Evening star., 1928-04-25
Politics at Large
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

Indiana looms as the next big battle
ground in the struggle for the Repub-
lican presidential nomination. On May
the presidential preferential primary
and the election of delegates to the
national convention at Kansas City are
to take place Senator Jim" Watson,
favorite son and head Of the Republican
State organization, is opposed to Herbert
Hoover in the HoOSier State. While
reports from the State have indicated
that things were going the Watson way,
Republican organizations have been
receiving their bumps this year in sew
eral States, and more particularly in
two States which border Indiana
Illinois and Ohio.
The cleanup in Illinois gave the
Indiana politicians something to think
about in view of the scandals which
have torn the State, involving number
of the Republican organization leaders.
The specter of cleanup In Indiana
has been worrying them at night. The
psychological effect of the Hoover VIC
tory in Ohio and in Massachusetts
may be felt in Indiana, too. Further
more. the California primary Is held
May and the Maryland primary May D.,
and in both States Hoover Is the only
entrant in the preference primary on
the Republican side. AS the delegate
list for Hoover rolls up, it may have an
important bearing on Hoosierdom.
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Senator Watson has left Washington
for the seat of operations. He plans
to campaign in Indiana from the pres
cnt until the primary date, it Is said.
He is a veteran and able campaigner.
He has with him the organization. He
has the support of number OF I'M
Dortant newspapers not so much De
cause they expect or desire to see Mr..
Watson nominated at Kansas City, but
because they feel that a Watson dele
CATION will sooner or later go 10 wee
President Dawes. In Indiana. under the
primary law. the delegation TO the Re-
publican national convention is bound
to vote for the candidate receiving the
preference for President until that can
didate releases them. 1t was clear to
the Hoover supporters that unless their
candidate filed and made fight In the
State the delegation would be lost to
Mr.. Hoover for long time in the ma
tional convention. In the primaries,
therefore, he stands to lose little ex-
cept prestige II he is defeated, and he
stands to win a total of 80 votes If he
should carry the State. It is quite
evident that for the next two weeks
the efforts of the Hoover managers will
be redoubled In Indiana. encouraged by
the Ohio victory.
#
The AL Smith juggernaut rolls on
impressively 1t was a foregone con-
clusion that he would have the Massa-
chusetts delegation TO the Houston
convention. In Pennsylvania there was
a real fight between the Smith ann
anti-Smith forces in a number OF dis
tricts. But the victory seems to have
gone to the New Yorker in most in
stances and he will have an overwhelm-
ing number of delegates from the Key
stone State. Out in Ohio the Demo-
Gratis have written in Smiths name
in the presidential preference vote and
given him a lead over favorite sons,
former Senator Pomerene and Gov.
Donahey California, on May !, Is the
next Smith test before the Democratic
voters. If he can defeat Senator Walsh
OF Montana. running as dry, McAdoo
candidate. and Senator Jim" Reed OF
Missouri, his title TO the Democratic
presidential nomination will seem al
most clear.
While Mr.. Hoover was gaining in Ohio
and Massachusetts, yesterday, Frank q.
Iowtien of Illinois and Senator Curtis
of Kansas, the Republican leader of the
Senate. were having their innings at
the Republican State convention IN
Oklahoma. A resolution was adopted
urging the delegation TO the Republican
national convention &c vote for Curtis
and Lowden in such order end at such
time as the balloting progresses. Sen
ator Curtis Is likely TO reap the beneht
of this action. The Kansas Senator Is
popular In Oklahoma and he Is regard
ed by many as the logical candidate
of the G. o. p. in the event the Hoover
and Lowden forces bring about dead
lock In the national convention.
The country may change its President
without changing the presidential ini-
tials II the Kansas delegation has its
way and Senator Curtis is nominated
and elected &C, c." stands for Charles
Curtis as welf as for Calvin Coolidge
Such an arrangement might fit well
with the economy program--there would
be no need OF revising the initials on
White House appurtenances.
Senator Deneen of Illinois. who led
the coalition forces which cleaned up
the Small Thompson Smith Grove
ticket. In to head the Illinois delegation
70 the Republican national convention
and will cast the overwhelming majority
Of its votes for Mr.. Lowden when Illi-
nois Is reached on the call of tho States.
He estimates that not more than three
or four of the 81 delegates viii vote for
some candidate other than Mir LowCen
and that eventually all will be found
voting for the former Governor of 1ln-
noiS Should the presidential mantle
fall on the Iowden shoulders Senator
Deneen is likely 10 be real power in
the administration and its spokesman
In the Senate. Illinois already has an
aVowed candidate for the presidential
nomination. MIR. Lowden. and a social
cd dark horse candidate, Vice President
Dawes. There are those who bclieve
that the State might yet have third
candidate. MIR. Deneen. The Illinois
Senator. however. is out working ener-
getically for the nomination OF Mr..
Lowden.
Eugene Fly, secretary to Senator Pat
Harrison of Mississippi. has announced
his candidacy for the House to represent
Senator HarriSon's old district, and
stands an excellent chance to win the
nomination. which In Mississippi is
equivalent to an election Mr.. Fly has
host of friends In Washington as
well as IN Mississippi He has been
with Senator Harrison for Ia years
He managed successfully his campaigns
for the Senate and also the campaign
of Senator Stephens Representative
Wilson. now representing the district In
hA tfAatEn DO Ia ha T..
the Senate against Senator Stephens,
clearing the way for a fight for the
House nomination, Mir Fly has two
opponents SO far. but with the backing
OF Senator Harrison and his wide
acquaintance IN the district he iS be-
lieved to have the inside track. His
appeal tn the voters is that he can give