Evening star., 1933-12-07
THREE SEEK PLACE
AS INDIANA LEADER
Democrats In Struggle Over
Successor to Late Thomas
'Taggart.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS, December THE
Democratic party in Indiana. without
generally accepted leader since the
elder Thomas Taggart died IN 1929,
sees three-way struggle for such q
position impending.
United States Senator Frederick Van
lNuys, Gov. Paul v. McNutt and r. Earl
Peters, until recently State chairman,
apparently will be contestants for the
mantle.
Until Democrats swept into control of
both State and National governments
less than a year ago. no one was vitally
interested in this solonship-now it's an
issue of Statewide interest. Young
Thomas Taggart, national committee
man for the State, Is staying on the
sidelines.
The test for power is expected to
come in State convention here next
May, over selection of a candidate
for the United States Senate. Whoever
Is chosen apparently will have to defeat
the Republican incumbent, Arthur r.
Robinson, of this city.
Peters has announced his candidacy
for the Democratic nomination. Gov.
McNutt has been looking around for q
candidate and has several men in mind.
Friends here say Senator Van Nuys has
an entirely different candidate in view.
McNutt Ahead Now.
Each Of the three figures has his
share Of organized support, with Nc
Mutt conceded holding the most ad-
vantageous spot at this time.
Indiana's governmental reorganization
law, giving the Governor power to hire
and fire virtually every man and wom-
an on the State pay roll, Is one OF Nc
Nuts strongest weapons. And recently
the Governor gained control of the
State Committee after Peters resigned
to run for the Senate.
Political enemies of Peters said the
Governor forced his resignation. but
Peters denied that such was the case.
Peters strength lies in the loyalty
of precinct workers and city and county
organizations he helped perfect in his
seven years as State chairman. He
fought a hard but losing battle with
McNutt in their behalf on the matter
of patronage distribution when the
Democrats took Office, and he believes
they will not forget.
Peters also has whatever Postmaster
General James A. Farley's personal and
political friendship Is worth in Indiana.
Farley hasn't forgotten that Peters was
an original Roosevelt man at the 1882
national convention while other Hoosiers
straddled
Though Senator Van Nuys has denied
he is seeking the party leadership. some
of his followers say his position makes
him head man now.
The Senator Is no amateur in politics,
having been an organization man all
his life. Liked by organization workers
and by the voting masses, he has yet
to uncover the hand that will show
his real strength.
Governors Program.
McNutt admittedly is looking ahead
seven years, with the hope that his
accomplishments as Governor will have
attracted such Nationwide attention as
to put him in line for q presidential
nomination.
He has made start in that direction.
Since the start Of the year he has put
through a program establishing q gross
income tax, an intangibles tax, taxes on
beer, whisky and other liquor sales. and
greater revenue bringing chain store
measure.
McNutt maintains his program viii
SIlOW kIcdt ICcukbc III ASodSAA46 RfOPNAV W
tax within q few years. Realizing the
new forms Of taxation are not generally
popular, he nevertheless expects to reap
the harvest in the closing days OF his
four-year term.
Most of his suffering has come from
his efforts to try to distribute q few
thousand patronage jobs to some 10000
applicants.
Democrats unfriendly to the Governor
aver he is running the party's chances
in the two-year State Office election
slated for 1884 by methods they call
"dictatorial." They foresee a normally
Republican State returning to that
status unless some things are straight
ened out.
Always a State where politics is deep
rooted and q chief subject Of daily
conversation, Indiana's Democratic fight
for party control Is being watched
eagerly by the voters on the sidelines.