Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 292, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1913 — Tenth District Democrats Start a Very Lively Scrap. [ARTICLE]

Tenth District Democrats Start a Very Lively Scrap.

A very lively scrap has been started among tenth district democrats and it is probable that in about every other district in the state the fight will be just as vigorous. In Lafayette Saturday Reno Isherwood Was elected county chairman, as an anti-Taggart, antiMurphy man. It is said that about all the democratic papers of the district are against Murphy and also against Taggart. The papers are said to hold the defeat -of mayoralty candidates in this district as a fault of Mr. Murphy’s management. Mr. Murphy is said to have taken a hand at Lafayette against. Mayor Durgan in the closing days of the election. Editors who were candidates for the postoffioe and who lost out will side against Murphy, alleging that he caused their defeat. In Rensselaer this condition exists. Editor Babcock has been a Murphy opponent in his feeble way for two or three years. He charged his defeat for the postoffice to Murphy. In the eity"election here Mr. Murphy’s hand was not shown. The failure of the democrats to win out can be figured in two ways. One was the fact that O. K. Rainier, the mayoralty candidate, had lived here only a little over two years. The other reason was because a number of prominent democrats voted the straight republican ticket. It was charged after the election that Editor Babcock and his coterie of Murphy opponents voted solidly against Rainier as a rebuff to City Chairman McFarland. It is quite certain that Mr. Murphy’s closest friends in this city were the most ardent supporters of Mr. Rainier. The Murphy and Taggart forces will probably meet the onslaught of their opponents in solid phalanx and it is understood that Mr. Murphy has already started organization preparatory to his re-elec-tion as district chairman. Republicans, after having engaged in a split that ripped the party almost in twain, can now enjoy the democratic fracas from the side lines and see the opportunity of again electing a republican congressman under a united banner. Think it over, friends, republicans and progressives, and let us find the man. No matter what his conduct last fall, if he stands erect for the right, he’s our man and we can elect him.