The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-27
Walb Energies


Within a day or so Clyde Walb, once the
chairman of the Republican party in the
state. dictator of sorts, tool of shrewder
men. will emerge from the penitentlary at
Leavenworth.
He has served one-third of the time for
which he was sentenced and the attorney
general and the prison board do not think 1t
likely that Walb will again commit the
crimes for which he was punished.
In that they are probably right. For it
is unthinkable that Walb will ever again be
in position of power politically to perpetrate
either the crimes for which he was convicted
or the greater outrages against the pubic
welfare for which neither ne nor those ne
served were punished.
AS far as Walb is concerned, not only
those who once called themselves his friends
but those who deplored the political moral
itv of which he was the exemplar will hope
that he lives happily and successfully, shun-
ming the evil companions Of his heyday and
atoning as best he may by useful service and
different thinking. He has probably been
punished enough.
But his liberation should serve to remind
The people of this state of the conditions
which created Walb and put them on guard
against either a repetition or continuance
of that state of public mind which permitted
him to operate.
Walb came into power with Stephenson
Ism. but was the special servant of Watson
ism. He might have been called the liason
officer between the two forces which had
similar detectives. He talked the language
of both.
His mistake came from an idea that po-
IiticaI power brings immunity. He seemed
to believe the boast of Stephenson that he
was the law in Indiana. And for time it
seemed to be true.
1t was Walb who led the forces of Wat
son in 1926 when it required desperate
methods and Lake county to give paper
majority for the present leader of the senate
1t was Walb whose arrogance or stupid
ity brought the Reed investigating committee
to Indiana after he had uttered the base
less SANDER that the state was filled with
money sent by international bankers to
defeat our Jim.
It was WaIb who directed the machine
which fostered Coffinism in this city and
permitted that boss to get his grip upon local
affairs.
1t was Walb who issued the statements
when the clouds gathered and the storm
broke. denying anything and everything. But
the people have since seen mayor of this
CITY convicted and a Governor elected under
Walb guidance plead the statute of limlta-
tons.
1t was Walb who sold stock in his private
ventures to relatives of pardon seekers, but
that was not offensive to the ethics of the
day in which he lived. Such things were
supposed to happen, but not to be discovered
What happens to Walb is not important
except that he has every chance to make
good and to live decently and honestly.
What happens to be the remnant OF the
machine of which he was once leader and IN
which he was power, is very important.
The people will do we'll to remember that
Coffin contributed much to the power of
Walb and received much; Coffin is still IN
power. 1t might be we'll to eliminate Coffin
this fall. The prisons and the courts have
eliminated so many of the other political
playmates of Walb that with the going OF
Coffin the state will be comparatively safe
at least for time.