The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-12
SHAKES
WATSON RULE
OVER PARTY
Senator Is Unable to Put
Across Chairman Choice
in Long Session.
MURDEN NEAR VICTORY
Longtime Gar Is Ready to
Bargain for Peace, Is
Word From Farley.

~ ~ ~ VII ~ ~
The scepter with which Senator
James E. Watson has held sway over
Indiana Republican politics seemed
slipping from his grasp today.
Deadlocked with members Of the
Republican State committee over Sc
lection of a chairman to succeed
Clyde A. Walb, Watson weakened
after prolonged conference, it was
understood, and as a last resort was
seeking to bargain for peace.
Candidacy OF Jesse L. Murden of
Peru for the craftsmanship. per-
sistently opposed by Watson, ap-
peared likely of success as the hour
of the committee session drew near
this afternoon.
Murden Is Anti-WatSOn
Murden is known anti-Watson
man. When the Senator seemed un-
able to put across a chairmanship
candidate outside of the committee
at this mornings conference, he
agreed, it was understood, to op-
pose Murden's candidacy no longer,
provided:
That Murden would not seek re-
election as State chairman in May.
That Murden would block any ef-
fort to change the State rules as
demanded by the new deal' Repub-
licans, which would make the State,
district and county chairmen sub
servient to the organization, rather
than the autocratic form now used,
which makes the organization sub
servient to the various chairmen.
The new deal'' Republicans con-
tend that if a county chairman could
not remove peremptorily precinct
committeeman, that higher type of
men could be induced to become ac-
tive in organization affairs.
Balks at Concession
Murden fatty refused to make the
concessions, it was said after the
meeting.
Watson, leaving at noon for the
Severin Hotel, where committeeman
lunched before their formal meeting,
said:
There's nothing new. We've
agreed on just one thing, it's time to
eat"
The Senator still was anxious for
election of an outsider" If his
wishes finally were overruled, Muir
den was regarded as the most likely
successor to the chairmanship,
despite ambitions Of several fellow
committeeman.
Wednesday night and this morn
ing party leaders, committee mem
bers and friends of peace" trekked
in and out of Watson's smoky quar-
ters.
Leaders Are Puzzled
In the hotel lobby loitered po-
litical henchmen of both parties,
speculating on the outcome and
questioning Republicans who stepped
from the elevator, still wearing
puzzled expressions.
The Senator was at last convinced
that Henry w. Marshall, Lafayette
publisher, positively would not ac-
cept the Craftsmanship deserted by
Clyde A. Walb, if it were offered to
him.
Watson had looked upon Marshall
as the man to quiet new deal" de-
mands while possessing an atten-
tive ear for the old line group.
Members of the State committee
are:
Stuart It. Fisher Of Princeton,
First district chairman; Mark Ne
beker of Clinton, Fifth district chair
man; Clarence M. Brown Of Rich
mon, Sixth district chairman;
Schuyler A. Haas of Indianapolis,
Seventh district chairman; Law
renee Cartwright of Portland,
Eighth district chairman; George
M. Foland Of Crown Point, Tenth
district chairman; Jesse L. Muir
den of Peru, Eleventh district chair
man; Ewing Emison of Vincennes,
Second district; Charles T. Brown
Of Paoli, Third district; Harry E.
Nichols of Madison, Fourth district:
E. w. Bowen of Delphi, Ninth dis
trict; Ralph Gates of Columbia City,
Twelfth district and Earnest M.
Morris of South Bend, Thirteenth
district.
Morris Is Absent
Morris is in New York. District
vice chairman, Mrs. Winnie Hum
rici,houser, of Plymouth, was ex-
pected to cast the districts vote in
his place.
Friends of Murden said he could
count on the votes of Foland, Gates,
Haas and probably Bowen ana
Nichols. AS seven votes are re-
quired to elect, Murden, in this case,
would need only one additional
vote to win the Craftsmanship.
Friends of John Stuart Hopkins,
Evansville manufacturer and un-
successful candidate for the Repub-
lican nomination for mayor of that
city, opposing Benjamin Bosse in
1921, were urging Hopkins election
to the committee post. Hopkins ap-
peared to be in good position for
succesS If the Craftsmanship went out
OF then COMMITTEES.