The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-09-01
Zimmerman's Position and Chances

in resembling it's order for holding primary on
September 8, at which the various candidates for
city offices the Republican ticket should be
nominated, is perfectly plain and reasonable.
With but candidate for each of the places to
be filled by nomination it would have been need
lessly expensive to have held the primary. I'm
der such conditions convention will do very
we'll
What the Palladium can not understand,
however, is the why and wherefore Of all this
alleged enthusiasm on the part of the Republi-
can city committee over the outlook for victory
for the Republican ticket in the November cleo
ton. AS the Palladium interprets the signs,
they are all against success for the Republican
ticket.
In the first place take last falls election. The
Republican vote in this city dwindled to a mere
handful. Where formerly large majority of
the voters of Richmond supported the Republi-
can party here, less than 900 remained with it
last November. At the same time the Progress
i've vote in this city 2,40O.
In the second place, disregarding past events
and combining attention only to the present. what
is the meaning of Mayor Zimmermans being
assured denomination on the Republican ticket
without any opposition? Is it that his chances of
being elected great that the party bosses
will not risk the danger of losing with lesser
light? Is it that Mayor Zimmerman is THE boss
of the local Republican machine and therefore is
debating his denomination in a rule ruin
spirit? Or is his lack of opposition due to a feel
ing on the part of other Republicans who would
be qualified to ask for the nomination, that the
Republican partys chances locally are so dubious
that they do not care to waste the time and
sy necessary to making fight for such nomi-
nation this time?
The Palladium believes the solution of the
problem lies in answering the last two questions
In the affirmative. The Zimmerman organiza-
ton comprises the great majority of what is left
Of the Republican party in Richmond He
trolls the Republican city committee. His men
constitute majority of that board. At the open
ing of political activity this year, Mayor Zim-
norman announced himself in favor of a pri-
mary for selecting the Republican candidates.
The city committee complacently carried out the
mayors desires and ordered a primary to be held
on September 8. Then he saw that without
opposition to his own race and with candidates
for the other positions having to be drafted,
primary would be farce, as we'll as a useless
expense. Consequently, taking the latter as his
public excuse for changing front, the mayor
announced his willingness to be renominated at
4 convention. And just as compacently the city
committee cancelled it's order for primary and
held that convention in order.
Mayor Zimmerman is THE boss of the Re-
publican party in Richmond in the days of it's de-
cadence and dissolution
AS to the bright outlook ahead of the Repub-
lican party in this falls municipal election, why
we're not men of the calber and standing of
Judge Comstock or Judge Rupe brought out for
the nomination for mayor? They have both had
long and honorable careers of service and have
shown that they capable. That such men as
these considered by the few anti-Zimmer-
man men on the city committee who really have
at heart the best interests of their party is I'M
doubtedly true. Particularly so when it is
remembered that Demas Coe was asked to make
the race for the Republican nomination for
mayor and declined, saying, Il can not I am
Progressive"
The men who might have made the race for
the mayoralty nomination and did not were po-
litcally wise. They knew the Republican candi-
date for mayor would have a thankless and
dubious task ahead of him in the face of the
overwhelming Progressive sentiment of Rich
mond And this feeling has extended to all the
places on the Republican city ticket From city
clerk on through the list of councimanic cand-
dates, almost all the places have been filled by
drafting.
Mayor Zimmerman alone wanted a nomina-
ton and wanted it badly. He trusts to the God
dess of Fortune. Something. somehow, may
turn up to enable the Republican candidate to
win at the polls. A turn of the Wheel a lucky
throw, and fortune may smile upon him for just
one more time. The gambler in any walk of life
always takes one chance too many. Mayor