodrich has asked me
| to name a man for the advisory committee
| from the Eleventh and 1 have decided TO
recommend Mr. Bearss," said Mr.. Neal.
| knowing Mr. Bearss, as l do, and his
record as an active party worker feel
sure that the State committee will be
fortunate to secure his services as men,
Der of the advisory committee.
Mr.. Bearss is the first member OF the
advisory committee for this campaign TO
be named, and, by the way, he will sue
coed the man who recommends him, Tor MI
Neal was the Eleventh district member OF
the advisory committee during the last
campaign. Adam L. Beck, Of Hunting
ton, who was Mr.. Meals opponent for dis-
trict chairman will in all probability be a
/ member OF the state executive committee
| as Mr.. Neal has asked that Chairman
| Goodrich place Mr.. Beck or the executive
| chairman offered Mr. Beck the appoint
| ment immediately after the Peru cOhVeh-
| ton.
In speaking of Republican affairs in the
| Eleventh Mr.. Neal said he expected 10 get
! the district committee together within
| the near future TO decide on the GATE anu
Ever since the Peru convention nave
| been exceedingly busy Strengthening out
| my private business AFFAIRS, he said, and
| L have not had time yet TO pay much
| attention to politics. / have been paying
| the price for the district chairmanship, for
! l nave discovered that man can drop
| ms business for two or three months TO
| devote all his time TO canvass OF the dis
! trict without finding his business more or
less demoralized when he returns TO II.
| However, 1 about ready now 10 take
! run around the district to consult with
| the party workers and then l shall call a
meeting OF the district committee TO set
| the date for the congressional convention
| 4 can't say whether the sentiment is Tor
! an early late convention because L
haven't gone over the district but ! pc
| lleve IL is generally agreed that there
should be meeting of the committee WITH
| in a few days
There has been a report that the congress
'sional convention will be held not later
| than the first week I'm March, but Mr.. Neal
| says he knows of no foundation for the re-
port inasmuch as he mas not discussed the
matter with the county chairmen, and the
decision lies with them.
! Apropos of Eleventh district Republican
affairs, the friends of Major Steele say they
laid neat trap for the political workers
OF the district who are not for the major
for Congress. They started a little guber-
material boom for the major and then
waited for the friends of Representative
Lands. c. E. Cowgirl and DR.. Charles II.
Goode to rise TO the bait They were not
disappointed. From all parts of the dis
trict came warm tributes to the major
as gubernatoral candidate and il be-
came apparent that the forces that were
anti-Steele on the congressional question
were very much pro-Steele as a prospect
i've candidate for Governor. Now the
friends of the major are saying that, as
there is practically unanimous sentiment
among the Republicans of the district that
he is well qualified for the position of chief
executive, the sentiment should be equally
unanimous that he is just the man TO send
to Congress.
THE anti-Steele people give the major just
praise as gubernatorial timber" says the
| Marion NewS-Tribune i'll revealing the
coup. mo doubt they will be proud TO
send to Congress a gentleman who, they
say themselves, is so eminently worthy
and fitted to be the Governor of the mag
nifcent State of Indiana. At any rate, they
will have a chance to lend their votes
where their praises are freely given
The friends of Representative Lands, on
the other hand say that il is not at all
inconsistent TO praise Major Steele as CUB
ernatorial timber and yet oppose him for
| the congressional nomination this year, ar
guing that by every precedent member
of Congress is entitled to the Endorsement
of one denomination and that Mr.. Lands
should receive this Endorsement at the
hands of Eleventh district Republicans.
Fred A. Sims, of Frankfort, the Ninth
district member of the Republican state
committee, is expected here tomorrow to
assume his duties as secretary of the COM
mittee. Mr.. Sims will have charge of the
headquarters in the Stevenson building. al
though Chairman Goodrich will spend a
day or two there each week until the cam
paign is well under way, when he will be
in the city practically all the time.
Union B. Hunt, of Winchester, who was
at the Denison yesterday, entertained sew
eral of his friends with accounts of the
Randolph county mass meeting of Repub-
licans, which was held in his city last
Saturday and was a decidedly lively affair.
81 doubt If another such meeting has ever
been held i'm Indiana" said Mr.. Hunt, land
| am sure we have never had one like 1t in
our county, in the Eighth district The
congressional candidates were both there
and Theodore Shockney, of Union City, who
was candidate for Congress up until the
district committees decision that the nomi-
nation should be by direct primary instead
of by a delegate convention, was made the
permanent chairman of the meeting with
out opposition. Mr.. Shockney made a
speech on assuming the gavel in which he
took advantage OF his position to be very
unfair to Representative Cromef and his
friends. In fact, he overdid the thing and
was really unfair to Mr.. Dunlap, OF An l.
the meeting had been arranged solely TO
advance Mr.. Cromer's interests II could not
have been more effective than IL was. IL
was very apparent that Mr.. Shockney's bit
terness turned the tide in Mr.. Cromers
favor.
Mr.. Dunlap is making active canvass,
1 understand, but 1 feel safe in predicting
that Mr.. Cromer will be renominated by a
substantial majority of the votes cast at
the primary March l."
Another view of the Randolph county
meeting is given by Charles +. Lesher, of
Union City, in letter TO the Journal criti-
cising its report of the affair. In his letter
Mr.. Lesher says:
Mr. Cromer was called for to make a
| speech by the house. and not by his friends
alone, as also, l think, Mr.. Dunlap.
Mr.. Dunlap did not make caustic remarks
as YOU say concerning Mr.. Cromer, and
| which were answered by Mr.. Cromer. Mr.
| Cromer was called for first and recognized
by the chair first. Mr.. Dunlap merely re-
ferred TO statements which Mr.. Cromer
stituents, by stating that he had no such
| gifts at his bestowal being not a congress-
man but wishing to be. To me- merely one
| of the audience, this seemed fair reatment
Then Mr.. Hunt stated very positively in
the beginning OF his speech. and held to
| the text that the convention was not in
the interest of any candidate. but was a
Republican convention, and taking that at
titude could not have come out champion
ing any one
Frank II. Snyder. of Portland, gave out
an extended statement of his reasons for
withdrawing from the Eighth district con-