The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-21
Claude BO70e1S, HOOSie1; Back
to His First LOUG' Politics;
He'll Be Democrat Key1Oter
Great Speech at Jackson
Day Dinner Pushed Him
Into LimeIight.

By NEA SerUice
NEW YORK, June 21.-You can
take a true Hoosier far from his
native state, bury him in the
anonymity of newspaper editorial
writing and turn him into a schol-
arly, retiring historian; but sooner
or later he will turn back to the
only pursuit a real Hoosier ever en-
joys-politics.
That's what happened in the case
of Claude Ct. Bowers. anyway.
Bowers. born and bred in Indiana,
moved to New York five years ago
to become an editorial writer for
the New York Evening World. In
his spare time he studied and wrote
history.
But last winter he plopped back
into politics so zestfully that he was
at once chosen to deliver the key
note speech at the coming Demo-
cratic convention in Houston, Tex
Speaks by Happy Inspiration
It all happened because Bowers
was invited to address last Janu-
ary's Jackson day dinner in Wash
ington. This is a traditional love
feast of the Democrats, marked In
recent years by notable absence
of love.
Bowers had written absorbing
biographies of such Democratic
heroes as Andrew Jackson and
Thomas Jefferson, and through
some happy inspiration the COM
mittee asked him to speak.
Bowers did. He urged his hearers
to make Jackson and Jefferson
something more than mere patron
saints of the party, contrasted con-
ditions in their eras with conditions
today and before he had finished,
had aroused the Democratic chief
tains to real enthusiasm.
Picked as KeynOter
A man who could do that seemed
worth keeping: so Bowers, by gen.
eral consent, was chosen to do the
keynoting at Houston.
Bowers was born in Hamilton
County, Indiana, November, 1878
AS a young man he entered news
paper work, serving his apprentice
ship on the old Indianapolis Senti-
mel.
On his graduation from high
school he went to Terre Haute and
became a reporter for the Star.
While there he exercised the
Holsters privilege of becoming ac-
tive in politics, and in 1904 he ran
for Congress under the approval OF
John E. Lamb, then Democratic
power in Indiana.
Beaten for Congress
Bowers was defeated, but he con-
tinued his political work, holding
a variety of minor Jobs until 1911.
In that year John Worth Kern
became United States Senator from
Indiana and ne took Bowers to
Washington with him as his sec~e-
tary, ~ post Bowers held until 1917
In 1917 he returned to Indiana
to become editor of the FIT. Wayne
Journal Gazette. He held that post
until 1923 and waged many a po-
litica1 battle with the opposition
paper, the NeIs-Sentinel.
The Journal Gazette, Of course,
was a Democratic paper and Bowers
attracted considerable repute by his
party services.
Goes to New York
So, in 1928. the New York Eve
ming World took him as editorial
writer.
Democratic leaders in New York
now know him as an exceptionally
able, clear-thinking speaker and 1t
was their influence that made him
Jackson day speaker last winter.
His speech there, delivered with
the fire of a polished orator, made
his selection as keynoter at Houston
practically a foregone conclusion.
His speech in Houston will be
heard by millions all over the
United States, by means of the
radio.