The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-04-12
palladium Specially

state committee. says the report that
he was in Washington last week, fol-
lowing the republican state convention
is not true. He left the city immedi-
ately after the convention, and gossips
had it that he had gone to Washington
to talk over the indiana political situa-
ton with some of the Hoosier repubH-
cans who are in the nations caital But
since Mr.. Lees return yesterday it is
given out at the state headquarters
that he did not go to Washington at all
but that he was in West Virginia on q
business trip which had nothing what
ever to do with politics.
When it became known that Chair
man Lee had left the city last week
and that he had started east the Cos
sips were not long in reaching the con-
clusion that he was headed for Wash
ington, the hotbed of all things polit-
ical They could see good reason
why he might be going there, after the
convention, but evidently they were all
mistaken.
Anxious About Indiana.
1t is understood here that President
Taft will call large number of Indi-
ana republican leaders to Washington
within the next few weeks for the pur
pose of having them tell him just what
the political situation is in this state.
According to reports two or three invi-
tations have been sent out already and
more are to follow. Dispatches from
Washington indicate that the president
inf1 InLf la< hn
son. probably in June, but he will not
come in May, as he had intended. It
is said that he wishes to become thor
oughly informed on the lay of the land
in Indiana before he comes here, If he
comes at all. and that it is for this rea-
son that he will call in numerous In
diana republicans to talk the matter
over and see what they can tell him
about the situation.
Things are rather quiet about the
republican state headquarters just now
| and they will remain SO for some time.
| There is no reason for activity just
| now. The state convention is over.
the organization Of the party for the
coming campaign has been made and
every arrangement has been completed
| for stirring campaign when it starts.
about the first of September. 1t is
said to be the intention to keep up the
fight from now until election day. but
up until the first of September the
campaign will be confined almost en-
tirely to organization work. From
that time forward. however, the eagle
will scream and red fire will light up
the hilltops. It will be noisy and
lively campaign on both sides.
| I Local Option Question.
| The democrats are now wrestling
with question that gave the repub-
licans many sleepless nights until
they shut their eyes and ignored 1t en-
| tirely. The democratic state conven
ton will be held in this city on April
y and %, and the big question among
them now is what to do with the local
option question. This question has
been bugaboo for the democrats ever
since it was injected into Indiana poll
tics. and this year they are as badl.
worried over it as ever.
| A large portion of the party wants
| the state convention to come Out
squarely and flat footed and declare in
favor of the repeal of the county Op
tion law without any reservation what
ever. They represent the extreme liq.
uor element of the party, and it is not
at all likely that the convention viii
pay any attention to them. The dem
ocratic leaders realize that to do such
a thing would spell ruin for their par
ty, for there are few voters in the
state who would be willing to vote the
local option law off the statute books
without substituting some other law
sysem that would be equally satisfac
tory.
Favor Present Laws.
There is another element in the par
ty. and il is no inconsiderable element
that believes the present laws should
remain unchanged. This class is the
temperance element of the party. Tht
vote at local option elections shows
that democratic counties as well as re
publican counties have voted them
selves dry. SO that neither party car
be said to have monopoly on the tenn
perance vote or temperance sentimenl
in Indiana. 1t was the temperance
minority in the democratic party dur
ing the last session of the legislature
that prevented the repeal of the coun
ty option law and the passage OF the
Proctor-Tomlinson bill. There were
4 about half a dozen democratic mem
bers of the house who stood unalter
! ably opposed to the repeal of the OPP
ton law, and by voting with the DIR,
republicans they were able to prevent
the repeal
/ 1t is practically certain that Their.
will besome dry democrats in the nex1
| house also. and that they will be al
firmly set in their opposition to the re
I peal Of the law as were the ones in thu
session of last year.
Want Law Wiped Out.
| Then there is another element in ths
democratic lineup that is in favor oil
wiping out the county option law and
passing a new law that will give Local
option to townships and wards. with a
lot of restrictions and regulations
which they believe will be better than
/ the provisions of the present law.
I With all OF these conflicting views