The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-05-15
AN OPPORTUNITY

Will the Democratic party of this State once
more demonstrate its peculiar ability for blunderlng
or will it show some wisdom in selecting its oppo-
neut to Senator James e. Watson?
It is a question which interests far more than
the men and women who have partisan interest IN
that question.
Every independently minded man and woman of
this State has very deep interest in the nomlna-
ton which will be made at its convention
The party is fortunate in it's candidate for the
short term. In Evans Woolen it has candidate for
whom it can make valid claims for support beyond
the confines of it's own ranks. The comparison of
Woolen with Senator Robinson in ability record and
associations should be sufficient to secure his cleo
ton.
In Watson. the Democrats have the weakest
opponent they have had in years.
His record of thirty years has been such to
make him more than vulnerable. He has national
reputation for being nothing more than successful
politician.
He is the jest and joke of even Republican news
papers outside of Indiana.
The deals and bargains which he made to secure
his nomination should damn him, were there not the
thirty.year record to damn him.
His career as a lobbyist, the record of which is
a part of the official history of the Nation, should
alone be sufficient to defeat him. if there is offered
to the people a candidate who has an appeal and
who furnishes a contrast,
His political record of betraying other men Of
his party has left him enough enemies to turn the
election, if those who wish to protest offered an
even decent excuse for voting against him.
The election will be settled this year by the in
dependent voters who do not much about party
success but who have deep interest in decent
government.
One out of every four Republican voters who
Watson His own strength is correctly estimated by
the quarter of million voters who went the polls,
for he had in the primary unlimited funds the most
compact organization in every county, every bloc
that could be delivered through his open deals with
bosses.
The men and women who will compose the Dem
ocratc convention must. if they wish to win, offer
some incentive to the Independent voter to go to the
polls.
Unpopular as is Watson, weak is his claim for
further power, there must be given some reason
other than his unftness to bring the and
women who want a zeal Senator from Indiana to
the polls.
The delegates to that convention might in all
fairness apprase the Democratic primary and ask
whether it has six strong candidates, any Of
whom might BIO satisfactory, that none of these
six is of such outstanding character and popularity
as to become idol in the campaign.
They might well their entire party and
consider the qualifications of others than those who
ran in the primary.
They might, with profit to their party and in
service to the State possibly draft for the task of
destroying Wisconsin man who can carry to the
people a real message of just what Wisconsin means,
just what it has done to this State Just what it rep.
resents
It hardly be true that disorganized I'M
organized it may be, that party has such man.
vigorous of speech and courageous enough to tell the
truth
The Democratic convention this year is the one
hope of the Independent voter.
Unless it takes broad view of the situation,
unless it shows some discretion and wisdom, some
vision and some patriotism and disregards narrow
partisan attitude, it cannot hope to attract these
voters, who far numerous this year than
before.
The issue in Indiana is wisconsin.
The people will not be greatly interested in trad
ing Republican Watson for Democratic Watson.