The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-12
WAR. DECLARED
ON COFFIN BY
c. 0. p. HEADS
Leslie and Rogers Launch
Fight to Shear Boss
of Power.
RULES TO BE CHANGED
Charge County Chairman
Uses High Minded Meth
odS to Hold Control.

Governor Harry G. Leslie and
Eliza o. Rogers, Republican state
chairman, have declared war on
George v. Coffin, Seventh district
CMarion county, Republican boss.
Political circles drew this inter-
probation today from announcement
of meeting of the G. o. P. state
committee Wednesday noon, when,
by an alteration of organization
rules, Coffin will be shorn of a
power he has invoked to keep an
iron grip on Marion county Repub-
lican politics.
Neither the Governor nor Rogers
was willing to comment.
This move. Republican leaders be-
lieved, will be but the forerunner of
a determined effort backed by Gov
ernor Leslie, Chairman Rogers and
state committeeman to oust Coffin
from the state committee, a. post he
holds as Seventh district chairman.
Improved Machinery
From sources close to the Gov
ernor, it was learned LeSlie'S de-
termination to put an end to Coffin
control in Marion county is more
than a retaliatory move for failure
Of the Coffin organization to carry
Marion county for Leslie.
1t reflects, according to authori-
tative sources, the Governors in
tent, seconded by the state chair
man, to put the operation of party
machinery in Marion county on "the
up and up"
BY high-handed tactics, it Is
charged, Coffin has kept between
85 and 100 precinct committeeman,
regularly elected, from taking any
part in party organization affairs in
the county. His latest move was
creation by county commissioners
Monday Of f1fty-four new precincts,
for which Coffin now can name COM
mitteemen.
Forces representing the Governor
s1ld the state committee viii insist,
it is said, that regularly elected
precinct committeeman and no
others, vote in the city committee
organization meeting Saturday aft
ernoon.
Rule to Be Changed
It was the prospect of Coffin
tactics" in the Saturday meeting
that precipitated Rogers call for
the state meeting Wed, esday and
brought the first flash of lightning
from storm clouds that have been
lowering over the Coffin machine
since LeSlie's election,
The organization rule to be
changed by the state committee now
provides that the county chairman
or a person designated by him shall
preside at the city committee Or
ganization meeting.
Under this rule Omer Hawkins,
county chairman by grace of Coffin,
would preside or name a man ap-
proved by Coffin, to preside. Such
situation, it was feared, might
permit repetition of an incident in
Cof1n's election to the district chair
manship, when there were more
votes cast than there are precincts
in the county. This was explained
away at the time by permitting
vice-committee men to vote, even
though committeeman were present
and voting.
The rule to be changed Wednes-
day was forced upon the Repub-
lican state committee four years ago
for Cof1in'S express benefit by Clyde
A. Walb, then state chairman, now
in Leavenworth penitentiary.
Speculate on Changes
Prior to the change, the city
chairman presided at the city or
ganization meeting. Restoration OF
the old rule, therefore, will not help.
for Coffin is city as we'll as district
chairman. Politicians are speculate
ing on what means the state COM
rnittee will devise around this OBJ
stacle. They anticipate q warming
also will be sounded agains5 voting
by hand-picked proxies.
County political forces today drew
their lines tight after county COM
missionerS, the court house puppets
of Coffin, added the ffty-four pre-
cincts.