The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-09-07

/ pressed the opinion today that the
/ state is surely Republican by a large
| plurality. They said that they have
a better organization than the Demo-
Gratis and that there has not been
! enough change of sentiment among
/ the Republicans to cause any uneasi-
/ ness. Chairman Goodrich of the state
/ committee is in the Third district this
week holding meetings with the coun-
/ ty chairmen and precinct committee
men.
An interesting meeting was held at
! the statehouse today, when the men,
bers of the committee appointed two
years ago by the governor to devise
some plan for employing the inmates
OF the state prison and reformatory
got together to talk things over
The contract labor system is to be
abandoned il possible, but it will be
necessary to find something to do for
the prisoners. Superintendent Whit
taker some time ago suggested the
establishment of print shop at the
reformatory for printing the school.
books for the state. The proposition
met with considerable favor at the
time, but now there is protest from
laboring men, who don't want prison
labor competition. Whitaker said to-
day that the scheme will probably
not be adopted now, as it will require
q special enactment of the legislature,
but he believes that it will be adopted
some day. He has plan for establish
ing training and military school. as
he figures that at least so per cent
of the prisoners can be redeemed if
they are properly trained in prison.
Most of the prisoners he said commit
crimes because they have no advan-
tage Of good training in early life.
He has hopes that his plan will be
adopted.
Polls are not always accurate For
instance the Republicans took a six
months poll this year that indicated
the state is Republican by at least
$4,000. AS Chairman Goodrich and his
associates have not been able to figure
where there will be such a great
change over two years ago. when the
plurality was nearly 5000, they natur-
ally concluded that the poll was incor-
rect. 1t is said that in many instances
the poll-takers made up their reports
without going out into the precincts
or by merely copying from the report
OF two years ago and adding a few to
show there had been a change One i
member OF the committee said that if |
they could rely on the six months DOL |
1t would not be necessary to go ahead |
with the work of the organization, but |
to make sure rigid instructions have |
been sent to the committeeman to !
make a house-to-house canvass and
inquire closely as to how every man is
going to vote. The Democrats have
done the same thing, and the Prohis
are also trying to take poll, so be-
tween them they should be able to de-
termfne beforehand how the state is
going.
Before his departure for Portland
to take part in the Eighth district
Democratic congressional convention
today John w. Kern, candidate for
governor, had long conference with
Chairman O'Brien of the state COM
mittee and Michael Ryan, who has
charge of the speakers bureau. His
tour of the state was under discussion
and Ryan will at once work out his
itinerary. Kern expects to be busy
every day from now on, and 1t will be
a big task to map out his assignments
so that he can cover the entire state.
He will speak at Richmond, Sept. Is.
His keynote speech will, it is under
stood, be made within a few days.
Kern will bear the brunt of the fight,
but he will be ably assisted by Major
g. v. Menzies. B. F. Shively, S. M.
Ralston and host of state speakers,
and 1t is announced that the big guns
will begin to appear between Sept Is
md 20, when General Weaver, former
candidate for president on the Popu-
list ticket and ex-senator Towne will