Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1910 — REPUBLICANS HOLD STATE CONVENTION [ARTICLE]

REPUBLICANS HOLD STATE CONVENTION

Enthusiastic Gathering in Session in Indianapolis. GREATEST MEETING IN YEARS Tomlinson Hall Crowded to Its CapacIty With Cheering Throng—Senator Beveridge the Center of Interest. ‘ INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., April s.—lndiana history is being made today at one of the most wildly enthusiastic gatherings of Republicans ever held * tills State. Not even In presidential years has there ever been shown a greater enthusiasm on the part of the Republican hosts. Much Of the preliminary work of the organization of the convention! was done last night, such as the se-! leotlon of district vice-presidents, members of committees and the like, so that when the time arrived to open these was a clean cut program for the ■ Important business of the day. Every seat in Tomlinson hall, which holds more than four thousand persons, was taken before Chairman Lee swung the gavel to call the cheering throng to order. Scores of women were In the crowd, most of them occupying the boxes la the front balcony. As the party leaders from over the State entered the hall and #ere recognized they were greeted with Cheers, the women joining in the demonstration by waving their handkerchiefs and clapping their hands. This was especially the case when ex-Con-gressman James E. Watson, Congressman Crumpacker and Congressman Barnard entered. But when Senator Albert J. Beveridge stepped out on the stage there was an outburst of enthusiastic cheering that lasted several minutes. It was one of the most remarkable demonstrations with which any Indiana statesman was ever greeted. Will H. Hays, of Sullivan, one of the best known young Republicans in the State, was selected for secretary of the convention, with an assistant from each congressional district, chosen by the district caucuses. Joseph H. Barr, of Bruceville, former member of the Republican State committee, was selected for sergeant-at-arms, with plenty of assistants to maintain order, and J. A. Kautz, the well-known Republican editor of Kokomo, was given the important position of chief usher. He had a large number of assistants, and their work was well done. There was much regret over the fact that ex-Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks was unable to deliver an address at the convention. It was the plan to have the convention adopt a resolution conveying the regards of the Republicans of Indiana to Mr. Fairbanks in case his illness prevented his attendance. Ovation for Senator Beveridge. Chairman Lee pounded for order at nine o’clock. It was some time before the vast assemblage ceased its talking and cheering. Late arrivals among the delegates were seated and the buzz of conversation finally subsided, and the chairman succeeded in getting order. He told the delegates what they were there for. John Hays, secretary of the State committee, read the official call for the convention, the call containing the list of nominations which were to be made. The report of the committee on rules and the committee on organization were then read by the chairman of the committees, and when it was announced thaft Senator Beveridge had been chosen to act as temporary chairman of the convention there was a fresh outbreak of cheers. Chairman Lee again pounded for order, and when quiet had been restored he introduced Senator Beveridge as the temporary chairman of the gathering. When the Senator stepped forward to assume his duties he received an ovation that was simply magnificent. The crowd arose almost as one man and yelled and cheered. Arms were waved, hats were thrown into the air, handkerchiefs were waved, canes were flourished. Delegates left their seats and crowded into the aisles. They marched back and forth cheering as they went, and shouting “Beveridge,’' “Beveridge.” All this time the Senator stood at- the front of the stage waiting for the outbreak to cease that he might begin his speech. It was.a magnificent scene, one that could not help but effect any man In whose honor it was given, and at the same time Inspire fresh zeal in the hearts of those who participated in or witnessed It. After several minutes of this kind of pandemonium the crowd gradually settled down and comparative quiet was secured. As soon as he could make himself heard Senator Beveridge began his speech, and he had not spoken a dozen words before the crowd was giving him the closest attention. At times, however, when he made a telling point in his address, fresh cheers broke out and he was interrupted. This happened many times during the progress of his speech. Upon the completion of the speech of Senator Beveridge the convention adjourned until afternoon. When the delegations again assembled, the permanent organization was quickly completed with George-Cunningham, city attorney of Evansville, as permanent chairman. The report of the resolutions committee was read and the D«rtv plat-

lorn adopted. The nominations will be the last work of the convention and will be completed late this afternoon. Many Familiar Faces. Interest at the convention in the main was divided bfetween two subjects, Senator Albert J. Beveridge and the platform to be adopted by the convention. Senator Beveridge was the center of attraction, because of the prominent place which he occupies in the party this year. His address, being the keynote of the party for the campaign in tills State for its year’s &fepalgn,wts regar3eTaa be|ng one of the most important ad£Otred at a State convention fnlnCTa _ Party leaders from all over the Stjtte were at the convention taking PaH in its deliberations and business. Congressman Crumpacker was there from the extreme north end of the State. Ex-Congressman James E. Watson from the east and Ex-Con-gressman Chaney from the west side of the State were there. And hundreds of others. Mr. Watson was one of the prominent figures of the convention. He was surrounded by a bunch of good friends, political and personal, all of tiie time, and everybody seemed glad w sea "Jim* and Snake his hand. Since his retirement from office when he decided to become a candidate for Governor in iJOB he has been practicing law, but e has not by any means lost interest fa politics. He arrived in Indianapolis on Sunday and many a delegate Visited him on his arrival. Watson learned from the hearty manner in which he was received by Republicans from all over the State that he has hosts of friends. ntpUbflcan Congressmen Present. While Senator Beveridge has •erred twelve years in the United States Senator, Edgar D. Crumpacker, Congressman from the Tenth district, has served as long as a member of Congress. And while Senator BevdTldge has risen to high distinction and high position in the councils of the Senate, Congressman Crumpacker also has risen to high place in the House. He ls now a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the most important committee of Congress. He ls the dean of the Indiana delegation In the House. They say he can be renominated as long as he cares to remain in Congress from the Tenth district, because he has served his people to their satisfaction.

The only other Republican Congressman from Indiana is Congressman Barnard of the Sixth district, and he was there with his delegation. Mr. Barnard is not as well known throughout the State as some of the other leaders of the party, but he became acquainted with many of the delegates and Others at the convention througn his own activity and the activity of his friends. Another hustling Republican worker who'has only recently come into the spotlight in this State, and who was prominent in the convention, ls Rudolph G. Leeds, of Richmond. Mr. Leeds is a Progressive “from up the creek,” and he doesn’t care who knows it. He is a millionaire who has sense enough to know what to do with his money, even though he is a young man, still far down in his twenties. When the political game took a firm hold on him, Mr. Leeds bought two newspapers, the Richmond Palladium, and the Indianapolis Sun, and through them he is preaching Republicanism with all his force and energy.

Harry S. New, one of the strong men of the party and one of the likable men of Indiana, had a seat on the stage of the convention a part of the time. Mr. New could have been State chairman if he had only consented to take the office, but he said he preferred to work in the ranks. Much favorable comment was heard among the delegates and others over the manner in which State Chairman Lee handled the preliminaries leading up to the convention. Chairman Lee is practically a new man In State politics, but his friends are pointing to the successful convention today as proof that he is a strong man for the chairmanship. He was in constant demand all day. but appeared to be equal to any and all calls. Charles Sefrlt, editor of the Washington Herald, was one of the busy men at the convention. He had his own ideas as to some things that should be left out of the platform and he carried on his fight for what he believed to be right. He was one of the leaders of the Daviess county delegation. Charles W. Miller, United Stateß district attorney, was In the thick of the convention and put as much ginger in this work as he has put in his office. The last Federal grand Jury in Indiana returned seventy-one indictments, and Mr. Miller has obtained pleas of guilty or convictions in every one of the seventy-one cases, including ten bank embezzlers, pe received many compliments, today for this record.

In fact, the spectator In looking over the crowd saw so many of the party leaders and workers from all over the State that it would be almost out of the Question to enumerate them. There was John W. Moorman, editor of the Starke County Republican, who was nominated for Congress In the Thirteenth district a few days ago; W. H. Craig, editor of the Noblesville Ledger, one of the strongest party papers in the State; George W. Cromer, of Muncle, ex-Congress-man from the Eighth district; ex-Gov-ernor Winfield T. Durbin, of Anderson, undoubtedly the best political organizer in Indiana; State Senators Ralph Kane, of Nobelsville; Will RWood, of Lafayette, who has been in the State Senate longer than any other man ever was; William E. Springer, of Elizabethtown, who is a national bank' examiner and who'donsidered. for a long time the advisability of running for the nomination for State Treasurer, and Linton A. Cox, of Indianapolis, the father of the Indianapolis sixty-ceht gas law, Mr. Cox was nominated recently by the Republicans of the Seventh district for Congressman, and he is regarded as the strongest man that could have been chosen in the, Seventh.

There was also ex-Congreesman Charles D. Landis, of Delphi, and his brother ex-Congressman Fred Landis, of Logansport, both of whom had a hard time to got through Bhaking hands with their friends among the Republicans of the State. Auditor of State John C. Blllheimer was there and _so Was Attorney General James Bingham, both stronger than ever in the faith of their party. From every viewpoint the crowd at the convention today was probably as representative of the party as any that has been held ' in years, and everybody present appeared to be well pleased with the work aooompUshed. r •