The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-11
THE DRIFT OF POLITICS

Several political events of Importance both
to Republicans and to Democrats will be
crowded into the present week To-day and
tonight Republican county organizations
will be effected in such counties over the
State have not already been organized
for the coming campaign. Tomorrow aft
ernoon conventions will be held in every
congressional district in the State for the
election of members OF the Republican State
committee. Wednesday w. ]. Bryan Will be
in indianapolis and a gathering of the faith
full. at which he will be the central figure
and the principal orator. will be held that
night in Tomlinson Hall. Thursday the
newly elected Republican State committee
men will meet in this city for the reorgan-
ization of the State committee and Thurs
day night Bryan will be rendered banquet
at Evansville by the Democrats of the First
district
Tonight the Republicans of Hamilton
county will celebrate the anniversary or
Alexander Hamilton's birthday with a love-
feast at Nobesville that will attract prom
lnent party men from other parts Of the
State.
Interest in the Republican district con-
ventions for tomorrow centers in the Thir-
tenth district convention, to be held at
South Bend, and the Eleventh, to be held at
i
lest contests for the chairmanshps have
been waged and it is generally believed that
the fight will not be settled in either dis
trict until the delegates have cast their
votes. In the Eleventh both Adam L. Beck,
of Huntington. and Elan H Neal, of Jones'
boro, are claiming the election. but each
claims TO have ii by such narrow margin
that the issue is certainly in doubt. In the
Thirteenth the adherents of Rome G.
Stephenson of
election is assured, but the friends of Frank
w. Boss, of Plymouth, and John l.. Moor
man, of Knox, say there is a surprise in
store for the Stephenson people that will
be sprung on the floor of the convention.
There has been contest for the chair
manship in the Sixth between Z. 2. Thayer,
of Greenfield, and Charles r. Unthank, of
Richmond, but on the face OF the returns
from the primaries in the several coun-
ties OF the district the election of Mr.. Thay
er seems certainty.
In no other district will there be a con-
test IN the conventions, save possibly in
the Fifth. and the result there is not be-
lieved TO be in doubt. 1t has been con-
coded for several months that Julian u.
Hogate, of Danville, the present chairman
OF the Fifth, would be reelected without
appeared against him; but Saturday, at
Ierre Haute, it was reported that the name
or Nick Filbeck might be presented to the
convention. 1t was stated that the Vigo
county delegation had been selected with
a view OF its supporting Mr.. Filbeck, or
some other man who might come out
against Mr.. Hogate. When seen by rep
resentative of The Journal, Mr.. Filbeck
dlscredited the report that he would be
candidate for district chairman, and inti-
be drawn into the race
81 have not thought of becoming a can
dfdate, said Mr.. Filbeck. although l know
there has been some little talk of that kind
here. L was interested, however, In seeing
| that the delegates from Vigo county are
men we can depend upon in the convention.
rs had venvfnr lNaN
taught US never to be caught mapping. II
was conceded at that time that j. ]. Hig-
gins. of Vermillion county, would be elected
district chairman by reclamation, and we
paid no attention TO the primaries here for
the selection of delegates. AS a result,
when we got into the convention we found
tnat Dan Miller was candidate for chair
man and that he had slipped up on us and
got a solid delegation from this county.
He was elected chairman, too. 1 don't
know that there will be any opposition to
Hogate this time. hut Higgins may decide
to be a candidate. At any rate we'll have
| delegation from this county that can be
depended upon to do what the Republicans
here want done"
However, unless Mr.. Hogate and his
| friends have been caught mapping in the
ton may be regarded as a foregone con-
clusion.
The conventions will be held in the sew
| eral districts as follows:
First-EvansvilIe.
Second-Vincennes.
Third-New Albany.
Fourth-Seymour.
Fifth-Terre Haute.
SiXth-Connersville.
Seventh-IndianapoIis.
Eighth-Muncie
Ninth-Crawfordsville
Tenth-Hammond.
Eleventh-Peru.
Twelfth-Fort WAYNE.
Thirtenth-South Bend.
+
From Terre Haute comes the news that
| Senator James S. Barcus has declared def
| nitely and finally that he is not and will not
! be a candidate for the Republican congress
sional nomination from the Fifth district.
| Two or three other prospective candidates
| who have been waiting to see what Barous
| will do will now have at least one load re-
moved from their minds, and II seems that
| Representative Elias S. Holiday, of Brazil,
| Will secure a denomination without opposi-
ton. The situation in the Fifth has been
this Several men in the district, in addition
| to Senator Barcus. have their eyes on Mr..
| Holidays congressional seat. but there has
been tacit understanding that none of
them would be candidate this year unless
Senator Barcus decided to make another eff
fort to land the nomination. If Senator Bar
Gus became a candidate the others would
| at once enter the race and the fight would
be repetition of the one of two years ago,
/ with the probable result that the other cdn-
didates would at a critical moment throw
| their strength to Mr.. Holiday rather than
| see the Terre Haute man carry off the prize.
If Senator BarcuS now throws his strength
| to Representative Holiday the latter is GER
tain of a denomination, even II other candi-
dates should appear against him, and thus
| it seems that Senator BarcuS has held the
key to the situation, although il was by no
means certain that he could go out and cap
| ture the nomination for himself.
The inference drawn now is that Senator
Barcus has not intended at any time to
become candidate this year, but has let
| the impression go out that he was seriously
considering the ACCESSIBILITY of entering the
race and would probably do So In this way
| he has kept the other fellows guessing,
| and has made il certain that no one else can
| go out and defeat Mr. Holiday, so that If
| he wants to enter the race two years hence
| he will not have a man TO fight who has
| just served one term.
Terre Haute, by the way, is alive with
| political gossip at present, and not the least
| interesting of the reports is one to the effect
| that Senator Barcus is about to dispose of
| his newspaper, the Terre Haute Tribune,
and withdraw from active participation in
| politics for the prerent after he has served
out his term in the State Senate. The SEN
ator purchased the Tribune soon after he
| determined TO take whirl in Fifth district
| politics. 1t was at that time Republican
1 he IL n