The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-10-31
STATE TICKET
DESERTED BY
COFFIN CLIQUE
Fifield Regarded as Too
Big a Liability for
County Machine.
BIG FIVE GET BACKING
Boss Efforts Conferred on
Election of Key Men
Next tuesday.
BY BEN STERN


Desertion of the Republican state
ticket by the Marion county Coffin
organization, and concentration
solely upon election of the big
Five" here, is causing anxiety for
state heads o the party, it was
learned today
With ominf reports coming in
from all sectiO. s of the state, in
dicating almost universal diSap-
proval of the c.. o. P. state ticket,
headed by Otto G.. Fifield, secretary
of state, and Archie Bobbitt, au-
ditor, Marion county leaders are
hking no effort to gain support
81 it.
On the contrary, study Of the
campaign speeches here reveals that
the subject of state affairs and
names of state candidates are care
fully avoided, and every effort is
being exerted toward election OF
Ccffin's candidates for judge of the
criminal court, sheriff, county clerk
nAAN Guilty commissioners
Too Heavy a Load
1.-The state ticket is too heavy a
load for us to carry if we expect to
put over the local boys" one ward
chairman declared today
"Eevry one you talk to seems TO
feel that Fifield, Bobbitt and Roy
Wisehart superintendent Of public
Instruction. have failed in their Of
fees and naturally you don't think
we are going to worry about them"
Sporadic attempts to aid Fif1eld,
because of his appointments of
sixty Marion county Coffin attaches
10 posts in the state police and
automobile license divisions, were
made early in the campaign, but
when it was noted that he was in
high disfavor, all attempts were
abandoned except upon the part of
those in his employ.
FifieId Has His Troubles
These are loyal Coffinites and are
also devoting their energies in the
main to the big f1ve" county can
didates.
All has also not gone well with
Fifield and the state committee.
From all appearances it is obvious
he is running an independent cam
paign.
None of his speeches are being re-
leased through the states publicity
bureau. An effort to capture Local
support was made by Fif1eld at the
meeting of the Marion County Good
Government Club, Collins reform
organization, Monday night, but
there was little enthusiasm.
Many Republican state candidates
will be only too ready to blame the
defeat, predicted on all sides, on
Fiheld, Bobbitt and Wisehart.
Discredited With Voters
Consistent use of the state police
in politics, over-payment for auto
mobile drivers licenses and break
down of the work of the securities
commission are charged to Fifield.
The thousands lost the state
through bootlegged gasoline and
other carelessnesS is reacting against
Bobbitt, while the fact that Wise
hart and his aids spent their time
lobbying to retain control of the
state school aid funds, instead of
working out a method whereby
school bankruptcy would be fore
stalled, is hurting Republican
chances in the rural districts.
Democratic leaders today were
planning methods whereby nothing
untoward will occur at the polls.
lone easy manner of retarding an
opposition vote is to jam machine
and so delay voters until those
citizens waiting in line tire and
move away" it was pointed out by
H. Nathan Swain, Democratic
county chairman, at a meeting Of
workers, Thursday night.
With thousands of doubtful voters
expected to turn out, and these
citizens determined to clean Coffin
ism from the county. it is possible
that delays may be attempted, so be
on the watch and call the county
election commissioners" he warned.