The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-05-10

PARTY IS IN
BAD SHAPE

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. May 10
About all there is left 81 the Democrat
il party in Indianapolis and Marion
county j. the machine that is owned
end operated by Joseph f Bell. for
mer mayor Of this city And this ma
chine is SO wobblv that II squesks
and rattles and drass along in very
weakened condition This was shown
bv the vote at the primary last Tues
day
In 1915 the Democrats cast 34.732
votes for their candidates for Con-
gress in Marion county. At the pri
maries TUESDAY the best they could do
was to muster 3 vote ~ little more
than 5000 FOR their candidates for
nominations.
Democrats themselves are appalled,
at the tremendous shriuksge in their
be ritz vote in the county. and many Of
Them say that Il indicates practical
disruption or the entire Organization
in the county. This IS regarded as be
ing of the utmost Importance. too. for
Marion county has long been regarded
as the center 81 political activity. and
democrats over the state have looked
TO Indianapolis for leadership in their
political fights.
They realize now. however. thet Bell
has driven the party on the rocks. and
that ID will be a very difficult matter
for anyone ever to gather up the
wreckage and piece ii together again
into a substantial party organization
Relrs administration as mayor IS still
fresh in the minds of the people here.
They recall that his chief or police is
Atlanta that his inspector Of weights
and measures is clio there: that several
members of his police department
served terms ia iail. that Bell himself
was tried in the Federal eourt on an
Indictment charging conspiracy against
the election laws and thar he was not
acquitted or convicted but that the
jury disagreed.
They recall too, that Bell is in bad
politically with about every body in the
county. but that his henchmen are
still in control Of the party organize
ton and are running things. The Bell
crowd brought out the slate Of candi-
dates for the various county nomina-
tions. some or them being wholly IN
desirable. and practically the entire
slate was nominated
Democrats knew that il was useless
for them to undertake to beat Bells
slate end they did not vote at the
primaries And many Of them nov
say that they VIII not vote their party
ticket at the election.
That Bell proposes TO retain his hold
on the party organization and pose a.
the leader in this county is shown BY
the fact that he had himself elected
a delegate to the Democratic state con
vention, and it is now said that he will
be the Seventh district member Of the
committee on resolutions that will
draft the platform. Bell and Crawford
Fairbanks the erstwhle Terre Haute
brewer. are close friends
With all these conditions confront
ing them it is not strange that Marion
county democrats took no interest in
the primaries and allowed their party
to go to destruction They are placing
all Of the responsibility for the situ-
alton on Bell. and It is understood that
a movement viii be started TO apprise
the democrats - the state OF condi-
tions. so that they may prevent Bell
and his crowd from assuming full con-
troll OF the state convention next
month
One other feature Of the primary re-
suits as they are coming in Is that in
both the democratic and republican
primaries the wet interests were bus
Ter than they were expected to be.
Il develops that e large number OF men
have been nominated by both parties
for the legislature who are known to
be wet and others whose attitude is
not at ell clear.
This Is regarded a. pressging that
stiff fight at the coming session Will
be made for the repeal Of the state
wide prohibition law and to prevent
the Indiana legislature from voting TO
ratify the proposed prohibition amend.
ment to the Federal constitution.