The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-18
Willy Tom With Backing Of
Brewers Hopes to Repay
His Political Debt Created
at Last Nomination.
HAS EYE ON PLATFORM
OF PARTY IN THE STATE
But Governor Marshall Does
Not Want County Local Op-
ton Law Changed and a
Conflict May Thus Result.
palladium Specially

palladium Specially
Indianapolis. Ind. Oct. lS.-It was
stated in these dispatches a few days
ago that several conferences had been
held in the city during the past week
between Thomas Taggart. Samuel NJ.
Ralston. Joseph Kelley. Steve Flemin,
and other democratic leaders of the
state. 1t was stated also that white
none Of these men would admit that
they were here for that purpose, it
was the general understanding that
they came to town for the purpose of
laying plans to capture the state Or
ganization and to control the cam
paign of next year.
This has been borne out by the de-
velopments Of the last day or two, for
1t Is learned now that there is a plan
on foot for the Taggart element OF the
democratic party to bring Ralston out
as its candidate for the state chairman.
ship.
Ralston is one of Taggart's favorites
among the party workers of the state.
When Ralston was a candidate fo- the
nomination for Governor last year lie
received the support Of Taggart and
his crowd. and at the convention Raj.
ston was in the lead with more votes
than any other candidate when 1t be-
came apparent that IL he remained in
the race he would be overtaken BY l..
Ert Slack of Franklin. and that Slack
would probably defeat him. So at that
critical moment Ralston did the al
most unheard of thing. Taggart pass
ed the word around that Ralston woull
withdraw from the race on the next
ballot and that all of his vote should
60 to Thomas r. Marshall in order to
defeat Slack. who had been fighting
the Taggart crowd bitterly. Ralston
then withdrew when he still had more
votes than any other candidate. This
is the way Marshall was nominated.
Taggart Dimes RaIston.
So now when the talk has become
common that Ralston is Taggart's
choice for state chairman, it is not ere.
ating any surprise, for 1t is pointed out
that Taggart owes Ralston something
for becoming the martyr to Taggart's
ambition to beat Slack.
This is not the first time Ralston has
carried the Taggart banner He was
the democratic nominee for secretary
OF state in 1898 and went down to de-
feat with the rest of his ticket. He
also has served as chairman of the
democratic state convention. and in
1906 he made the keynote speech OF
the state campaign for the democrats,
in which he made a bitter personal at
tack on Governor Hanly
1t is true that Ralston is regarded as
one of the big men of the party in In
diana, and yet he has never had a
thing from the party in the way of ar
office. although the party has tried
several times, with his consent to land
him.
The story that has now developed
from the conferences held last weel,
is that the Taggart crowd, including
the brewers, Is to make q strenuous
effort to control not only the next
state committee. but also the state
convention. in order to make sure that
the right kind Of a platform will be
adopted and the right kind Of candi.
dates be nominated.
ShiveIy and Shea.
Another feature of the story about
Ralston as a candidate for state chair
man is. that he has behind him the
support of Senator Shively and Judge
Joseph H. Shea of Seymour, who are
known as the university crowd"
Shively and Shea are both members Of
the board of trustees of Indiana Uni +.
versity. and the university crowd has
been mighty active In politics in this
state in the last few years. in both
parties. Shea was the campaign man.
ager of Shively last year when the lat
ter was a candidate for the senator
ship to succeed Hemenway. Shea had
no difficulty in lining up the Crawford
Fairbanks support and the support OF
other elements in the party for Shive-
ly, and it was currently reported that
in return for this support the Shea and
Shively followers were to vote to re-
peal the local option law. Whether
such a deal was made or not, it turned
out that way.
Support Of Brewers.
II all NJ this is true il is declared II