The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-05-17
By LOWELL MELLETT

BY LOWELL MELLETT
Is the K. X. K. in Indiana going
10 absorb the G. o. P. or is the G.
o. P. gonig to absorb the K. K. X?
That's what the population Of In
diana would like to know. In the
cent primary the K. K. *. certainly
absorbed a majority of the Repub-
lican voters and Immediately there
after walter BOssert, political direc-
tor of the KIan, went down to Wash
ington and absorbed Senator jim
Watson. Unless it was that Senator
Jim absorbed Bossert. There are
two schools of thought on the lat
ter point Most Hoosiers profess to
believe that it was watson who was
taken into camp and happy to be
there, since they say his star in In
diana has been JUS on the point Of
sputtering out.
G. o. p. Candidate
In any case the Klan's candidate
for Governor has become the Re
publican party's candidate. Bossert,
who was booted out of the party
councils by Watson himself only
short time back is now able TO deal
en- better than even terms with Wat
son and threatens to supplant Joe
Healing as Republican national
committee man from Indiana.
Republicans who are not Klans-
men don't know whether to like il or
not. They unquestionably would dis
like it if it were not for the fact
that they think the Khan may pull
them through the coming State
election. Before the primary there
was no more hopeless sector on the
Republican battlefront than Indiana
They were licked and admitted it
ungrudgingly. Governor McCray's
fifty-seven varieties of mis-and-mal-
feasance in Office had licked them.
Then the Khan walked into the
primary polling places and demon
, strated what they could do. After
this last exhibition they have come
TO enjoy a reputation like that of
the German army in the early days
Of the war. A month ago it was
thought that whoever won the
Democratic nomination for Governor
would be the next Governor. Now
there is great uncertainty. A month
ago Calvin Coolidge was not sup
posed to have a chance in Indiana.
Now-well. now they say that only
the nomination of Sam Ralston by
the Democrats will prevent the Khan
from pulling Coolidge through along
with Ed Jackson, the Khan candi-
date for Governor
Party Lines Shot
One certainty in the situation is
that party lines are shot to pieces.
\ lot OF Democrats will vote for Ed
Jackson. y lot of Republicans will
vote for anybody to beat Ed Jack
son And included among the latter.
many declare will be about $50 900
colored voters who won't vote for
anybody that indorses the Ku-klux
Khan. The colored vote in Indiana
is more flexible politically than in
many other States. due to long and
adroit cultivation by Tom Taggart.
but they are normally all Repub-
iicans nevertheless. Their detection
will be felt seriously. The colored
voters are accustomed TO making
one cross do the work on any one
ballot.
out Of the welter independent Re
publicans begin to see a large vote
for La Toilette. With party lines
already broken beyond immediate re
pair, they think it will be com
paratively easy to win over great
numbers TO the progressive can
didate. The labor element has be
come an enormous factor in recent
years. 1t was the vote of organized
labor that. wrecked Albert Beveridge
in his contest with Ralston for the
senatorship, Indiana is thickly dotted
with industrial cities; the lakeshore
fringe is solidly industrial. There
are believed TO be tens of thousands
of potential La Toilette voters in
these cities
What viii Happen
Indiana. on the whole. however.
is stlll called an agricultural State.
In Illinois where the manifestation