New Britain herald., 1929-11-29
REPUBLICANS LOSE
 INDIANA CONTROL
Predictions Made That Watson
 Will Not Regain Power
By BRt CE CAPTION

Indianapolis had real house cleaning
 In tlat sentence Meredith Nich- olson, famous novelist, summarizes the effects ot line recent election iii 1ndiana's capital, where the angry voters smashed 10 fragments the republican political ring that had made popular government ill this city a Wocful farc..
 Nicholson has q right to comment. Not only Is hc as an author, one of Indiauas bcst-hnoWn citizens; he is mcmbcr of Indianapolis city council, put there year ago when ths first wave of popular djscon- tent with misgoHorumcnt began to make itself felt.
 He is ubilaut over 'ha last clcc- ton, in which this uormlly r.pub- licau city mgdo H.ginald II. SullI- van. q democrat. i1s mayor by an overwhelming majority
 ''Iriumph for Popular Government Tt has been a triumph for popu- lar government ijc says. "1ho poo pic have discovered that it's per fectly simple to turn out Il corrupt government, if only thoy'u fake time to go 10 the polls and vote.
 'Indianapolis las always been q hard boiled republican town. The average man here seemed to feel that the worst thing q republican could do was considerably better than the best any democrat could do.
 "But the people just naturally got disgusted, The ring that con- trolled things here made Indianapo- lis notorious all over tho country. Business suffered. l know. for in- stance, of one large industrial con ccrn that would have moved it's headquarters 10 Indianapolis if it hadn't been for the cIty's reputation for corruption. We had one gov ernor sent To prison, another gov ernor indicted, q mayor and q flock of councilmen in1ictcd-wcll, you know the story. IL simply got un- bcarablc.
 "So, at last. the conscientious re- publicans decided the only way they could clean up their party was by knocking it out of power. They went to the polls and voted the democratic ticket. And that's all"
 Tho entire state Of Indiana is sharing in the new atmosphere that has arisen out Of the last cleo ton here. The democratic victory here was accompanied by similar victories all over the state; and the ultimate effect on Indiana politics is going 10 be far-reaChinE.
 Election Marks Passing of klan
 The election marked the final passing Of the Ku kluX klan as q power in Indiana.
 To be sure, the religious prcju- dices that made the klan possibl" still finger. But the men who rushed 10 join the hooded outfit q few years ago have learned something. The klan is dead as far as Indiana is concerned.
 For another thing, the election has been a serious blow to the political machine built up by Sena- tor Jim Watson. Watson's machine gained its strength largely from inc fact that it held control Of the Nari- ous Indiana municipal governments These, to a great extent, have been lost. It is taken for granted here that Watson will never again have the power that lie had up to q few weeks ago.
 Here is an Illustration Of the completencss of the overturn here.
 Up in the state prison at Michi- gan City is D. C. Stephenson, sorV- ing g life term for murder. l. IS reported that in the course of the next year or so, Stephenson win he released. But nobody, now, IS very excited about it.
 Nothing could better Illustrate inc new situation than this changed attitude toward Stephenson, the man who built up the klan in ln- diana, the man "bo controlled the entire state government, the man who, when ha hoas'cd "I am the law in ludlana' vas not lying.
 Supplements Power at an Ind
 Stephenson. whether h. gets out of prison or not, l# finished. Ila can never again wII1 any authority i'll -hjs statr. As l matter of fact he had lost his grip on the L!an h"- fore hc went 10 prisYa The order held a s,orr, trial .n ~b.u Strph- cnaon. aL-.at. uu5 accused and convicted or varying ynus aui 1uis,Iemeuuors: aud Haen Le "'u1 into court to stand trIat ,or mGrd"r th" Elau w-a already out Ol his c0n'roJ.
 Nor is 1ur. marn hEcIlood 'h" Stephenson can male any further dfsclosurrs that would Hfrct promI- rcnt InIIar4 politicians. Eo>d Cur Iey, fine tparHg editor or Tho lu- dianapolis T.us. dug Up all 'ha e. santiaIs cs s'rpheu=on's knowledge Of crooladarss IL year and more ago. and by printing it in hls paper helped. more than any other one man or croup ot m.E, 'p bring about the recent nr.rIWrn. Stephen son has nothing much lrft to 'nll
 This juaH GGrlcy. juridcu'allF comes close fo being IudaaapoiiH mos influential citizen right np" He ~as fine nr-t man lo fight fh' crooked ring hrrr, and .r kept up his batr. "acE in and wrol out, until he had won r ill., wot the Pulitzer prize for i.s 'uors and he won somatHIu@ .l-a that onc imagiurs. means a good dra moro 10 hm-the sincere admr4 lion and rcspa@ ol e.arybody jr the city
 Indiana. to conclude, lae shaker off the grip oc inc ring that con frollod j, % long, Indianapolis | about to cnfar ucw phase Jn rnu nicipal government. The old coudj