The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-04-26
REPUBLICANS
GO EASY IN
INDIANA RACE
Tell New and Beveridge to
Watch Their Step-Careful
Not to Arouse Animosity in
Party.
FRIENDS ARE CAUTIOUS
BY MARK SULLIVAN

human comedy of men seeking their
ambitions and purposes, there is one
amusing aspect of this contest for
the Indiana Republican senatorial nom
ination between New and Beveridge.
Indiana is a doubtful state as be-
tween the Republicans and the Demo
Gratis, and 1t is going to be rather
more doubtful than usual next Novem-
Der. ] have not heard Republicans
claim that they can carry Indiana this
year by more than $4,000 votes and
that is pretty narrow margin of hope
for SO large a state as Indiana. Fur
ther than this, the Republicans admit
frankly that at best they are going to
l,lose several congressional districts
which they now hold
These things being true, it is plain
that the present senatorial contest
within the Republican party must be
carried on with great care, must not
be too rough; Republicans must not
get involved in a controversy so heat
cd that the wounds might remain open
until the November elections. The
friends of New argue:
Mustn't Anger Friends
We want to beat Beveridge, but it
isn't any use to beat him in the pri-
maries If we make so many of his
friends angry that they'll take it out
on US by voting the Democratic ticket
in November
Beveridge's friends argue exactly
the same way.
1t is the independent vote that will
determine the final result in November
and friends of the candidates must not
make any charges that may get the
4it ,-k =,
Republican party as a whole or against
whichever one of the two senatorial
candidates may win the primaries and
be the Republican standard bearer.
This inhibition on the ordinary free
dom of action in a thorough going
political row turns up again and
again. Every once in while when
'he fight seems about to get good and
fntereSting-at the precise moment
when some one is reaching out for
2 particularly heavy brick with good
sharp corners--at that moment some
cautious kill-joy says: Careful there,
boys. go slow. Keep off the poison
stuff Remember this is just family
row"
Party Workers Worried
The same argument puts the men
who compose the organization through
out the state, the party workers and
4 Aprecinct captains in a most unhappy
p and irresolute frame of mind.
The party workers want to nomi-
nate the best man. But what "the
best man" means to outsiders. is
nothing to the party workers. What
he party workers mean by "the best
man" is the man who is most likely
10 attract the largest number of votes
in November. especially Independent
votes and Democratic votes. That is
what the workers want in November
a final outcome that will keep the
state Republican and keep them in
their local political jobs.
Trying to come to decision about
this worries the party lot. 1t wor-
lies the candidates, also-especially
New. New and News friends know
that under ordinary circumstances the
areat bulk of party workers would
be for him. But the party worker
especially one whose bread and butter
dependent on the state staying in the
Republican column, is a cold-blooded
person with an eye that never departs
from the main chance for No. l.
Seek Independent Vote.
4 good many of the party workers
argue that Beveridge, just because of
the record of independence that makes
him odious to them, is for that very
reason especially acceptable to the In
dependent voter. They argue that
maybe by giving the senatorial nomi-
nation to Beveridge they could attract
the largest number of Independent
voters in the November election to the
Republican ticket.
It's worrisome situation. and the
hesitation between what they'd like to
do and what they think they'd better
: do is causing an aggregate loss of
w'sleep great enough to give good
nights rest to a whole menagerie of
Alaska bears.
1t is for this. among other reasons,
that the fight, up to the last few days
at least, hasn't been as savage as the
real feelings of the partisans of the
two contestants might make it If they
felt free TO express themselves fully.
New Stays at Work.
New has followed the policy of stay
ing at his work in the senate until
these last two weeks of the fight. That
was first-class strategy for him. Some
of News friends kept urging him to
come out and put some pep into the
fight" But New was wiser New is,
in fact, one of the shrewdest politic-
ians of his time. He knew that he
had everything to gain by keeping
quiet. Beveridge could only win by
starting something" Opposition
from New and News presence in the
state would only help Beveridge get
started.
Moreover, staying in Washington
helped to identify New with the Hard
ing administration, and identification
with the president is News best card
If New wins, it will be chiefly for that
reason.
News Best Asset
The Republican voters of Indiana
aren't thinking about News personal
record in the senate. 1t happens to be
a good straight Republican record, but
all that the Republican voters know OF
care about it is that they have got the
n impression that New practiced team
work with the president and stooo
with him on the four-power treaty and
Continued on Page Two)