The Washington herald., 1912-05-12
LEW SHANK, MAYOR OF INDIANAPOLIS,
THE LATEST WIZARD OF POLITICS
Former Auctioneer and Merchant Has Tri
umphed Over Bosses and No One Knows
Where He Will Stop.

Mayor and turned over to the Board
of County Commissioners. But made
the liquor crowd, step lively so long
as the Job of looking after them was
in my hands. They sold on Sundays,
but they had to do II on the sly. In
my opinion, selling on Sundays can't
be entirely prevented. Hanging saloon
keepers would do no good. There
would always ba men willing TO ignore
the law and accept the risk.
It only sent one saloonkeeper 70
church, by the way. Two police officers
peeksd into his place and saw him jerk
ing beer from a keg They had no war
rant, but they made out complaint
against him the next day and he was
pinched He denied the charge when
taken into the Police Court. said he was
at church at the time the officers sworo
he was behind the bar with an apron
around his neck He came to me. told
him believed the police.
"'You have dragged the church IN your
case, however, and an idea has just come
into my head I said. My decision Is
that you keep your saloon closed, back
door and front door. until you actually
do go to church. It's up TO you No
more beer singing unless you bring me
| a paper from some preacher that you
sat in his congregation on Sunday morn
ing and heard his sermon through from
start to finish
Preachers Get After shank.
AT 1880 o'clock the following Sunday
afternoon he telephoned that he had just
heard a bang-up discourse and would
bring the preachers certificate to my
house. The ministers Of the city jumped
on me right of. I had disgraced the
church, and so on and so forth. The
fuss annoyed me, and I never repeated
the performance. Anyway, some good
followed. The saloonkeeper was kidded
out of the business. Customers would
say: Well. Lafe. are you going TO try
1t next SundayT or Say. Lafe, you'll be
a deacon next He sold his saloon,
| bought a grocery store. and. I am in
formed. really Joined the church.
AT another time the ministers Of the
city held an indignation meeting. They
| politely invited me TO be present. mas
much as they were to rip me up the
back. ]. Frank Hanly, the lecturer, law
yer, and temperance worker, had been
called in TO do the fine work. Before
you begin on me- I remarked. let me
say a word. Mr.. Hanly, while Governor
Of Indiana, tried 10 stop a gambling
game at French Lick Springs. He
worked at the job steadily. He did not
succeed. Now he is here to-day with the
rest Of you to ask why can't close all
Of the go saloons in indianapolis on Sun
days. I'd like to hear why he failed to
shut the one saloon located in Southern
Indiana during the four years he was in
the Governors office. After he has
kindly elucidated that point, l shall be
glad to address you So the brethren
became reconciled and charitable and
we talked the matter over like friends"
What caused you to think about run
ming for Mayor in the first placer"
I was playing pinochle with a bartend-
! er. Why don't you run for Mayor? he
asked. You can win threw the
cards on the table and started my cam
paign inside Of thirty minutes. 1 talked
to everybody. Some men laughed, but
some didn't One day 1 hauled thirty
gallons Of ice cream and ten wagon
loads Of watermelons to a vacant lot
and invited the colored folks TO helm
themselves. The man who was running
against me for the nomination went 10
the same lot a week later and denounced
my methods. While he was talking a
number of my friends opened a few kegs
Of beer in a neighboring alley and ali
the voters left the meeting. I want Il
distinctly understood. however, that I
had nothing whatever to do with the
incident. Only women and children
were left to the orator, and then some
body tore down the stand from which he
was talking.
Candy, Gum, and Cigars.
Il distributed chewing gum. put up in
my own wrappers. Would go a block or
two away from a school house and
throw the gum at the kids who swarmed
all around my buggy. II made the
teachers angry but they couldn't stop
me and didn't complain to the police
always took boxes OF candy to the
factories I visited-and there are loo
IN Indianapolis-for the women clerks
and stenographers. ! distributed 1900
cigars among the workingmen. The
issue was just Lew Shank. was nomi-
mated and elected"
tics?"
"oh. no. Sitting in my ONCE on a
rainy day. some years ago, 1 said to
myself thinking about II then for the
first time: Why not run for Sherifr
got some cards printed and passed
them around. Two days later I learned
that the nomination had been framed
up for some one else. I threw the
cards away and got a new supply an
nouncing that I was a candidate for
county clerk I found In three days.
however, that another man was sure
Of the place. Then 1 ran for recorder,
gave my competitor an awful beating
and was elected. Professional ward
workers laughed but while they were
enjoying themselves I rustled."
"And now" asked, what next?'
THE Governorship, guess. There is
to be a convention in July. I'd win
If the Republicans could come out and
vote. The convention makes the result
little uncertain. I admit. I shall stump
the State in my own way, all the same,
doing more handshaking than Grating.
and just now 1 have a hunch that I'll
be nominated. There's a suggestion that
run for Congress. All the middlemen
favor the proposition, have heard. The
politicians. too, are inclined In that d.
rection. But there are s94 Congressmen
In Washington. while two men can't
be Governor of Indiana at the same
time. Besides, love to stay at home"
and Mayor Shank winked his left eye
and gave his long foot an extra swing
Horse Trader and Auctioneer.
and you have always lived in this
vicinity?' I said.
That's correct. was born about
mile and half from the city limits. |
Ny father owned forty acres Of land, but
he never, so far as / can remember,
worked with his hands-except to doctor
cows and miscellaneous domestic ami |
mails. He traded land, swapped horses, |
and auctioneered household goods and !
farm implements. Would 90 to town |
with good looking horse and return |
with q crowbait. We would think he had |
bear1 syrindlad huf he rauay