The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-09-06
THE POLITICAL
WORLD
IN INDIANA
Prom TEE sTLAEES Own ue-
aAEpol1n Bureau
TIMES BUREAU
At STATE CAPITAL.

2 - III REAL
At STATE CAPITAL.
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. sept 5.-l
Within the next three weeks the
Democratic state committee VIII have
u new state chairman. II present
plans are carried out, and IL probably
viii he ". H. OBrien cf Lawrence
burg. although there are two Or three
others mentioned who may upset the
arrangements.
oBrien is being boosted against bis
own viii. by Dale J. Cuttenbergers ct
Anderson. and Charles A. G-reathouse.
of this city. both of whom are audi-
dates for the nomination for governor
in 1920. C-rittenbereer thinks IL he
can only land O'Brien as state chair
man il VIII help him Is pun down The
nomination for governor, because IL
would thus eliminate James r. Elem
ing Of Portland from the public eye.
and clear the way in the Eighth dis
triet C~rittenberger realizes that il
would not be a good thing to have a
state chairman and the candidate for
governor from the same district. be-
cause Democrats in the rank and fle
would raise a howl that tie Faghth
district was trying to hog everything
So Crittenberger wanes OBrien to
come out Of his retirement ana stand
for chairman.
On the other hand. Greathouse. who
is now state chairman. feels the same
way about OBrien. and he would like
to have him at the head 81 the or
ganization because he feels that he
could depend on O'Brien 10 help him i'm
the race FOR governor. G~reathouse
and OBrien have worked together in
politics for years. But C~rlttenberger
and OBrien also have been as close
as two politicians could Sc for an
equal number Of years. Therefore. il
is evident that if O'Brien IS elected
state chairman he viii have swell
time deciding whom he win favor for
governor. II ne favors either man the
other and his friends wtu scratch him
of their visiting lists. II O'Brfen
stands still and tries to play the game
from a neutral standpoint-welI. any
body knows what happens To a neutral
or an innocent bystander when a night
Is on.
OBrien wants to be LETT alone. He
has been in politics since the memoir
OF man was a fresh young thing
thomas Taggart brought him out and
made him a big man in Indiana
Democracy many years ago when he
picked O'Brien for treasurer ST the
Democratic national committee at the
time when Taggart was national chair
man. Then Taggart made O'Brien
state chairman at a time when the
had about as much chance
of winning as an alligator has Of
climbing a creased pole at a Fourth
Of July picnic. But O'Brien was game
and he served his time. for all Of
which he was rewarded later with the
office Of auditor Of state
When he retired from that Office
O'Brien that he was
through with politics, and that he was
going to stick TO banking AT Laurence
burg.
But C-rlttenberger has never been
governor of Indiana. and that makes
q different situation. He has wanted
TO be governor ever since he can re-
In fact, he wanted ALMOST
any and every office within the gift of
the people. and he had one term as
Of state. Crittenberger knows
every wheel and bolt cog and screw
in the construction % a political ma
chine. and as governor he would have
opportunity for his ability in that
direction to go the limit
Crittenberger's lieutenants through
out the state are already at work lin
ing things UP for him Unless Great
house gets busy soon and keeps him
self busy C-rittenberger viii Law him
out for the nomination. All Of which
be milk and honey for the re-
publicans of Indiana because the
democratic machine with which Crit
tenberger has played bali for - many
years is in bad in Indiana
Little attention - beirg paid to
party politics at this time. further
than to keep party ORGANIZATIONS to-
The war has taken the place
of politics. and there IS a deep feel
ing that this Is no time fer politicians
to stir I'D strife or dispute. There
fore. there is little doing among them.
But tits not out Of place rs cali at
tention to the things that are COINS
in connection with the democratic
organization and its quest for state (
chairman. state Chairman Great
house said a few days ago thar he
thought he would call the state com
mittee together in about three weeks
TO take Up the question Of electing a
new chairman He cannot continue
IN that position because he Is now q
member Of the commission is admin
lister the federal vocational education ,
q federal job that pays hirl s5.0oo
q vea~ and rarrrfrae --st,E R