The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1913-05-01

Judge Remster. of the Marion cir
cult court, has handed down a deci-
sion which will have an important
bearing on the future of the Progress
sive party in Indiana and throughout
the nation. The suit grew out of the
refusal of the Republican city clerk OF
indianapolis to appoint a Progressive
on the board of primary election COM
missioners, Notwithstanding the stat
utes provide that two of the mem
bers of such board shall be appointed
from the two political parties casting
the highest vote at the last proceed
ing general election.
The efforts of the G. o. p. leaders
to nullify the statute and thwart the
will of the majority OF the voters,
clearly demonstrates the character of
the fight which will be made by the
Republicans in order to prevent the
Progressive party from coming into
it's own as the second party in the
state and nation. The members of the
Progressive party may just as well
understand right now that they will
have to fight every inch of the ground
that has been captured. They may
expect that every possible means will
be used to drive them from their
moorings. Stand pat" leaders will re-
sort to every possible method to de-
prive the Progressives of the rights
and recognition that belongs to them
by virtue OF their being the second
party. 1t remains to be seen whether
or rst the Progressives will defend
their rights by standing four-square
aginst every subtle suggestion to COM
promise and fight to the last ditch in
defense of the rights which are &C
corded the new party by the law.
The fair-minded citizens of Indiana
have right to question the motive
which lies behind this attempt to place
such an Interpretation on the primary
law as will enable the Republican ma
chine to control the appointments on
the various election boards. The ir
Irregularities and unmitigated frauds
perpetrated by these bosses in assum-
ing pernicious and illegal control from
them under similar conditions in the
approaching municipal primaries and
the subsequet city election in Novem-
ber.
Having been relegated to third place
among the political parties of the state
and nation, and thereby loosing its
representation on the several election
boards, it is clearly the purpose of the
Republican leaders to endeavor to pre-
vent the enforcement of the election
law and thus be in position to re-
peat the malignant frauds of other
years. That such an attempt would
be made is reasonable to assume, be-
cause of the fact that the same in
dividuals who were in control of the
Republican party when these frauds
| were perpetrated, are in control at the
| present time.
Thus it is that the Republican lead
ers are adverse to relinquishing their
control of election boards and place
them in the hands of the two parties
casting the highest number of votes
at the last proceeding general cleo
toni. e. the Democratic and Pro-
gressive parties, as clearly provided by
the statute, and are determined to use
every possible effort to maintain a
stragetic position, even to the limit
of ignoring the statute and endeavor-
| ing to usurp the position which justly
belongs to the Progressive party.
1t does not require a prophetic vi
sion to determine the influence that