The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-30
Steps Out of Secretaryship Of
Railroad Commission and
Joe Kelley Will Be His Suc-
cessor.
LATTER IS AlEAOER
OF STATE DEMOCRATS
Whole Story of How Riley
"Blew His Job" Has Not
Yet Been Made Public, But
It Will Come Out.
(American News Service,

tAmertcan News Service1
indianapolis. Ind. Sept :O.-Surpriss
was manifested in this city yesterday
afternoon. when 1t became known that
Charles B. Riley had resigned as sec.
retary OF the Indiana Railroad Com
mission. and that Joseph L. Kelley. of
North Vernon. had been appointed to
fill his place. beginning on October !.
Joe Kelley. as he is better known. IA
the secretary of the democratic state
committee. and has been for years-so
long. in fact, that no one can rcmem-
Der when he was not secretary. He
Is one Of Tom Tsggart's right hand
men and strongest supporter and hari.
est workers. No man in Indiana IN
closer to Taggart than Joe Kelley.
The whole story of how and why
Riley resigned as secretary OF the rail-
road commission. has not been made
public. but 1t is believed It will come
out before long. and that 1t will be Of
! considerable interest. There seems
to be little doubt that politics had
much to do with 1t, and that the no.
litical phase OF the case dates back
into the campaign last year. Riley il
. republican. and a majority OF the
members Of the commission are repub-
lfcans but they let him out just the
same, and there is q good deal OF talk
to the effect that It was done through
deal with some Influential democrats
in the state
Would ignore Tassart.
Soon after the last election IL was
stated on what seemed to be pretty
good authority. that Governor Mar
shall would not pay much attention TO
the Taggart wing of the democratic
party in giving out appointments. and
that that element would probably get
just one job and no more. And II was
stated also that that one good job was
to go to Joe Kelley. Tn course Of
events has proven this to have been a
good prophecy. Friends of Governor
Marshall declared that the governor
did not owe anything to the Taggart
people any more than to anyone else
in the party, and for this reason he
would not allow Taggart to dictate to
him.
| 1t is said. too, that some kind Of IN
understanding was reached by all par
ties concerned by which Charles B.
Riley was to lose out as secretary OF
the railroad commission in order to
make q place for Joe Kelley. and this
has come to pass, also. But the de-
tails are not yet known. Riley has
been secretary Of the commission since
the commission was organized. Last
year he was one Of the strongest sup.
porters James E Watson had for the
nomination for governor and he work
ed for him with might and main during
the campaign for the election.
Much Speculation.
There is considerable speculation
as to who will be Joe Reiley's success
or as secretary OF the democratic state
he will retain that position after he
assumes his place as secretary Of the
railroad commission. To do % would
be to draw down the criticism Of ev-
erybody. 1t Ii known in this connec-
tion, that Governor Marshall and the
element of the party that stands for .
new deal all around In party manage
ment intends to make . vigorous ct.
fort to have brand new state COM
mittee elected that will not be controll-
ed by TaGgart and the crowd behind
him. which has controlled the party
in the state for 50 many years. The
plans for capture Of the state commit
tee by the Marshall people are being
well worked out. Some Of the repub-
licans profess to believe that the plac-
ing Of Joe Refley In the position -
secretary Of the railroad commission
is = step in that direction, ~ It will
remove one Of TasgaEt's mafnstays
from the active party management,
Continued on Page Two.J