The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-01-20


every county In the state. before and
since, convinces me, beyond all question
that / was and am absolutely right
Promises Utmost For Cause.
TN the future; as in the past, / shall
do my utmost for the cause of Repub-
lcanism. I can not. adequately ex-
press my thanks and gratitude to the
various members of state. county and
precinct organizations, who have sup
ported me so loyalty while I have been
chairman"
Mr. 1 Lee said last night that he had
nothing TO add to what.he said In the
Liter Ssstfsd to members Of the com
mfttee
Il believe have made myself clear.
he said Il am ready to step out and
to make way for any good Republican
who may be chosen for the chairman
work. l have enjoyed the work II
has been pleasure TO me to have been
associated. as I have been. with thous-
ands of Republicans In the state, on this
most agreeable terms. Ny conscience
is clear. The record made is one OF
which have no need to feel ashamed
That Memorable Interview.
State Chairman Lee of Indiana leap
Ell into national political prominence by
reason OF statement given out by him
at Washington, ID. c.. at the time oil
the holiday meeting of the Republican
nation committee at that city. Mr.
Lees statement was to the effect that
he did not believe President Taft, IL re.
nominated for President. could carry
Indiana. Mr.. Lee was criticised by
many Republicans because of his state
ment. He continued to express the be-
lief voiced at Washington. He took
the position that while he knew he
was violating the accepted ethics OF
politics. at the same time he believed
he was telling the truth, and that he
was giving conditions as he found
them, and not as he had hope to find
them. He took the position that Presi-
dent Taft ought not to be renominated
and later predicted that President
Taft's name would be presented to this
Republican national convention.
4 have violated machine ethics" said
Mr.. Lee, in discussing his anti-Taf'
declaration, Il admit that. But I an
not nor even will be. machine poll
tieian. 1 have tried to tell the truth
storm of Criticism.
Following the Lee anti-Taft state
ment and it's wide publication, Chair
man Lee was severely arrdI2neO o.
practically all the Republican news
papers of indiana. and many Republi
cans of prominence expressed emphatic
disapproval of his course and of his
| publicity methods. In some quarter.
the most severe critics of Mr. Lee de
clared that Lee could not be excuse
for his anti-Taft utterances, ever
though he had found conditions justi
| flying his assertions. Most of the Re
publican editors took the position tina
Mr.. Lee had made himself ineligible t,
continued service as state chairman b,
taking an anti-Taft position.
| Vigorous language and short an'
ugly words went to the making of SOM
of the seathing editorials that discussed
Mr. Lee and his anti-Taft statements.
| There were many interesting, divert
1 ing and peculiar developments OF tn
strange situation as time went on. On
editor who had denounced Lee, endin;
his editorial roast with the words MI
Lee. here's your hat" later took a pol
| of his county and found conditions Il
that particular county as Mr.. Lee ha
described them. The editor came gu
teditorialIy with a frank statemen
that the real conditions could not b
ignored. At the same time he did no
Justify Chairman Lees frank avowal o
the facts as Lee previously had discov
| cred them to be.