The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-12-30
PRESENCE OF
MORAY ADDS
TO ACTIVITY
Covernor-elect Has Let 1t Be
Known That He Favors Me-
Clure of Anderson, for
Speakership.
GIVAN IS DARK HORSE
Especial Correspondence of the
Richmond Palladium

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Dec. 5O.-lt 1s
apparent today that The legislative
sreakership contest has taken on new
life and that ]. D. Miltenberger, Of
Muncie. is UP against harder contest
than anybody had any idea he would
face.
Governor.elect McCray has let it be
known that he is favorable to the cleo
ton Of John +. Mcclure, of Anderson.
There was no indication that the
Governor-elect would make an active
fight in the contest but those who are
supporting Mcclure believe that when
the Information gets sufficiently
spread that he governor-elect favors
Mcclure, the election of Mcclure will
be assured.
Representatives of the traction and
allied interests which have been for
Mcclure from the start were busy day
before yesterday and yesterday and TO-
day they are concentrating their
efforts.
The fact that Mr.. McCray is in the
city, means, of course, that there Is
more or less political activity Of all
kinds and the speakership workers
therefore have the opportunity they
wish. Mr. Miltenberger was in the
Clinton H. Givan, of Indianapolis, also
q candidate for speaker were active.
Huffman Is Working.
w. W. Huffman of Anderson, appar-
emily is the chief engineer for the Nc
Clure candidacy. Huffman is in In
dianpolis today and says he will remain
here until the speakership fight Is
over 1t is presumed that the question
will be settled at the house caucus
which will be held next Wednesday
night. Huffman says there is no doubt
that Mcclure will be elected speaker.
In discussing the attitude Of the
governor-elect on the speakership HUH
man frankly says that the power OF
governor has to sign or veto bills and
take other official action that may be
either pleasing or displeasing to var
ious individuals or factions.
Huffman Quotes History.
Huffman also has at hand some his
tory which he is using. He says that
never in the history Of the state, so
far as he can remember. has a gov
ernor failed to get for speaker the man
lie desired He says that when Cover
ror Durbin desired the election of
Samuel r. Artman his desire was
gratified in spite OF the fact that Art
man had only a few votes pledged at
the start.
Huffman says also that Emmett F.
Branch, the present Lieutenant-GoVer-
nor-elect, had only a handful Of votes
when he sought the speakership in the
Hanlv administration, but the fact that
Governor Hanly desired the election of
Branch did the work he says. He de-
clares it will be the same way In the
present contest and that Mcclure GER
tainly will be elected.
Huffman in the past has served as
secretary of the senate and has been
known as a traction Lobbyist. He lives
at Anderson, the home town of Nc
Clure.
MiItenberger's Friends Worry.
Without doubt the friends of Milten-
berger are worried by the new turn
developments have taken. The Milten-
berger candidacy had been sailing
smoothly since the legislative confer
ence held here a week or two ago and
most of the political observers believed
that Mcclure was practically out of
The race 1t was rumored about that
McCray would not give it out that he
favored Mcclure even though some of
Lis friends had been working for Nc
Clure, among them Lawrence Lyons,
who was McCrays manager in the
campaign. Miltenberger's friends say
that more than fifty members of the
house will support his candidacy but
it is admitted that the influence of the
governor-elect will make a great differ
ence.
Some of the leaders among those
who are supporting Givan say that
even with the Governors influence
Mcclure cannot be elected But they
express the belief that the governors
influence also will put Miltenberger
out of the race.
Friends of Givar are working among
the friends of Miltenberger and ap-
preaching those who are close to the
eovernor-elect with the hope Of bring
ing about the selection of Givan as
compromise candidate in case there IS
a Mcclure Mltenberger deadlock.
Think Well Of Givan.
The friends of the Governor-elect
ere said TO think very well of Givan
nnd it is understood also that Givan
the Miltenbergcr followers. Givan has
rot been regarded as leading candi-
date and he is said to have the
orDosition of some of the most power
ful corDorations. The chance for a
deadlock however revives the hopes Of
those who wish to elect him.
Those who are supporting Zell Swain
for the position of secretary of the
senate, say NJ E. Watkins. of Roach
dale, will he defeated in his contest
for this place because Senator Estes
Duncan, who is understood to favor
the selection of Watkins is now a
member Of the legislative visiting COM
mittee and will be the chairman of the
important Senate finance committee.
Duncan and Watkins are from the
same county and the favoring OF both
men with important positions it is as
serted would be handing out too much
In one direction.
Some Oppose Swain.
Those who are onposing the selec-
tion OF Swain say that Swain is too
close to Harry N. Styne-. Of Mont
morenci. who got out of the race for
secretary after 1t became known that
he had been discharged as assistant