Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1915 — OVER-ZEALOUS EDITOR RETRACTS STATEMENT [ARTICLE]

OVER-ZEALOUS EDITOR RETRACTS STATEMENT

Accused Will H. Hays of Lobbying When He Had Not Been in Capital Since Dec. 26th.

Rushville; Ind., Jan. 23.—This is the story of how one of the overzealous organs of Indiana democracy had to “back up” in dou'ble quick time; how is had to retract a libelous statement regarding Will H. Hays, chairman of the republican state organization. On January 9, the Rushville Jacksonian, democratic, made the following statement in an editorial: “Nothing has been said about Republican State Chairman Hays, who seems to 'be unusually active around the state house since the legislature convened.” In view of the fact that Chairman Hays had not, at the time that article was written, been in Indianapolis since Dec. 26, almost two weeks before the legislature opened, L. W. Henley, secretary of the re-

publican state committee, when, a copy of this paper reached republican state headquarters, went, to Rushville and made a demand for a retraction of this'libellous statement with the result that the following appeared in the editorial columns of this democratic mouthpiece of Jan. 19: “It is our desire to correct a mistake published in these columns the ninth of this month, when it was stated in part that VIA H. Hays had taken active charge of the minority policies in the state legislature *by attending party caucuses and writing letters to members, although holding no office. Th rough the news columns it was stated later that such was not the case but feeling that an injustice was done to the chairman of the republican party it is our desire to correct any erroneous impression that may have gone out to the effect that Mr. Hays was lobbying. As was stated a few days ago it has been learned that he has not been in Indianapolis since Dec. 26 and hence only that such an accusation 'be corrected, which we gladly do.”