Evening star., 1932-10-24

Continued From First Page.)
local significance. First, Watson is the
Republican leader of the Senate. He
succeeded to that high post when Vice
President Curtis, four years ago, gave
it up to become presiding officer of the
Senate. The line of succession in the
Office 8 Of Republican leader of the
Senate runs back to Lodge, Penrose
and Aldrich, all dominant figures In
the Upper House. Second, Watson
"standpat" regular Republicanism He
Is one Of the pillars of the Conserva-
tive wing Of the party. If he goes
down now, it will be serious blow to
the old order, blow comparable to
the defeat-if 1t happens-of Senator
Reed Smoot Of Utah.
Hope Of Victory Rises.
1t Is only recently that Senator Wat
son and his friends have begun to hope
for victory-to see signs which they
believe may lead the way to reelection.
The hope for victory for Watson has
arisen with the hope for President
Hoover in this State. If Roosevelt de-
feats Hoover by a., big sweep, nothing
can save Watson. On the other hand,
If Hoover wins here there seems no
little doubt that Watson will pull
through. He might conceiveably win
If Hoover should lose by narrow mar
gin. For Watson has a great personal
following in Indiana, and has dominated
the Republican organization for years.
On November Senator Watson will
celebrate his 68th birthday an
niversary. There are plans on foot to
give him a big celebration, State wide
in its implication. He is. after all,
Indiana's Sunny jim" He is as ef-
fective on the stump and in his ability
to mix with the voters as ever.
Just what will happen to the G. o. p.
in Indiana If Watson is defeated this
year is a question. There are indi-
cations that his younger colleague,
Senator Arthur r. Robinson, is en-
deavoring to place himself in posi-
ton to take over the organization, to
inherit the mantle of leadership from
Watson. The chances are, however.
there will be a scramble for leadership
and that Watson himself will not be
ready to relinquish it. Every citizen
of Indiana is potential political leader
and they take to politics like ducks to
water.
Six years ago Watson won the sena-
torship by about II, 900 votes, a mar
row margin indeed, in this State. The
returns from Lake County saved him,
and there was criticism because the
final results from that county came in
nearly three days late. Watson that
year ran behind the Republican State
ticket. Some of the Democrats today
claim that he will run behind the Re-
publican ticket this year. However,
ic in
party seem for the most part to be
supporting Watson this year.
Efforts for Labor Vote.
A desperate effort to line up all or
ganized labor against Watson has been
made by the Democrats. The heads
of the State Federation of Labor and
of several of the railroad brotherhoods
nave demanded Watson's defeat.
Green, the president of the American
Federation of Labor. has issued state
ment attacking him On the other
hand, some Of the Republican labor
leaders have rallied to the support of
Senator Watson. so the thing is not
unanimous SO far as labor is con-
cerned
Van Nuys has come out for the I'M
mediate payment of the soldiers bonus
and has made an issue of it in the
campaign. This seems to place him
at odds with Roosevelt. the head of
the Democratic ticket. The Democrats
continue to insist, however, that Roose-
welt is favorable to the bonus payment
and they read into his Pittsburgh
statement all kinds of promises to pay
the veterans. = Watson voted in the
Senate last Summer against the pay
ment of the bonus now. The Demo-
cratic Committee has put out large
pamphlet, for circulation among tha
veterans in this State It IS headed
"Ex-service men, if you believe your