Evening star., 1938-06-26
RACE
SEEN IN INDIANA

OCCN in INUIHVA
G. 0. P. to Meet Wednesday
to Name Senatorial
Candidate.
RS the Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS, June 25.-Indi-
ana's 1888 political tumult, marked
by the perplexing prospect of tri-
angular race for the United States
Senate. with Senator Frederick Van
Nuys, Democrat. cast in an independ-
ent role in his bid for reelection.
moved tonight toward selection of the
Republican senatorial nominee.
Hopeful of picking their first sue
ceSsful senatorial candidate in dec
ade, 1852 delegates will meet in the
Republican State convention here
Wednesday to make the choice and
name the party's ticket for IL State
offices. Indiana does not elect Gov
ernor this year
Several Republican newspapers have
proposed that the convention nomi-
nate Senator Van Nuys, who has been
tagged for the discard by the Demo-
cratic State administration because
he fought President Roosevelt's court
reorganization bill. But Senator Van
Nuys reiterated:
Il am Democrat I will run as an
independent"
Five men, including the veteran
James Eli Watson. for many years a
formidable figure in the halls of Con-
gress, have been maneuvering since
early spring for the Republican NOM
ination.
Watson and Bossert Active.
Mr.. Watson and Walter F. Bos-
sert of Liberty. lawyer and former
Ku Klux Klan regional officer, have
been the most active in quiet but
steady drive to line up delegate
strength. Votes of 882 delegates are
necessary for the nomination, which
will carry with it leadership of the
party dominant in the Paw Paw belt
for nearly two decades prior to 1882
Competing with Mr. Watson and
Mr.. Bossert for delegate favor are
Oliver Starr of Gary. former Lake
County prosecutor; Raymond Willis,
Angola publisher. and Clarence H.
Wills, Kokomo lawyer, newcomer to
public Office seeking.
Since 1929 Indiana has used the
convention system to nominate party
tickets for the United States Senate.
Governor and other State Offices. A
Republican Legislature that year re-
pealed law under which these nomi-
nations had been made in primary
elections for the IS preceding years
Delegates to the conventions are
chosen in May primary. in which
nominees for the National House of
Representatives and the State Legis-
lature also are selected.
The veteran Jim" Watson, now ap-
preaching his 74th birth anniversary,
and Mr. Bossert have been opponents
within the Republican Party for near
ly a quarter century. Their rift
widened in 1923 after Mr.. Bossert
succeeded D. c. Stephenson as head
of the Ku Klux Klan in 1S States
from Maine to Colorado.
Stephenson is serving a life sem
tence in States prison for the death
Of girl statehouse employe.
Mr.. Bossert dropped out of the
public eye in 1926, the year he con-
cluded his Klan leadership, retired
to his farm near Liberty and resumed
the practice of law in that commu-
nifty. That fall Mr.. Watson was re-
elected to the Senate for his third
consecutive term.
Last March Mr.. Bossert announced
his candidacy for the Senate. Within
IL hours Mr.. Watson formally en-
tered the race.
While Mr.. Bossert and Mr.. Watson
appear to lead in delegate strength,
there is the prospect the Republicans
may pull the nominee from q dark
horse" stable. Among the possible
dark horses" are william L. Hutch
eson Of Indianapolis. president of the
International Brotherhood Of Car
penters and Joiners; youthful Charles
A. Halleck of Rensselaer,, the States
lone Republican in the present Con-
gress; State Senator William e. Jen-
ner OF Shoals, and former Supreme
Court Judge Clarence Martin Of In
dianapolis.
See Break on Second Ballot.
Politicians say no candidate will
have enough strength for nomination
on the conventions first ballot, that
the "breakaway" will come on the Sec
ond roll call or at the latest on the
third.
Two weeks after the Republican
convention Indiana Democrats will
hold their nominating session. 1t.
Gov. Henry F. Schricker is the current
choice Of Gov. M. Clifford Townsend's
State administration to succeed Sen
ator Van Nuys. It was Gov. Town
send who read the truculent Sen
ator Van Nuys out Of the party at q
Democratic rally last summer.
Senator Van Nuys said recently Of
the Governor:
"One thing is certain-he cannot
eliminate me from my party, which I
have served longer than he has and,
I think, equally we'll. and am willing
to leave it to the voters of Indiana as
to my retirement from public life"
Persons close to Gov Townsend say
that the Van Nuys utterance embit-
tered the Governor even more against
the Senator.