Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-26
WATSON, MORAY
JOIN HANDS IN,
CITY CAMPAIGN
Anti-Jewett-Lemcke Wing to
Be Aided by Branch of
State Politicians.
REMEMBER FESLER RACE

United States Senator James f. Watson
and GOvernor-elect Warren 7. McCray
will get into the coming city campaign
for the purpose of adding the Marion
County organization to their State ma
chine and administering lesson to pres
ent Republican bosses who sacrificed
them to advance the interests Of County
Treasurer Ralph Lemcke in the recent
election, certain moves OF late indicate.
Members Of the Jewett- Lemcke orSaniza-
ton, at present in control of the city and
county Republican committees look for
the move from the two State leaders and
are making plans TO block them, if pos
sible.
The frst move Of Watson and McCray,
politicians expect, will be to assist the
anti-Jewett- Lemcke wing of the party to
gain control of the city organization,
when the city chairman is selected some
time in February or March.
LEMCKE MAY
NsTAND ASIDE.
Ralph Lemcke is the present city chair
man, but it is understood he does not
desire to continue in the office. In fact
e Is repeatedly rumored that Mr.. Lemcke
Is about ready. either through personal
choice or the recognition that be can no
longer maintain his control, to step aside
and let Leo X. Fesler, county auditor,
assume the dictator's place. Mr.. Fesler
will not be a candidate for city chair
man, but it is very generally recognized
that he viii be candidate for the Re
publican nomination for mayor, and one
of the strongest. Somewhere out of the
Jewett- Lemcke organization. which now
gives signs Of becoming the Fesler or
gInization. a candidate for city chairman
viii be picked. 1t is this man whom
Watson and McCray will lend their sup
port to the ants to beat
While Watson and McCray naturally
desire a mayor of Indianapolis who
would be a member Of their State fam
fly, revenge and the desire to have Ma
rion County more amenable to their
mandates in the future are the big con-
sideFations 1t is no secret that the G..
o. T. organization in this county, bOssed
by Jewett- Lemcke, County Chairman
Harry HendricksOn and Seventh District
Chairman Charles o. Roemler permitted
Watson and McCray TO be sacrificed to
add to the majority Of Lemcke In the re
cent election. Lemcke received 1s.5@4
votes In Marion County as compared with
watson's 76, 500 and McCray's 1852 II
the election had not been Republican
landslide Watson and McCray might have
lost Marion County and the State by
hiust the margin Of Lemcke's lead. Con
lcretely. it is to prevent recurrence or
'kfhfs in connection with their future Pc
litical hopes that the two State leaders
want to oust the present county man
ayers.
TROUBLE GOES BACK
TO STATE CONTEST.
The desire for revenge on the part OF
Watson and McCray, also grows out Of
a HandriptE-
son and ROemler fought them both, tooth
and toe nall IN the last State conven-
ton The Marion County delegation III
this meeting successfully blocked the
efforts OF the Watson McCray men to
have the delegates at-larGe 90 TO the ma
tionaI convention at Chicago uninstructed
as to presidential candidates The dele
gates were instructed for Leonard Wood,
the Indianapolis News candidate. Il was
this fight OF Watson and McCray which
caused the News to support the Demo-
cratic candidates, IL is generally agreed.
Mr. McCray has a particular dislike
for the above quartet because they sup
ported James ". Fesler, a close relative
OF Leo K. Fesler, for the nomination for
Governor against him. Mr.. Roemler, al
though the Seventh district Republican
chairman and bound by all the recog-
ufzed ethics Of politics TO remain neutral
IN primary election, openly served as
James W. Fesler's Marion County man
ager. County Chairman Hendrickson,
also officially bound to neutrality the
same as Roemler, openly worked for
Fesler and went so far as to attempt to
pledge all the candidates for nomination
TO county offices to support McCrays
principal opponent. Mr.. McCray, 1t is
Understood, was forced to spend con-
siderable money and effort to finally
beat Fesler in Marion County and the
memory naturally would rankle.
With the prospect Of support from Wat
son and McCray. the ants are becoming
more and more confident of their ability
to seize the city organization They also
point ont the fact that many city EN-
ployes. benefciaries Of Mayor Charles W.
Jewett and his administration, are eager
to get into the battle Oh the opposite
side Of the fence, feeling, as most Of them
do, that the mayors political reign, for
the time being at least, is at an end. The
mayor, so far, has given no indication
Of what his desires are and some Of the
ffty-two city employees, who are also
precinct committeeman, are beginning 20
get impatient
ANTS GROW
CONFIDENT.
The administration men are talking OF
Leonard Quill, president Of the Marion
Club, for city chairman. He was slated
for the county craftsmanship, but OppO-
sition to him was so pronounced that
the Jewett-Lemcke crowd pulled him out
of the race the night before the county
convention last spring and finally pushed
Harry Hendrickson down the threats Of
the rampant ants at the last minute.
The ants say Il can't be done again.
Despite the fact that the administration
men were in the organization saddle in
the past election, the ants kept their
forces practically intact through the
Harding Club. which had headquarters at
the Hotel English during the presidential
campaign.
1t is frequently remarked that the
Harding Club was formed, not so much
TO boost Harding, as to furnish a gath
ering place for the anti forces.