Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1915 — TO REWRITE RULES OF STATE ORGANIZATION [ARTICLE]

TO REWRITE RULES OF STATE ORGANIZATION

Republicans Plan Changes to Conform to Primary Law—Committees to Study Problems. Indianapolis, Ind., March 23.—At the meeting of the Indiana republican state committee held last week, State Chairman Will H. Hays named two very important committees to •tudy party problems that have arisen as the result of the enactment by the recent legislature of a radical state wide primary law. The first of these committees, headed by J. W. Fesler, 7th district chairman, is authorized to rewrite the rules of the republican state organization to confprm with the provisions of the new primary law. This law makes it mandatory on the state central'committee of the parties coming under its operation to revise their rules within six months of the time the law goes into effect. The present rules of the republican state organization are the result of the combined thought and experience of a number of state committees, containing in their membership some of the brightest and experienced workers that the party in Indiana has ever produced. This new committee, to which has been assigned this important work, appreciates the task that confronts them and will get right down to work at an early date in order that they may have it finished well within the time specified by law. Seven members of the state committee are on this committee.

The other committee which has been entrusted with some very important party work is not made up solely of members of the republican state committee, the members being Vesey of the 12th district, Roach of the 9th, Bryson of the sth and W. L. Taylor of Indianapolis and Horace Stilwell, of Anderson. One section of the new primary law will prevent -independent voters from taking part in party primaries in event they are challenged. This section w£rid make it impossible for thousands of progressives who have returned to the republican party to take part in the republican primary next spring if challenged. It appeared to be the unanimous opinion of those taking part in the conference that this section of the new law is unconstitutional.’ Chairman Hays appointed this committee with instructions to attempt in some way to devise a plan by which progressives and independents who wish to affiliate with the republican party in the future may not be disfranchised from taking part in the republican primary. One thing was made plain in the discussion of this section of the law—no republican will challenge any progressive who seeks to take part in the republican primary. If any Such challenging is done it will be done by democrats.