Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-28
EMPTY SEATS
IN MAJORITY AT
HOWE RALLIES
Professor Fails to Draw Even
Stable Crowds in Con-
gested Sections.
HIS EFFORTS FALL FLAT

That the much touted power Of the
Jewett- Roemler- Lemcke political machine
and the indianapolis News has been in
sufficient to stir in the minds of the
voters more than passing interest in
Mr.. Thomas c. Howe, former president
of Butler College and News-Jewett can
didate for mayor. was made apparent to
the candidate and other speakers in his
behalf through small attendance at Howe
meetings last night.
At 435 Massachusetts avenue, in the
Seventh ward. which Mr.. Howe's lieu
tenants are claiming for him, about
thirty persons gathered. Howe work
ers said the meeting held at 49, Massa-
chusetts avenue was for the voters OF
the Second and Fourth precincts of the
Seventh ward, one of the most thickly
populated districts in the city, and yet
only thirty persons turned out to hear
him. A negro, who was called FLETCHER"
by some of the Howe people present
sided up to a Times reporter and whis
pered an explanation:
"Robison's having a big meetin', big
meetin', down at the glove factory to-
night"
EMPTY BENCHES GREET
HIM ON SOTUH SIDE.
With the primary only six days dis
tant and all the folk presumably worked
up to fever pitch, Professor Howe at
tracted only 200 persons out of all the
Thirteenth ward to a meeting at the
South Side Turner's gymnasium, Pros
pect street and Madison avenue. Whole
rows Of empty seats confronted the can
didate as he struggled in vain to rouse
the crowd to applause. A feeble round
of hand-clapping when he concluded was
his chief reward.
About half as many people as were in
the gymnasium stood in the outside hall
talking about candidates for the city
council and other minor Offices while
Professor Howe grated within
The Fourteenth ward meeting, held at
the X. of p hall. 524 BeIleview avenue,
! was even more disappointing from the
Howe standpoint. This hall was much
smaller than the Turner gymnasium, but
even so 1t was plentifully sprinkled with
vacant chairs. This audience, as that
in the Thirteenth ward. was comparative
ly Indifferent to Professor Howes best
efforts
1t would be reasonable to suppose
that Professor Howe might have ex-
pected a better reception at the pool
[.
Wayne avenue, which place is said to
have been the scene of many a session
at the African national pastime" but.
despite the fact that somebody had just
concluded passing around bottles of dry
beer as Professor Howe arrived nothing
exciting happened
HERE'S NEAREST TO
EXCITING EVENT.
That is unless the fact that Mayor
Charles W. Jewett stepped out Of the
back room where most of the negroes
who were downing the prohibition brew
were, just as the professor and the re-
porters came IN the front door can be
so described. Whatever was going on in
the back room was interesting for the
mayor, as soon as he introduced Pro-
lessor Howe TO the twenty or thirty
negroes present, went back. He had not
come out when Professor Howe finished
talking and left
Ihere was evidence in the speeches
made by Mayor Jewett and CIaris Adams
former prosecuting attorney, in several
OF the Howe meetings that the warn
ings of speakers for Samuel Lewis Shank
and Edward J. Robson to the voters to
beware OF the theft of votes by the city
hall organization for Professor Howe are
hitting home. The Robson forces par
tlcularly have been driving home charges
tnat Mayor Jewett was elected by fraud
ana that the same sort of tactics may
be expected in Professor Howe's behalf
this time unless extraordinary precau-
ton is taken The voters are being
urged by Robson speak ers not to leave
the polls until they have seen the in
spector deposit their ballots in the boxes.
RIDICULE USED
AS THEIR WEAPON.
The mayor and the former prosecut-
ing attorney attempted TO combat these
charges by ridiculing them. The mayor
however, studiously avoided answering
the ten questions regarding fraud in his
primary campaign four years ago, which
were put to him Monday evening by
Henry Fleming, negro, one OF the Robi-
son speakers, who helped elect Mr..
Jewett. Fleming's threat to "calI the
roll and tell the complete truth about
how the primary was stolen from Samuel
Lewis Shank apparently has caused the
mayor to want to drop the subject alto
gether.
Stating that he had heard MANY
strange and marvellous things about him
self since he became mayor and warning
Professor Howe that he must expect the
same, Ir. Jewett said:
I've learned that you've got to be
patient IN thls WorId-tnat you We got to
do just one way. That way is to do
your BEST, do right, tell the truth, fear
no man and sleep at night"
Mr.. Jewett continued to attack Mr.
Shank. charging him with being backed
by the king of the gamblers" but ad-
hitting that a great many decent citi-
zens are for him. He said such folk are
being misled.
PROFESSOR SAYS
NOTHING STARTLING.
Besides his usual remarks criticizing
the platforms of Shank and Robson.
defending the present city administra-
ton for its high taxes and promises TO
observe no class distinction, Professor
Howe came out with a fiat statement that
L am expecting as mayor to be the
mayor myself" Many citizens are of
the belief that the News-Jewett organi-
cation never would have sponsored Pro-
fessor Howe unless 1t were absolutely
confident that II can dominate his ad-
ministration. Professor Howe's oppo-
nents have said so and his statement was
regarded as an attempt at answering
them.
Professor Howe urged the voters TO
come to the primary polls early you
are only called on to take a little in
terest around election day 1t is only
around election day that you are called
upon to perform"
HOWE TELLS WHAT
THE CITY NEEDS.
The outstanding needs of the city gov
eminent were discussed by Mr.. Howe In
a talk at noon today to the employees of
he Va, Hor