Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-19
Attorney Generals Activities
May Make Him G. O. P.
GubernatoriaI Candidate.
"H0NESTY" TO BE SLOGAN
OF DEMOCRATS IN RACE
State Profoundly Stirred by Un-
savory Reputation Due to
Political Situation.
By 6. GOULD LINCOLN,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, September
19.-Indiana leaps from sensation to
sensation in political scandal. Attor-
ney General Arthur l.. Gilliom stands
out a dominating figure. He is fight
ing the ku Klux klan with one hand
and the control of politics and office
holders by the Anti-Saloon League
with the other. He may be the next
governor, or his political career may
be temporarily halted at the elections
next year. If he goes down he will
80 down fighting.
The Indiana attorney general is a
Republican. But while the Repub-
lican organization in the State has
played the game with the Ku Klux
Klan, Gilliom has fought the Klan.
He was elected in 1924 in spite of the
Klan, though he ran from 100, 900 to
100000 votes behind other Republican
candidates for office that year. This
was the Klan influence against him.
Tackles Dry League.
More than year ago he tackled the
Anti-Saloon League in the person of
L. S. Shumaker, superintendent of
the league for Indiana, a powerful
figure in the politics of the State be-
cause of his control of the dry forces.
Shumaker had written and published
a report attacking members of the
State Supreme Court, calling them
wet" and the court in general. Shu-
maker was cited for contempt of
court and Gilliom prosecuted the case
against him.
Because Of this action on his part
the Anti-Saloon Leaguers have called
Gilliom wet. They have tackled the
label on him in a State which is al
most as dry as the Sahara in politiacl
sentiment. But the attorney general
is not wet. He believes in prohibition
and is personally dry.
The State has law which prohibits
the sale of medicinal whisky. GilIiom
has recommended that the law be
changed so as to permit the prescrip-
tiOn of liquor by physicians in case
of sickness. This has further in.
censed the Anti-Saloon League heads.
Months ago the attorney general
had three children ill with typhoid
fever. 1t was necessary they should
have whisky to keep them alive, their
physician said. The whisky was pro-
vided, though against the law. Later
the wife of Gov. Ed Jackson. the Re-
publican governor now under indict-
ment for violating the corrupt prac-
tices act in the elections, was seri-
ously ill. She required whisky and
she was provided with the necessary
stimulant.
Letter Causes Sensation.
Then the attorney general wrote an
open letter to the governor, recon-
mending that the law be changed so
a fhncn xxytn oierI, -.
require this stimulant could obtain
whisky on doctors prescription. 1t
caused sensation, and the drys ham,
mered Gilliom all the harder.
Now correspondence between Shu-
maker and Senator Jim" Watson.
Republican leader of the State ma
chine, has been published which in.
dicates that Shumaker a year ago
sought senatorial influence to prevent
the Supreme Court from sentencing
him to serve Jail sentence in the
contempt case. Immediately Gilliom
entered new motion to have the sem
tence of the court imposed on Shu-
maker increased.
Shumaker had been sentenced
August 6 last to serve 80 days on the
Indiana State Farm and pay a fine of
$3.50. In his motion Gilliom said that
the sentence appears Inadequate be-
cause or attempts made by Shumaker
to corruptly influence a decision IA
Vorable to him in this cause"
In addition, the Attorney General
has called upon Senator'S Watson and
Robinson, Henry Lane Wilson, Boyd
Gurley, newspaper publisher, and
Clyde Z. Walb, the Republican State
chairman. to appear and testify in the
matter against Shumaker.
State on Tiptoe.
The whole matter has Indiana on
tiptoe, wondering what will happen
next. Senator Watson is at a sani.
tarium in Rochester, Mimi, for treat
ment of stomach ulcers. Senator
Robinson stoutly denies that he has
ever attempted to influence the Su-
preme Court improperly in behalf of
Shumaker, and so does Senator Wat
son, although he wrote letter
August s, 1926, to Shumaker in which
he said he had been approached by
Sepator Robinson to work in the in
terest of Shumaker 'in my own way
as far as / felt / could consistently
with my views in regard to courts,
to keep you from being sent to JAIL
Senator Watson said further in this
letter: II wrote a number of letters
through Indiana which / hoped might
be helpful in bringing about such a
Shumaker says that in
a telephone conversation with Senator
Watson the latter told him that he
had assurances from three judges of
the court Shumaker would not be
to Jail. This Watson fatty
lenies
Senator Watson has given assur-
ance that he will appear and testify
Ibefore the court when the attorney
generals new motion comes up. II
looks as though the fur would fly,
with the two Senators at loggerheads
over this matter. and both disagreeing
with the head of the Anti-Saloon
League.
The Anti-Saloon League forces here
have been one of the strongest assets
IF the Republican organization in the
past. 1t is not difficult to understand
hat the Democrats are gleeful over
he turn of affairs.
Church Aid Sought.
Shumaker is out crusading for the
Try cause. He is urging the Meth.
odist and the other drys to stand
solidly back of the Anti-Saloon
League, and Is predicting that the
next is months will see the hottest
light ever waged between wet and
Try forces. For years the Anti
Saloon League head has used the
churches from which to preach the
Try cause. Indeed, 1t Is claimed that
he league by such methods laid the
ground for the tremendous growth Of
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