Evening star., 1922-03-08
HOT CONTEST SEEN
N|ND|ANA PRIMARY
New Democratic Candidate
for Senate Bobs Up-Re-'
publican Hosts Busy.
Special Dispatch to The Star,

Special Dispatch to The Star.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, March SIN
the game Of Indiana politics the
entries have all been recorded and
the semi-finals are on. i The contest
for the United States senatorship
nomination is the only one that
counts in either party and it is easy
to see that as the primaries ap
proach all other contests, even those
Of local significance, will be subor-
dinated to the main fight.
The latest development is the
probability that there will be good
stiff fight in the democratic party
thing that had not been expected.
1t had been the general understand
ing that If Thomas Taggart did not
seek the senatorial toga Samuel M.
Ralston would be the man picked by
the party leaders and that he would
position paf on OF praeo,nas eourse. bernard bernard ' B.
Shively, former state senator. filed
his petition some time ago and two
or three of the lesser fry also got
into the race, but the party leaders
were not worrying about them. AS
long as somebody like Thomas r.
Marshall, former Vice President, or
Frank c. Daley, former district at
torney, or Dan w. Simms. veteran
democrat of the tenth district, did
not show fight, the democratic lead
exs-that is, the leaders of the rag
CART group-Were not worried.
MIR. simms' Hat In Ring.
But at the last minute, after Mr.
Ralston had announced his candl-
had held a meeting in Indianapolis
which virtually indorsed Mr.. Raj
ston's candidacy, word came from the
tenth district that Dan w. Slmms
would be a candidate. MI. Simms
candidacy was entirely unexpected
and Mr.. Taggart, himself, when he
was called on the telephone at
French Lick and told about 1t, was
surprised. But Mr.. Simms is in the
race and apparently is going through
with it. and he is no mean adversary.
Mr.. Ralston is in somewhat the same
position that Senator Harry >; New i;i Is
in the republican party - he VIII
have the support of the democratic
state organization. or what is left OF
it, which. comparatively speaking, is
not a great deal. Mr.. Ralston, OF
course, will have the assistance OF MT
Taggart, and Mr.. Taggart is an able
politician.
One of the most interesting phases
is the position that may or may not
be taken by former Vice President
Marshall. Mr.. MarSnall was HoNeiiior
of Indiana during the four years pre-
ceding the administration of Mir. Raj
ston. Taggarts protege, and during
all his term Marshall was never
known as a Taggart man.
In the present situation the ques-
ton is, What will MIR. Marshall do
about the senatorship contest? viii
he keep hands off or will he give aid
and comfort to Simms? Mr.. Marshall
has a large following in Indiana. and
while he is not al all in the class with
Taggart as master politician his IN
fiuence is important.
Mr.. Marshall "TnlI<ed or
Mr.. Marshall was himself widely
talked of for the senatorship candi-
dacy. His friends said. however, that
he did not desire to make the race.
that he would prefer to end his politl-
cal career with another term as Gov
ernor of Indiana. Others said that the
thing that kept Marshall out as a
candidate was the fact that he was
lukewarm on the Wilson league OF
nations idea. 1t is true that at the
last democratic state convention it
looked for a time as though a milk
and-water plank on the league of ma
tions would be put into the platform,
and Marshall, who was on the scene