The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-12-15
PETE FOLEY
LOWERS On
HORIZON
Name for State Chairman
Casts a Cloud Over Politi-
cal Harmony in Democrat
ic Ranks-Is Acknowl
edged Candidate for Job.
TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL.

Al STATE CAPITAL.
indianapolis, Ind, Dec. ia cloud
that may assume large proportions
broke over the meeting of the demo-
cratic state committee nthis city. yes
terday. and unless all signs fail it will
burst the harmony of the Hoosier DEM
ocrats all to pieces. The cloud is the
name of Pete Foley of Lafayette for
state chairman. There can be no de-
NAL of the fact that Foley is a candi-
date and that the other aspirants will
find him a formidable opponent when
the time comes for the new state COM
mittee to elect chairman on Jan. 8.
1t has been known for several days
that F'oley'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
well pleased with things If Foley were
elected chairman. 1t was also known
that the election of Foley would not
be at all displeasing to Governor Mar
shall, who has high regard for Folly
as politician and as man. They are
good friends
Here's Where the Shoe Pinches.
But the trouble is that Foley IL
brother-in-law to John E. Lamb of
Terre Haute, who was one of the lead
ing candidates for United states senator
last winter when Senator Shively was
elected. For years Lamb and Craw-
ford Fairbanks, the Terre Haute brew
er. worked together in politics as well
as in 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 1t. Fair
banks helped Shively and did much to-
ward electing him. This caused ser
ious break between Fairbanks and
Lamb. and since that time they have
not been good political friends. But
Foley's candidacy for state chairman
has mixed 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 serious
ness of the situation Is seen in the
fact that If Foley is elected chairman
he will be naturally expected by every
body to try to help to elect Lamb
United States senator, in case the next
Legislature is democratic.
Slack Is Opposed.
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 anti
Taggart candidate. He was beaten at
the convention when Taggart had Sam
uel L Ralston, the leader, withdraw
from the race on the fifth ballot and
throw his votes to Marshall when Slack
was near the goal. Later. however.
when Slack became a candidate for
United States senator he was not so
strongly anti-Taggart as he had been.
but he was defeated again, just the
same when Shively was elected Then,
during the session of the legislature
Slack appeared at the state house and
worked for the passage of the Proctor
Tomlnson bill, which would have re-
pealed the local option law, and it was
generally believed that he had re-
ceived 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.
of course the objection of Foley as
state chairman at this time would put
Slack up 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 made 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, If Foley Is elected
state chairman it is not to be expected
| that 1t will suit Hoffman, If he expects
to be a candidate for senator again.
Whether John w. Kern, of this city,
will ever run again for anything is not
known, but there is a large element OF
the party that believes he has some
thing good coming to him. Kern and
Lamb are close personal friends, al
though both were candidates for the
same Office last winter. But If Kern
still has the senatorial bee buzzing in
his ear he VIII not be well pleased with
the election of Foley as state chairman
because Foley is so close to Lamb
And there may be other men in the