Evening star., 1919-04-13
indiana. POLITICS
IN Center Of STAGE
Anti Wilson Feeling Rated
Intense and Sentiment
Averse to League.
G. O. P. LAUDS WILL HAYS

G. o. P. LAUDS WILL HAYS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, April I'm
diana Is full Of politics and presidential
booms. And what else would one ex-
pect in this, the state that gave the ma
ton Fairbanks, Kern. Marshall. Harry
New. Jim Watson and now VIII Hays?
Even Gov. Goodrich has presidential am
bitions. and Mr.. Hays, the republican
national chairman, will run for governor
to succeed him Ono can imagine how
things stand here when democrats testi-
fy that Mr.. Hays can go right on run
ming the republican national campaign
next time and he will be elected gov
ernor just the same.
The truth Of the matter Is Mr.. Hays
has grown considerably in the esteem
of his fellow citizens here. Democrats
call him clever and smooth; republicans
call him shrewd and tactful. Altogether,
he Is the harmonizer-in-chicf Of the re-
publican party, and is a sort Of Col.
House In Indiana politics nowadays.
Whenever situation gets all tangled
untangle the skein. And for that mat
ter. since 1t Is the custom for admiring
friends tu show their appreciation by
starting booms or talking Of Indiana
tial nomination, there are those who hint
| that some day-maybe not 1920, but
| some day-Mr. Hays may be the man.
Republican Politics GAIL the Co."
Anyway, republican politics is all the
go here. Nobody talks democratic
politics. for II there are relative de-
grees Of deadness, nothing Is more
dead. so to speak. in Indiana, than
haps. 1t is Albert Beveridge.
Both Jim Watson. United States
senator. and Gov. Goodrich seem to,
have. have Gonfiicting ideas on that presi.
neither one will be satisfied with the
vice presidency, Which is what In
diana Is accustomed to get in the
end. So here is job for Will Hays.
delved into that selfsame affair.
Indiana Is prosperous, but the aver
age man isn't inclined to think, as
yet. that the Wilson administration
had much to do with that. ADJUST
ments are yet to be made on war con-
tracts. and II the government insists
on counting every penny and audit
ing every column and checking every
figure 1t may be many months before
NAL basis. Nobody wants the govern
ment to indulge in extravagance, and,
on the other hand, nobody wants the
government to forget that business
men took some risk in building enter
prtses for war work when their con-
tracts were of a nature as to permit
OF cancellation at any time.
No Bolshevism Where Debs Lives.
There isn't any bolshevism here
abouts, and yet this is the home state
Of Eugene v. Debs. While nobody
except the intimates Of Debs Is advo-
eating clemency at this time, because
Of belief that an example should be
made of those who preach revolution,
nevertheless. confidence in the SINGER
ity of Debs, as we'll as q longtime
knowledge of his philosophy, tends to
mako many thoughtful men in this
vicinity wonder whether. clemency
should not be given after a year or
two-after Debs has been imprisoned
sufficiently to demonstrate to others
that respect for law is fundamental
In America, however fragrant may be
the disregard for i elsewhere.
many of Its followers in this section
largely because Of the depressing ex-
ample of Russian communism. Even
parlor socialists are diminishing in
number. And as for a demonstration
something Of the sort i. expected d in in
Terre Haute. but no general disturb
ance or strike. Even Debs issued a
statement today saying that the
charge made in Attorney General
Palmer's statement that he Debs)
had threatened to bring on a general
strike II he .were compelled to 20 to
jail was entirely false. He adds.
however. that he will not ask for
pardon, because to do so would be ITO
confess guilt"
Anti-Wilson Feeling Intense.
What seems to difrerentinte Indiana
from Ohio and Pennsylvania is the
extent OF anti-Wilson feeling. It IL
30 intense that one editor with demo-
cratic leaninge told me he thought
that II the President, or. some one
in his behalf. were to go before tho
people of Indiana with a league. of
nations as the issue, and with his op-
ponents against 1t, the fight would be
very close indeed. Most people have
wanted a league of some KIM to emu
war, but their opposition to Mr.. Will
son son - o. on de democratic policies had
for a league emanating from him was
instantly discredited and doubted on
the same grounds that many of his
domestic policies were disapproved.
the kind Of telephone and postal seIv-
Ice which people here are getting.
anu a President who will insist on
giving the people the impress' on that
they dare not crit 1Se him, but must
accept his proposals without chang
inS a letter or phrase. therrin--well,
people hereabouts, democrats and re-
publicans, resent 1t. There Is Z feel
ing that Mr.. Wilson should kave
made peace first and let the league of
nations 60 till afterward. Now il
the Impressions which people here
have are. erroneous or II 'he Presi-
dent did not. in fact, adopt. the arbi-
trary attitude of which he e accuseI;
II he found 1t impossible for good
and sufficient reasons to make peace
did the best that he could in Paris,
and is not responsible for the delays-
we'll, the people out here don't know
about 1t.
View of Democrat.
One democrat attributed this state
of affairs to the lack of a democratic
press to offset what he termed the
INSTRUMENTATION OF the republicans,
But to this the answer is made that
a little more publicity from Paris on
what Mr.. Wilson was trying to do, and
the e>selection of republicans for the
peace mission who would have COM
manded the confidence of the repub-
lican party. and a little more amiable
attitude on the part of the President
toward the Senate. all this-and it
would not have been necessary to
make apologies through a democratic