The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-27
THURMAN'S BID
FOR GOVERNOR
NEARLY READY
Watson Group Support Is
Expected to Be Given
Committee Member.
CoFFINISM FACES FIGHT
Ludlow and NeidI Among
Those Mentioned for
New BerthS.
BY BEN STERN

Within a few days M. Bert Thur
man, Republican national commit
teeman, and so far regarded as one
OF the outstanding contenders for
the q. o. P. nomination for Gov
ernor in 1882, will begin building his
fences.
Thurman, who virtually heads the
Watson organization in Indiana, is
prepared to make definite bid for
the nomination and his friends de-
clare he will go into the convention
with the undivided support Of the
Watson organization.
This includes all except three
counties in Indiana, 1t is claimed.
These counties are Marion, where
as yet the discredited George Cof-
an machine holds the reins and Is
pledged to the banner of Senator
Arthur r. Robinson; Jackson coun-
~, where there has been some in
surgency, and Vanderburg county,
where although the county chair
man, Philip Gould, is a Watson man,
ne can not control the organization.
Disliked Primary
Although Thurman announced as
a candidate early in 1923 he did not
enter the race, largely, it is said, be-
cause he did not like to run in the
primary. Now that there is no pri-
mary for any state Office Thurman
has indicated he will make the race.
1t is expected everywhere that
James E. Watson, who will be a.
candidate for denomination for
senator, will throw his strength to
his loyal associate and thus insure
Thurman's nomination. But the
liberal element in the Republican
party, including the 1912 Progress
,Slyes, is expressing desire for the
nomination of Frederick r. Lands,
Logansport editor.
Fight on Coffnism
1t Is an interesting feature OF the
weeks activities that preliminary
step to throw off the yoke of Cot
tlnism was made Monday night by
the Irvington Republican Club,
which arranged for a rally of new
Eleventh district precinct and or
ganization leaders at the club
rooms April 6.
Representative Albert VeStal, An
derson, will be the principal speaker.
-Coffinism leaders are expected
to propose at this meeting that the
state committee provide rule that
the precinct committeeman in that
part of Marion county within the
Eleventh district elect a chairman
who shall sit in on district coun-
ellis and help select that chairman.
In this way the Coffin county
chairman could be dropped over
board with as little trouble as pos
sible, it is pointed out.
Representative Louis Ludlow, who
under the new boundary lines re-
sides in the Twelfth district, has not
indicated whether or not he will
move to Irvington, his home years
ago, and thus become a candidate
for the nomination and election
from the Eleventh. If he does he
will have to make the primary race
against DR.. w. H. Larrabee, New
Palestine, new Sixth district rep
resentative.
Indiana was circulariZed this week
with copies of a Columbus 90
newspaper containing long
biography of Ludlow and a story
which indicated he Will seek the
Democratic nomination for senator.
Ludlow Opposed
LudloW's chances for this nom
nation are very slight, old guard
Democrats declare. ANY man whose
Democracy isn't strong enough to
tell him how to vote on the tariff
and whose identification with party
activities in Indiana is Of such
recent origin does not, as yet, de-
serve the nomination to this high
Office" one party leader declared.
Liberals In the party also resent
Ludlows spurning Of the progress
sive meeting In Washington before
ne was even invited.
An editorial in the Lafayette
Courier-J journal, published by Henry
= Marshall, mentor of Governor Harry
C. Leslie, declared, in opposition to
all existing evidence, that r. Earl
Peters, Democratic state chairman,
will be a candidate for the nom
nation for senator with Paul V.
McNutt as his running mate for
Governor.
Democrats over the state decried
the editorial and labeled it as de-
liberate attempt to muddy the
waters.