Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1914 — STATE WIDE PRIMARY PLANK [ARTICLE]

STATE WIDE PRIMARY PLANK

Adopted by Democrats After a Warm Contest. BOSSES AGAINST MEASURE r But the Progressive Anti-Boss Wing, Aided by Senators Shively and Kern and a Few Forced Plank Through. >****** * ****** * STATE TICKET * ♦ * For U. S. Senator * * BENJAMIN F. SHIVELY * * of South Bend * * For Attorney General * * RICHARD M- MILBURN ♦ * of Jasper * * For Auditor of State * * DALE J. CRITTENBURGER * * of Anderson * * For Treasurer of State * * GEORGE A. BITTLER * * of Fi. Wayne * * For Secretary of State * * HOMER L. COOK 4 * of Indianapolis * * For Supt. Public Instruction * * CHARLES A. GREATHOUSE * * of Indianapolis ♦ * For Judge of Supreme Court * * (sth District) * * MOSES B. LAIRY * * of Logansport * * For Judges Appellate Court * * (First District) * * MILTON B. HOTTELL ♦ * of Salem * * EDWARD W. FELT * * of Greenfield * * (Second District) * * FRANK M. POWERS * * of Angola ♦ * JOSEPH G. IBACH * of Hammond * * FREDERICK S. CALDWELL * * of Winchester * * For Clerk of Supreme and\ * Appellate Courts ♦ J. FRED FRANCE * * of Huntington * * For State Geologist ♦ * EDWARD BARRETT * * of Plainfield • *♦*** ♦ ♦ * *

The democratic state convention Thursday nominated a very good ticket indeed, and the Taggart-Fair-banks-“Boss” Murphy bunch was unable to run things altogether to suit the machine. ’Aided by Senators Kern and Shively, the latter especially bringing word from the national administration that it would like to see a primary plank adopted, and a few of the more progressive antimaefrine congressmen. a state-wide primary plank was adopted by the convention, despite the frantic effort of the bosses to prevent such a measure going through.

The warmest fight of the convention was over state treasurer. George Bittier, of Ft. Wayne, winning out over Thomas W. O’Connor, of Monticello, bn the eighth ballot when he received 1,019 votes to O’Connor’s 672% and Lauenstein’s 154%, the fight having finally narrowed the candidates down to three. The Tenth district delegates supported O’Connor almost solidly, except Tippecano > county, which gave Bittier 12 and O’Connor 17 on the last ballot. O’Connor was handicappea from the start by the pernicious support of District Chairman Murphy, one of the most notorious .bosses of :ae Taggart machine, and the fact that the Taggart-Fairbanks adherents were known to be for him. On the last ballot Marion county—soli ly Taggart—gave O'Connor 133 votes to 60 for Bittier.

Homer L. Cook, who was nominated for auditor of state, also had the vigorous backing of the machine, and it was hoped by many that the opposition would develop sufficient . strength to defeat him for the nomination. Cook was the speaker of the house of representatives of the last legislature, and is said to have been a pliant tool of the bosses. Much of the vicious legislation, including the extension of terms of county superintendents and the fool township high school law, is blamed on Cook. The plank pledging the party to the enactment of a law providing that all candidates shall be nominated by direct vote of the people is conceded to be the most significant action of the convention. The platform adopted by the party appears in full on another page of The Democrat.