The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-01-22

of election for another term as state
chairman. Because the state chairman
should not be for or against any candf-
date for any office. They said he should
be the friends of every man seeking
place the ticket, and that he had no
business to take sides with any OF
them.
In An Awkward Position.
Whether Lees anti-Taft declaration
was based on fact or not made no diff
erence in the minds of the Republicans
! of the state When he made that
declaration it placed him in a position
where in case of his reelection as
state chairman he would have had to
work for the election OF a man for
president who he had said could not
carry the state. X would place him In
an awkward position. to say the very
least.
| But now that he has seen the hand
writing and has acauiesced in the de-
mand of the Republicans of the state
that he get out of the way 1t is beloved
here to be practically certain that tbs
state committee will be much more
effectively organized.
/ Lee has given as his reason for with
| drawing from the race that the Taft
| administration has been using federal
patronage against HIN, nd tht he could
not compete with that kind of power.
But politicians here point out that Ii
federal patronage has been used against
him 1t is his own fault because he has
been denouncing the president, and
making 1t as nearly impossible for him
to get solid delegation in this state
as he could.
There is an interesting question mix
Id al 4 y, ,
is the question of who will follow him
into the Roosevelt camp in case he es-
ltablishes one in Indiana. There is no
question but that there are many Re-
lpublicans In Indiana who favor the
nomination of Roosevelt That kind cf
talk can he heard everywhere, but II
lis regarded here as doubtful IL many
of the real workers in the. party would
be willing to hitch their wagons t.
the Roosevelt star, under the guidance
of Lee. and expect to get very far with
It, The sentiment in favor of the re-
nomination of Taft appears to be sc
strong IN this state sthat it cannot be
overcome. The most that Lee and ths
Roosevelt supporters could hope to dc
| here would be to get an uninstructet
delegation from Indiana to the nationa
convention. They could not hope fol
: IN StruC0OnS Tor roosevelt IL Is ADMIT
ted that an uninstructed delegation
would be a partial victory for the anti
Taft crowd.
However, the state committee nov
will be organized along Taft lines ant
| 1t is certain that Taft supporter will
be in full control of the organization
this year. This will give that elemen
a decided advantage when 1t comes Il
Handling the compaign and choosing
delegation to the national convention.
The withdrawal of Lee from the stat
craftsmanship race has been the princi
ipal political development of the pas
week in Indiana. Several names hav
lbeen mentioned as possible candidate
now for the craftsmanship. but that G
IWin II. Hays, of Sullivan is the on
most mentioned. There is a lot of tai
of the selection of James P. Goodrich
| former state chairman, but 1t Is sal
THAT Goodrich would decline the p1ac
! lif offered Harry S. New would no
take 1t. Fred A. Sims. member Of tn
state tax board IS talked of. but h
does not want the job Charles
| Remy. of this city. is mentioned, br
J he is not an active candidate