The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-07-17
TAGGART SCHEME IN FIGHT
FOR NOMINATION IS UNFOLDED

But. in any event, it is understood
OBrien Will not make any announce
ment of his candidacy, but will merely
allow the talk to take its course. Then
when convention time comes. unless
Ralston is nominated on the first ball
lot. O'Brien will be in position where
the Taggart fellows can manipulate
things as to throw all of their
strength to O'Brien and nominate him
This would mean a throwdown of Raj
ston, but a little thing like throw
down would not cause any pain in the
political conscience of the Taggart
bunch.
In other words, it is believed that
O'Brien with the aid OF the Taggart
outfit. is going to keep himself in good
condition and be in position to receive
the nomination at the convention If it
can be thrown to him
Some of Ralston's friends fear this
very thing. They insist that before
the convention day arrives Ralston will
be so strong that neither Taggart nor
anyone else could beat him for the
nomination. but still they are worried
over the chance. One loyal Ralston man
said. the other day. in speaking of the
governorship race.
Il had talk with Taggart the other
day and put the matter squarely up to
him. l asked him who he was for gov
ernor. He said he was for Ralston
Then I asked him who he would be for
IL OBrien got into the race He said
he would like to see O'Brien governor.
but that he did not believe O'Brien
would be a candidate. In fact, he said
ne was almost certain that O'Brien
would not be a candidate. But. I ask
hsr,1
will you be for? Taggart said he would
be for Ralston. l have no doubt that
deep down in their hearts Taggart and
the Taggart crowd would rather have
O'Brien than Ralston but they know
they could not nominate O'Brien with
out fight which would disrupt the
party, and they would rather have Raj
ston without a fight than O'Brien with
a fight"
This man said also that the only way
O'Brien could be nominated by the
Taggart outfit was for him to stay on
the edge of the fight until the conven-
ton, and then slip in quietly and land
the nomination. If the RaIston men
could assure themselves that the Taf-
gartftes would not put over some
scheme of this kind they would feel
much easier about the whole PROPOSE
ton.
There Is one reason for the belief
that O'Brien will not be a candidate for
governor, and that is that for him TO
40 SO would mean that he would have
to step aside as auditor of state. and
there would then be a wild scramble
for the nomination for that Office
Governor Marshall cannot afford. since
ne has announced his candidacy for the
nomination for president, to ehave anv
scramoies in his own party in this |
state next year. He must have a solid |
delegation back of him from this state |
In the national convention, and If there
are lot of hard fights for state nomi- /
nations there might be such faction
al division in the party as to endanrer
his chances for solid support. 1t seems
TO be admitted that OBrien is to he /
Marshails campaign manager newt
year. in the work of obtaining a della
cation to the national convention. And
It is believed that with his prestige
as state auditor O'Brien can accom-
plish more than IL he was a candidate
himself for governor. It is known that
Governor Marshall wishes to have
peace in the party next year This is
another reason to believe that O'Rrien
will not run for governor. His candi-
dacy would mean a hard fight with /
Ralston and his friends, and the gov
srnor cannot stand for It, But the
coup could easily be pulled off at the