The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-10-20
COFFIN RULE
AGAIN Chief
VOTING ISSUE
Boss Seeks to Tighten Grip
on Key Jobs of County
Administration.
HOLDS FAT PATRONAGE
Control of Judge, Sheriff
and Commission Aim
of Dictator.
BY BEN STERN

county voters VIII go 10 the polls
and their action will determine
whether this county moves forward
along every line of human endeavor
or "is sold short.
During the next few weeks, Re-
publican speakers, using such
phrases as support the President"
and Republican as usual" will at
tempt to win public support to a
county ticket which the best ele-
ment of the party tried to discard in
the primary.
Democrats are contenting them
selves with the simple phrase, "Oust
Cof1nism."
"Cofhnism" is the paramount Is
sue, survey of the situation re-
yeals.
Coffin Is Blamed
There really is a George v. Coffin,
he is not a myth-and great army
of irate voters say he is responsible
for the shame of the state and
Marion county for the past decade.
Although his name does not grace
the organization stationery as
county chairman, 1t is he who is
consulted before a man is appointed
chairman, election judge, or election
clerk.
To perpetuate his power Coffin
must hold in his hands the admin
istration of justice in this county;
control of the money spending
units; and have a say-so over the
probate court. in which many a
lucrative receivership is handed out.
None who watched the frantic
search to obtain a candidate Tor
the Judge of criminal court who
would be amenable to dictation
from Coffin will forget the sigh Of
relief which went up from the
bows when Walter o.. Pritchard
consented to enter the field against
James A. Collins, veteran jurist and
sworn enemy Of Coffnism. ~
Pritchard Put Over
Collins lust couldn't be handled
was the wall on all sides and then
came the spreading of the gospel
of Pritchard, and he was nominated
DESPITE the efforts of the Citizens
Republican League and other
groups of Republicans who wanted
to GUST "the boss"
Next in the list of key posts comes
the sheriff's office. an integral part
of the law enforcement machinery
of the county. All arrests for liquor
law violations are made by the
sheriff and his deputies.
George Winkler, former Coffin
Eleventh ward chairman, has been
q strong henchman of Coffin since
the day he entered politics, it IS
charged. When, just before the
supreme court declared the city
manager law unconstitutional, it
was deemed best to file city ticket
as a safeguard Coffin named Win
kler as his candidate for mayor,
only to cast him aside when a roar
of protest went up.
Patronage Is Juicy
Winkler still has the mayoralty
hug and expects Coffin to put him
over, his friends aver.
The sheriff is in charge of the
juiciest patronage in the county.
Most of the precinct committeeman
want jobs as deputy sheriffs, and
will 60 to almost any length to OBJ
tain appointment.
BY controlling the criminal court
and the sheriffs Office, Coffin, it is
pointed out, can give his followers
indulgences for acts which might be
construed as against the law "by the
narrow minded"
Coffin workers vociferously de-
clare the two ARE cinches to win
and this opens up an avenue of
thought leading to the last grand
Jury report, which charged that the
May primary was 'the scene of
astounding corruption and fraud"
Political organizations are fed
upon patronage and money. The
latter sinew of power is under con-
troll of the county commissioners
and the two men who are candi-
dates for reelection on the Coffin
ticket are John E. Shearer and
Charles o. Sutton.
Spend Large Sums
Increased tax assessments come
only as a result of increased ex-
psnditures and Shearer and Sutton
are in charge of the spending of
millions annually.
They award all county contracts
for building. and directly supervise
hiring of help. except in offices OF
elected officials.
Receiverships are the bits OF
patronage with which Coffin hench-
men holding higher social standing
are rewarded.
Some of the largest receiverships
are declared and awarded in the
probate court. over which for many
years Mahlon Bash has presided.
Acts of this jurist have been the
subject of censure.
Students of politics in the state
ioin in declaring that If Coffin wins
control of the county Nov 4, he soon
will be the dominating influence in
the Republican state committee, as
he was when in partnership with
D. G. Stephenson and before he
pleaded the statute of limitations
10 keep from paying the penalty for
attempting to bride a Governor.
Fire Causes $4,000 Loss