The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-05
Generally Reported Shively
And Kern Forces Have
Reached Understanding in
Senatorial Fight.
SLACK HAS LOYAL AND
FAITHFUL FOLLOWING
Unless He Is Eliminated From
Contest Quite Probable Bal
Ioting Would Result in a
I"neIeSS Deadlock.
Palladium Bureau.
Indianapolis, Jan. S.

Palladium Bureau.
Indianapolis, Jan. S.
The newest development in the race
for United States senator seems to be
a combination between the forces Of
John w. Kern and B. F. Shively to
beat L. Ert Slack or any other candi-
date that may appear to develope too
much strength for the elements that
are against him. Kern. and Shive1y
and some of their followers have been
holding conferences during the last
few days and observers claim to see
in these talks the first appearance of
the combination in real life.
Slack is a Thorn.
Slack is the thorn in the side of the
other candidates. They know that he
has strength that they cannot get
away from him and this worries
them. 1t has become apparent to ev-
erybody that if Kern, Shively and
Slack all stay in the race and hold
the votes that they will start with, no
senator from Indiana. 1t would mean
deadlock as sure as you are foot
high. This is what they all fear and
what they are trying to avoid. Kern
will start in the lead, with Slack Sec
ond and Shively third, according to
present indications. Slack will come
nearer holding his vote than any 9TH
er candidate in the race, because he
will have behind him the anti-Tag-
the legislature who will not vote for
Kern or Shively unless they cannot
help themselves.
Combine Necessary.
Therefore. to beat Slack it will be
absolutely necessary for the other
candidates to form a combination of
some kind, and it looks like this is
now being done by the Kern follow
ers and the disciples of Shfvely.
In the last few days Kern, Shively,
Judge Joseph Shea, of Seymour, and
Crawford Fairbanks, the Terre Haute
brewer, have been holding conferen.
ces at the Denison hotel. It is said
that Kern has received reports from
Shea, who is the most active Shively
man in the entire crowd of rooters
that are here. and that Shea has also
been reporting to Shively. Then Fair
banks and Kern hold a conference
and next Fairbanks is in consultation
with Shively. And so it has been go
ing. They all seem to be intere ested
in the same thing and to be working
to the same end. 1t is on this fact
tween Shively and Kern has started.
Shively to Discard.
Everybody recognizes that such q
combination would be formidable anG
| that it would probably win. Whether
1t means that Kern is to stay in the
race and Shively get out or vice versa
| is not known. but the best observers
| say that it means the elimination o
Shiyely for the reason that Kern will
be most likely to hold his vote intac
during the early balloting
| It seems impossible for the machine
to beat Slack in any other way. L
is believed that if such a combination
| is actually formed and active work i:
| begun to carry it through Senator
Steve Fleming will make a desperate
effort to swing the entire Twelfth dis
| trict delegation from Hoffman t.
Slack in order to defeat Kern. whom
he dislikes in the most cordial man
/ ner The Kern-Shively people Ger
tainly have no reason for hoping O
expecting that Fleming will do any
thing to aid in such scheme as the,
are putting up for that reason.
/ His Chances Poor One.
i Hoffman's chances seem to b
hopeless at this time, and therefor,
his votes will have to go somewher
else when the time comes to breal
away from him. That they will no
go to Kern is cinch. If Fleming cal
i prevent it. That they will not go t
Shively is also cinch, If by doing s.
Fleming has TO. in any manner all
himself with Kern.
So it looks like there is somethin
In the Kern-ShiveIy talk. The Slacl
crowd is on to the plan and is maxim
q desperate effort to head it off, be
cause Slack and his followers realiz
that it win be dangerous menace Z
his chances Congressman Lincol
Dixon, of the Fourth district. is her
i to help Slack in his fight. Dixon
! one of the best politicians in the den
ocrafic party in this state
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