The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-15
Candidacy of Lafayette Man
For State Chairman CauS-
es a Cloud That Threatens
Harmony Dreams.
FAVORED BY TAGGAR1
FOR THAT POSITION
But the Greatest Trouble Is
He Is Brother-in-IaW of J.
e. Lamb Who Waged Fight
Against ShiveIy.
palladium Specially


may assume large proportions broke
over the meeting of the democratic
state committee in this city. yester-
day, and unless all signs fail it will
bust the harmony of the Hoosier
democrats all to pieces. The cloud is
the name of Pete Foley, of Lafayette,
for state chairman. There can be no
denial of the fact that Foley is a can
didate and that the other aspirants
will find him a formidable opponent
when the time comes for the new
state committee to elect chairman
on January s.
1t has been known for several days
that Foley's name was being used in
this connection and that the talk was
spreading, thanks to the industry of
certain elements of the party. 1t was
known that Tom Taggart would be
we'll pleased with things if Foley were
elected chairman. 1t was known also
that the election of Foley would not
be at all displeasing to Governor Mar
shall, who has a high regard for Foley
as a politician and as a man. They
are good friends.
An Ally Of Fairbanks.
But the trouble is that Foley is a
brother-in-law to John E. Lamb. of
Terre Haute. who was one of the
leading candidates for United States
senator last winter when Senator
Shively was elected. For years Lamb
and Crawford Fairbanks, the Terre
Haute brewer, worked together in pol
itics as well as in many other ways,
and when Lamb came out for senator
he had good reason to expect that
he would have Fairbanks support.
But he did not get it. Fairbanks help
ed Shively and did much toward elect
ing him. This caused serious break
between Fairbanks and Lamb. and
since that time they have not been
good political friends. But Foley's
candidacy for state chairman has mix
ed the situation until it is hard to
tell what the real situation is. Foley
stands close to Fairbanks. He also
stands close to Lamb. And the SER
iousness of the situation is seen in
the fact that if Foley is elected chair
man he will be naturally expected by
everybody to try to help to eject Lamb
United States senator, in case the
next legislature is democratic.
Does Not Please Slack.
This, of course, is not to the liking
of the other men who will be in the
race for United States senator. There
is l.. Ert Slack, for instance. He has
fought the Taggart combine at every
turn of the road until last year, and
when he went into the campaign last
year for the nomination for governor
he made his fight as a straight out an
ti-Tageart candidate. He was beaten
at the convention when Taggart had
Samuel NJ. Ralston, the leader, with
draw from the race on the fifth ballot
and threw his votes to Marshall when
Slack was near the goal Later. how
ever. when Slack became a candidate
for United States senator he was not
so strongly anti-Taggart as he had
the same when Shively was elected.
Then, during the session of the legis-
lature Slack appeared at the state
house and worked for the passage of
the Proctor -Tomlfnson bill. which
would have repealed the local option
law. and it was generally believed
that he had received the assurance of
the interests that he should be the
next United States senator, in case
the next one was a democrat, but this
has been denied.
1t Would Boost Lamb.
OF course, the election Of Foley as
state chairman at this time would
put Slack in the air. His friends
would take the choice to mean that
Lamb was to be the high man in the
race and that the machine was to be
for him.
Then there is Eddie Hoffman, Of
Fort Wayne. He was a candidate for
United States senator. but went down
with the rest. He had the support
OF Steve Fleming. OF Fort Wayne,
head Of the Association Of Indiana
Brewers. 1t must be remembered
that Fleming and Fairbanks are not
on the best Of termS now. as brewers,
because Fairbanks refuses to come
into the association and be good. Now,
il Foley is elected state chairman it
is not to be expected that it will suit
- = J,