The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-02
SIXTH D|STRICTER
LEADING FIELD
Watson, Says indianapolis
Dispatch, Has the Grip on
Charles w. Miller.
PERKINS HANDED ONE
FEDERATED LABOR MAN is AS
SERTED TO BE PROFESSIONAL
DEMOCRATIC PoLlTlcIAN-THE
CAMPAIGN is WEAK.

indianapolis, Ind, Mar. 2.-As the
gubernatorial race now stands, Wat
son is generally conceded to be in the
lead, with Charles w. Miller second.
Watson's lieutenants say they have
twice as many votes as Charles w.
Miller, and more than the combined
vote of all his opponents. Over 500
delegates have been elected, including
those named Saturday. At Watson's
headquarters it was said that over 300
are for him on first choice, while they
have the promise of 100 more on Sec
ond choice.
If the present ratio is maintained
Watson's managers say they have
hopes of landing the nomination on
the first ballot. On the other hand,
Wilson Roos, one of the Charles w.
Millers managers, says that their fig
ures show that Miller leads, although
he hasn't as many votes as the field.
Taylor's managers have made no
claims of leading the bunch" Hugh
I'll. Miller is making play for second
tIoiSC ueleSdltS III many toulitjSS,
and his strength is problematical. His
chance of winning lies in the likelihood
of deadlock between Watson and
Charles w. Miller, in which case he
feels a majority of the delegates will
go to him. That is his own version OF
the present state Of affairs.
Delegates Named Soon.
Over half of the delegates will be
elected within the next week. 1t will
be possible then TO get a better line
on conditions. Wherever the candi
dates has appeared together 1t has
been apparent that Watson was the
most popular, but his opponents say
that popularity won't get him the del
egates. His managers assert, how
ever, that nothing but radical
change in public sentiment in the
next five weeks will keep him from
winning.
The indications are that the wind
! has been taken from the sails of the
so-called labor movement against
! Watson. Edgar Perkins and other
democratic labor leaders. who started
the hue and cry against Watson's rec
! ord, are keeping up a desultory fire
but it is not having much effect. Per
! kins and his democratic associates
made the same sort of attack agains
! Governor Hanly three and d hall
years ago, but he was easily nomin
ated on the first ballot and elected
/ by the largest majority ever given &
! I,
I Indiana
Governor HanIy ran a little behinc
the state ticket, but politicians whC
analysed the returns carefully sa!
that his loss was due TO the effort o
liquor dealers to defeat him and no
TO organized labor, as the republican
members refused to be led astray b.
their democratic leaders.
| Rumors have reached the various
political headquarters here during thu
last few days that the final card 70 b.
played by the leaders of the labo
crusade will be to send representative
to the state convention 10 threaten
the epublicans with defeat if the.
nominate Watson. The game is nov
being tried on local candidates in sew
eral counties.
Perkins efforts to line up the labor
ing men at Fl. Wayne against Watson
is termed by the Fit Wayne News a
| ''impudent and unwarranted meddlin
in republican affairs by professional
democratic politicians like Edgar 4
Perkins and Fritie Feick." The New
is one of the leading republican par
ers of Indiana and it says that it ha
not taken any part in the gubernatol
ts1 contest, but that il believes in fai
play