Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1918 — WHO WILL BE THE NEXT REPUBLICAN STATE CHAIRMAN [ARTICLE]

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT REPUBLICAN STATE CHAIRMAN

Indianapolis, Feb. 20.—Will H. Hays takes the Republican national chairmanship with the most absolute freedom of opportunity * and action that ever any man had on taking that position. There is not a single string tied to him. He has made no promises and no one had any right to make any promises for him. He was elected while he was not a candidate for the place. ' Not only did the national committee hand the job to him but it cleaned the . entire slate by declaring all memberships on the national executive committee vacant, thus leaving him free to form a new executive committee of his own choosing. Then the campaign committee of 1916 was abolished, and so was the advisory committee. Hays will appoint whom he pleases for members of these two committees or he may not appoint any such committees,

just as he wishes. In fact, the management of the Republican party was placed in his hands to do with as he may wish to do with it, because the national committee had full confidence in him. The members knew of the remarkable accomplishments of Hays as state chairman of Indiana, and they felt that if he could do as well in the nation as he did in his home state there would be no use of placing any restrictions about him. But now that Hays is national chairman, a serious question confronts the Republicans of Indiana. Hays will no doubt continue to serve as state chairman until his successor is elected following the spring primaries. But he will not be a candidate for re-election as state chairman, of course. The man who follows Hays in that position will find a high mark set by Hays for him to shoot at, and it will be some job for any man to take up the work and carry it on from where Hays lays it down. L. W. Henley, who is now secretary of the state committee, has been mentioned as a good man for state chairman. He has been secretary of the committee ever since Hays became chairman in 1914, two have worked together and know each other’s ideas. But it takes a man with money to be state chairman, for it is an expensive luxury or pastime, as one may be pleased to term it, and Henley is not a rich man. Whether he would be willing to undertake the state chairmanship under these circumstances is a question that only Henley himself can answer.

There is a possibility, so it is said, that Henley may also Jeave the state organization and go with Hays to the national organization. In that case it would be necessary for the Indiana Republicans to effect a complete reorganization of their state committee. There is no question but that if Hays and Henley both drop out of the organization it will leave a very large hole that will be difficult to fill at this time. Hays also, probably, will have to resign as chairman of the state council of defense, a position he has ably filled ever since the council was appointed by Governor Goodrich several months ago. Of course, Hays would pot be required to give up this work if he did not wish to resign, because there is nothing to prevent his serving in both capacities, at least for some time to come, as there will not He much for the national chairman to do for a while. Here, again, it will be a task to find one to take the place of Hays as Chairman of the council of defense, and up to this time Will J. Irwin, of Columbus, a member of the council, is the only one mentioned as a possibility. There is no salary connected with the position, and this is one feature that would probably appeal to Irwin. He is one of the rich men of Indiana and could give his time to the work of the council without the slightest embarassment. It will be up to the Governor to designate a new chairman of the state council of defense.