The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-12-08

nam county. He said this was vol !
untary committee that had taken it up |
on itself to call the meeting. AS re-
suit everybody has been looking for
ward to that conference as one of the |
events of the season, for it was be-
lieved 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.
Big Mystery Excites Interest.
But the funny part of it all is that
the meeting has not been called. And
no one seems to know why Wells was
here the last of last week and talked
much about the conference, but it tran
spires now that no notice has been
sent out and no invitations issued to
the members of the general assembly 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 Stotsenburg 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 18th.
1t was said that the letters would go
forward today, being written and mall
ed by an Indianapolis democrat repre-
senting the three senators. They final
Iy became weary of waiting for Wells
and his committee to do something
and decided to do it themselves and
then if Wells and his followers wish to
come in and listen to the speeches they
may do So
Think 1t is Bosh.
All this talk about the republican
state committee about to be re-organ
lied with Senator Beverage at the head
of the machine is mere bosh. Demo-
Gratis are talking along that line in the
hope that it will have the effect of max
ing 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 congressman from this state
this fall and placed in Senator Bev-
| eridges hands the distribution of pat
! ronage in all of these eleven districts,
at least, for the next two years he is
naturally the man to whom the en-
| tire party must look to steer the Indi-
ana republican organization clear of
rocks during that time. 1t is recog-
nized, too, that If Senator Beveridge
were so inclined he could. with the
| enormous patronage at his command.
build up a dangerous political machine
in this state, but none but the demo-
Gratis or a few republicans either be-
neve or hope that he will be so foolish
as to even try to do So The senator
himself realizes his delicate position
and the tremendous responsibility that
rests on him to rehabilitate the part
and there is every reason to believe
| that he intends to match up with It,
He has made the positive statement
that he will make no recommends
lions for appointments until after the
session of congress has closed. and that
he will not consider factions or clans
in making selections for offices He
says his only purpose will be to select
men from the standpoint of public
service and not from the standpoint
of personal or party service.
VIII Be Beverfdge Man.
1t is likely that the next chairman
of the republican state committee will
be man in whom Senator Beverage
has confidence. personally and political
ly. but it need not mean that the new
chairman will be under the thumb OF
Senator Beveridge in all things. The
senator certainly is sharp enough po-
litically to know that such course
would be putting the sword into the
hands of the enemy with which K
smite him at the next election by elect
ing another democratic Legislature tina
would GUST him and elect a democrat
ic senator to succeed him. And Senator
Beverage has never been believed t.
| IL q Ind nf ell rnn1ifiniarn