Evening star., 1916-09-12
Perplexities in Indiana.


Will H Hays is the chairman of the
republican state central committee of
Indiana. He Is one of Chicago's most
frequent visitors In these campaigning
days. Indiana perhaps more than any
other of the western states is just now
propagating bed for political perplex-
tiles and anxieties for both the repub-
licans and the democrats. To have an
opinion on how Indiana is to go Is to
be singular. OF course, in the Chicago
headquarters of the two parties the
state is claimed as being certain to go
this way or that way, according to
which campaign tent the claimant
hunks in. No one pays any attention to
claims. because claiming is the twelve
hour-a day business of campaign man.
ayers. When, however. you ask a DEM
ocrat or republican to tell you hon
estly what he thinks about Indiana his
anything; the. blamed state is goipg
one way OF the other, and no living
human being knows which"
The democrats have their wet and
dry troubles in Indiana. and also what
some people might be mean enough to
call their Tom Taggart troubles. The
republicans are having trouble with the
progressives in Indiana, and they also
are having trouble with what another
mean spirited one might call their Jim
Watson difficulties. 1t is pretty well
known. although republicans try to hide
1T. that the Hoosier bull moosers still
resent bitterly the nomination of Wat
son for the short-term United States
senatorship. 1t is also true that a good
many democrats resent the nomina tion
of Tom Taggart for the same office.
Some OF the progressives Of Hoosier-
dom are reported to be mutinoua The
line thus far, 1t Is pretty well known,
has not been entirely successful.
Invasion of State Planned.
Indiana is to be invaded shortly by
progressive speakers, who will try to
lecture their brethren Of the advanced
thought school into submission. The
word comes that most of the progress
sives Of Indiana are willing to vote for
Hughes and Fairbanks, but that they
will do as their Hoosier will dictates as
to the rest of the ticket. Some Of the
republicans. and perhaps most Of the
progressives who are attempting to di-
rect things in the western Campaign
would be satisfied with the Hoosier bull
moose promise Of support for the head
of the ticket were 1t not for the fact
that the strong fear is that when the
truculent ones begin cutting their
ticket they may think 1t is just as well
to cut it it's entire length.
A great cry has come out Of Hoosier-
dom for Theodore Roosevelt. Old line
republicans who have not a gramme of
affection for the colonel are insisting that
he must speak to his Hoosier followers
and make them be good. 1t Is understood
that at Chicago headquarters an effort is
being made to induce the biggest pro-
gressive of them all to make q pilgrimage
through Indiana and to see to it that
no progressive escapes the sound OF his
voice.
Charles E. Hughes will spend three
days in the state of grave doubts He
will talk to the Hoosiers Of the northern
half Of the state when they assemble in
punches at some twenty-five different
places. Later the candidate will spread
the seed in the southern half Of the state.
The question still Is, what will the
Hoosier harvest be?