The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-22
JUNIOR C. 0. P.
BODY DISBANDS;
FLAYS WATSON
Young Men Rebel AS State
Committee Blocks Plan
for Convention.
BY BEN STERN

Cancellation of all plans for the
convention Of the Indiana Junior
Republican convention at Anderson,
Nov 1918, and adoption of a reso-
luton for immediate disbanding OF
the association was announced to-
day by Rae Powell, state chairman
and Charles w. Heritage Jr., OF An
derson, general secretary.
Direct blame for this step was
placed by the officials upon the
manner in which the Republican
state committee and Senator James
i. Watson attempted to obstruct the
holding of the convention OF the
group representing 10000 young
partisans.
r Fear that the younger men, with
progressive leanings, would adopt
resolutions urging public ownership
Ct utilities, repeal Of the Wright
bone dry law, and a national refer
Cndum on prohibition was declared
to be the cause for senior Repub-
Leans opposition to the convention.
Called Rump Convention
Junior Republican officials de-
clared that state committee attaches
had travelled up and down the state
instructing county and district
chairmen to oppose the sending OF
delegations of young men from their
districts to Anderson because 1t was
g trump convention
State committee heads several
weeks ago started opposing the con-
vention when the youAger group an
rounced that Senator Robert M. La
Toilette Jr., Of Wisconsin, progress
sive leader, would be invited to de-
liver the principal address.
When Powell informed Watson OF
this, the senior senator declared
mo" emphatically.
why. he will deliver a speech
against the administration. He will
attack President Hoover. He will
even attack mel" Watson shouted.
Opposition Is Protested
But Powell argued in vain that
La Toilette is a Republican, one OF
the younger leaders and, therefore,
the Junior group felt he should de-
liver the main address.
Then came the opposition to the
convention, Powell said
When junior leaders in the dis
tricts of the state reported that the
county organization chiefs were
combating every effort to collect
delegations, a special meeting OF the
convention committee was called IN
Anderson, Friday.
Heritage telephoned Watson at
South Bend, and demanded that he
instruct Harry Fenton, state COM
mittee secretary, to halt the oppoSi-
ton.
Watson promised to do so and de-
clared that he would call Fenton |
Immediately.
Disband in Disgust
After a wait of more than an hour |
the Junior leaders got in touch with
the state committee secretary, who
declared that the senator had not |
communicated with him.
In anger and disgust with the en-
tire movement to defeat the junior |
convention a resolution was adopted
canceling the convention and dis
banding the organization.
The resolution declared: Lack Of
cooperation on the part of the Re
publican state committee is assigned
as the reason for the cancellation.
Although the meeting has been
billed in every county in the state,
the young party workers decided
that it was not to their advantage
to promote meeting which was
looked upon by the state committee
as. an unnecessary affair in the year
preceding the presidential election.
New Organization Hinted
"The present organization will be
disbanded and perhaps later we will
organize with a new name and pre-
pare to take our rightful place in
the regular party organization"
Among those at the meeting were
Powell, Heritage. Toma A. Rose,
Maurice Robinson, William Toner
and j. Gromer Alldredge of Ander-
son.
The junior organization is Mar
ION county, which is headed by
James Bradford, as district chair
man, has lined up against the Coffin
organization here in the past few
primaries and has succeeded in seat
ing several of its members as pre-
cinct committeeman.