The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-08

of democratic legislators? That's the
question for him to answer, and until
it is answered the rest of the bunch
will not sleep much of nights and will
walk the floor right steadily.
1t will be remembered that there
has been published from time to time
a statement to the effect that the
democratic members will meet here
on the fifteenth of this month to talk
things over and plan a legislative pro-
gram for the coming session. One
day, two or three weeks ago Wells
was in town and gave out the an
nouncement that such a conference
would be held. and that it would be
called by himself, Senator Ranke, OF
Allen county, Senator CRUDE, of War.
saw and Representative Hostetter. of
Putnam county. He said this was a
voluntary committee that had taken it
upon itself to call the meeting AS a
result everybody has been looking
forward to that conference as one of
the events of the season, for it was
believed that the developments there
would show which way the wind is
blowing in the fight for United States
senator, for speaker of the house and
for everything else that the democrats
are interested in
But TIE funny part of it all is that
the meeting has not been called. And
no one seems to know why. Wells
talked much about the conference but
it transpires now that no notice has
been sent out and no invitations issu-
ed to the members of the general as
sembly to come in.
Some of the democratic legislators,
especially senators, are of the opinion
that there is a colored gentleman in
the wood pile and they propose to
smoke him out. So Senators Frank
Kistler, of Logansport, Evan Stotsen-
burg. of New Albany and w F. Ranke
of Fort Wayne, gave it out today that
they will take it upon themselves to
issue the call for the meeting on the
fifteenth. 1t was said that the letters
would go forward today, being written
and mailed by an Indianapolis demo
crat represe nting the three senators.
They finally became weary of waiting
for Wells and his committee to do
something and decided to do it them
selves and then if Wells and his fol-
lowers wish to come in and listen to
the speeches they may do so.
Talk is Mere Bosh.
All this talk about the republican
state committee about to be re-organ-
ized with Senator Beveridge at the
head of the machine is mere bosh.
Democrats are talking along that line
in the hope that it will have the effect
of making some of the republicans
sore, but there is no reason for such
talk.
1t is recognized on all hands that
during the coming two years, at least,
Senator Beveridge will be the head of
the republican party in Indiana
There is no other light in which TO
view the situation. Because of the
landslide that gave the democrats
eleven out of the thirteen congress
men from this state this fall and plac-
ed in Senator Beveridge's hands the
distribution of patronage in all of
these eleven districts at least for the
next two years he is naturally the
man TO whom the entire party must
look to steer the Indiana republican
organization clear of rocks during
that time. 1t is recognized. too. that
il Senator Beveridge were So inclined
he could. with the enormous patron
age at his command, build up a dan
gerous political machine in this state
but none but the democrats or few
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