The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-11-26
GRAY WILL HAVE
HIS HANDS FULL
Postmastership May Be Rock
that Wrecks His Politi-
cal Career Here.
FACTIONS WATCHFUL
Each Wants One of Its Mem
bers Appointed Post
master of This City.
FACTIONS WATCHFUL

So far there is only one ayowed ap-
plicant for the Richmond postmaster
ship. He is Charles Beck. district
chairman and an active party worker.
There are, however. several other
Democratic leaders who have their
eyes glued on the job and If Beck
lands II he will know he has been in
a fight. it is stated. One or two can
didates are gooming themselves as
dark horses" hoping that the faction
al strife will become SO bitter that Mr..
Gray, to save his political skin. will
have to select some applicant who has
held aloof from clan chickering's and
battles. One thing is certain, Mr. Gray
will take his time in picking Rich
mond's next postmaster for Mr.. Haas
term of office does not expire until
July 1914.
The recent election made the split
in the Wayne county Democratic
pointment of any clan leader to the To-
cal postmastership will bring down
upon Mr.. Gray the wrath OF the fac
ton decided against, it Is generally ad-
mitted.
The so-calied Bayer-Kelly faction
bears bitter grudge against the Schil.
linger-Study-Johnson crowd for the
fight that faction made against Mike
Kelly. Democritic candidate for county
recorder, and the fight it made against
Jacob Bayer, Progressive candidate for
sheriff, because he is a brother Of
John Bayer. On the other hand the
Schillinger-Study-Joh clansmen
| still resent the victory of the Bayer di-
vision in having Henry Farwig ap.
pointed oil inspector.
To q man UP a tree" it looks as
though some candidate who has re.
mained automatically on the fence
during all this internecine strife
I; stands an excellent chance of landing
the best federal job in the Sixth dis
trict.
| Patronage has already begun to be q
| nightmare to Congressman Finly Gray
and he Is working hard to prevent fac
tional trouble breaking out within the
| ranks OF the Democratic party in the
| Sixth district, but it is predicted tina,
before he gets through with the horde
Of pie-hungry faithful he will have q
new collection of wrinkles in his fore
head and new crop of grey hairs.
Mr.. Gray has begun his battle with
| the patronage problem in Henry
county, where he is now trying to
pick a new set of postmasters. But
his troubles in that county and In
Hancock, Rush.. Shelby, Fayette, ,Un
ion and Franklin will be as tame as
Sunday school picnics in comparison
to the battle he will have on his
hands in Wayne county, especially
when it comes to passing out the Rich
mond post office plum, the choicest
federal job in the entire district.
A Dangerous Position.
The two imbattled Democratic fac
tions in this city are already donnins
their war bonnets and sharpening theil
tomahawks for the battle and Con
gressman Gray occupies the enjoyable
position of standing between His Sa
tanic Majesty and the deep. blue sea
At meeting in New Castle Mon
day afternoon Mr.. Gray told all appli
cants for postmastership to make writ
ten applications for the positions. The
New Castle Courier in its account o.
this meeting says:
| At the meeting were Douglas Boil
ser, Ed Smith, Loring Bundy and T. B
Hunt, New Castle applicants; Charlie!
Clark, the Knightstown candidate
and Charles Casey, who desires to b.
postmaster at Shirley. The meeting
was held in the office of Strod Hays
in the Mouch building and was par
ticipated in by Democrats other thar
those seeking office.
Plan Approved BY All.
Congressman Gray stated that h,
desired each applicant for office to fill
out special application blank prepar
ed by him. The blank stated that eaci
man if he secured the office would de
vote his entire time to its duties anc
would engage in no other business
1t also set forth that each applican
who failed to secure the recommends
tion would abide by the result withou
complaint and without a display o
soreness or disappointment.
The application plan met with thu
approval OF. every aspirant present a
the meeting and all signed them. Tn,
plan was also approved by leading
democrats. who urged the congress
man to announce his Recommendation
early, in order that the sore spots tha
might result could be healed.