The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-01-10

tor, as soon as he returned to Indiana,
visited certain men known to be friend
~ to the LaFollette boom and tried to
call them off-in other words. to get
them to cease pushing the LaFollette
movement. He was unsuccessful in
this. ii is said. and then he called on
certain other influential republicans.
,, 1T is said that Harry S. New. for
mer chairman OF the national republi-
can committee. was present at the lat
ter conference. Those there put before
New the proposition to re-eiect Beve
ridges man, Lees as state chairman. 1t
was urged on New that he would never
get anything at the hands of the re-
! pub1cans who have always opposed
Beveridge in politics, end that, there
fore, he had just as we'll get into the
game and aid in bringing about the re-
election of Lee.
News reply to all Of these sugges-
| tions is said to have been emphatic.
He informed them first that he was for
Taft and that he would remain for Taft
until the finish 1t is said he also told
them he was opposed to Lee and Beve-
ridge, too. and that If Eeveridge sought
to be a delegate to the national conven-
| ton he would get out and make fight
| against him.
soon after this conference Lee made
his trip to Washington and gave out
the interview in which he said Taft
could not carry Indiana. Since it has
been said that former Senator Beve-
ridge is not having anything to do with
politics in Indiana, this story is re-
garded as rather interesting by repub-
leans
Lee was made state chairman two
years ago, when Beveridge had control
of the state committee, but the friends
| of the former senator have been say
! ing of late that he was taking no part
In politics and have continued to say
this even since the Lee statement was
given out.
THE stateemnt was made by close
! friend of Senator Beveridge that he and
| Roosevelt were the best of friends and
that any report that they had had a
misunderstanding when Roosevelt was
in Indiana during the last campaign
speaking for Beveridge wos untrue.
This same friend said that Taft had
done a lot of things that We're not of
the kind to make Beveridge feel kind
| ly. toward the president.
In this same connection. Lee in the
last few days has become a pronounce
Roosevelt man. He says there is no
doubt Roosevelt will be nominated for
the presidency, and agrees with word
| which comes from certain sources in
Washington that President Taft will
get out Of the race before many state
conventions have been held.
When Mr.. New read the above clip
ping he said all of that part arraying
him against Beyeridge was untrue. In
regard to the rest of it he said:
Prior to MIR. Lee giving out his
statement at Washington some repub-
licans came to me. saying they repre-
scented Mr. Beveridge. They asked me
.! to join them in re-electing Mr.. Lee as
state chairman. l told them I would
not do it. / did not refuse on account
of Mr.. Beveridge. I refused because ]
did not regard Mr.. Lee as a big enough
man for the place. l explained to them
that the coming campaign would be a
hard fought battle. and that I felt that
1.-The republican party should have a
4 chairman who was big enough and good
enough politician to wage the battle
for the party. i did not regard Mr.. Lee
as such man and told them so. Their
they suggested that Mr.. Beveridgt
name three men, Mr. Fairbanks name
three and that l name three. and thai
these nine men select chairman OF
the state committee. l declined to list
en- to that proposition. also. 1 told then
that it was for the copamittee to cleo
It's own chairman I told them that
thought the committee ought to BIZ
composed of men VINO would be fully
able TO take care of the campaign ant
that ! would not join in any scheme t
elect a state chairman by drawing
name out of a hat. That is the trutl
about that conference. told them tina
the state chairman ought to be a mar
not under the dominating influence o
ANY man. whether it be Beverage OF
Tany one else''
Mr.. New will go to Chicago Frida,
fer a meeting on Saturday of the sub
committee appointed by the nationa