The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-06-01
LEE AF TER
HARD. JOB
ONCE MORE
TIMES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPITAL.

AT STATE CAPITAL.
Indianapolis. Ind, June Edwin NJ
Lee. Republican state chairman. is GO
| ing to Washington in about two weeks
to have a talk with President Taft on
political matters in Indiana, and his
friends believe that he will be able TO
convince the President that he ought
| to be elected chairman of the state
committee for the presidential cam
paign next year. In fact. that is why
he is going to Washington. Mr.. Lee
believes that he is entitled to another
chance at the job and he also believe
that President Taft will be satisfied TO
have him reelected.
! All of this, so it is said. is based on
the idea that Taft is to be re-nominated
for President by the Republicans, and
that he ought to have something to say
| about who shall manage the campaign
| in the different states. or course, the
nominee for president will name the ma
tional chairman. That is always the
rule 1t is pointed out that giving Taft
| an opportunity to have something to
say about the various state chairman
ships is merely extension of this
rule
| Mr.. Lee has been making a careful
canvass of the state during the last few
months. lining things up. or trying to,
/ in his own behalf He has visited
practically every county In the state
and says he has talked with Republi-
cans all over the state. and that he
feels that he will be able to have him.
self re- elected state chairman. I'D to
/ this time other name has been heard
as a formidabie candidate against him
| for the place, but, of course, the cleo
ton is a long way off. and there may be
| any number of others in the race for
the position before the state committee
is reorganized next January. In going
to Washington. however, Lee will show
that he is IN earnest in his candidacy,
and he may thus be able TO head off
some aspirants. If any there be.
While Lees friends believe he will
be able to induce President Taft to
agree to his reelection as state chair
man. there are others who are not so
Optimistic about 1t. The latter point
out that Lee Is the representative of
what has all along been known as tbs
linsurgent element in the party, and
that the regulars. or stand patters, arc
not likely to agree to his heading the
state committee through he next cam
paign IL they can help It Lees position
lin the matter is that he was the state
chairman in a campaign in an off year
and that. therefore, he ought to be en-
TITLED to serve as state chairman
Through the next presidential cam
paign. He says this has been the prac-
tice always in all of the state and that
there is no reason why it should be
different now in Indiana. Lee has been
using this argument in his travels over
the state and he says that most of the
Republicans agree with him.
But some of the regulars take the
position that even though Lee was
chairman during the state campaign
this alone does not entitle him tc
further recognition along that line
They point out that at the election III
which Lee was state chairman the
Democrats carried the state, and the,
, are afraid he might not do any better
next year.
Lee is hard worker at the political
game. And he is keeping at 1t through
the vacation period. leaving nothing un.
done to keep the party in as good shape
, as possible for the next campaign.
1t is pointed out that even IL Presi-
dent Taft should happen to give hi.
consent to the reelection of Lee a.
state chairman it would not necessari
ly mean that he would be elected. This
whole thing will depend on which ele
ment of the party controls the mex
state committee. If the insurgents con
, troll the committee they could re-elec
Lee without any trouble. If the OLD
guard controls the committee 1t is no
believed Lee could hope to be elected
even IL President Taft were to give hi!
consent. 1t is not expected that Presi
dent Taft will indorse Lee for the place
and it Is not believed that Lee hopes foi
/ that much But there are some whs
3 say that Taft might tell Lee to 81
4 ahead and make the race and be elect
: ed If he can, and that if elected he viii
not offer any objection. He might tel
E him that it is an open race and that Lei
Y has as much right to be candidate 70
r the place that any other man has. Blu
that is about as far as he is expected
D to go.
. The state committee is always or
I ganized in January preceding the cleo
] tion, and 1t is made up of membe
ifrom each of the congressional district