People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1896 — SPOILS SEEKERS. [ARTICLE]

SPOILS SEEKERS.

THEY’RE NUMEROUS IN INDIANA. I. Furnished Herewith of Republicans Not Too Ikfodest to Make Enown Their Aspirations—Entirely New Candidate for Speaker Fairbanbg-MoKeen Wrangle. Increased Political Activity. Special Correspondence. Indianapolis, Deo. 18.—The political pot has continued to boil with a great deal of activity since my last letter. Some of the most notable events have been the meetings of the Indiana Bimetallio league and the Gold Standard national executive committee (both of which occurred in this city), the formal announcement of General Harrison that he will under no circumstances allow his name to be used in connection with the senatorial fight, the withdrawal of J. Frank Hanley from the race for senator, the appearance of an entirely new aspirant for the speakership and the enlistment of a docen new candidates in the scramble for federal patronage. ,♦ ♦ ❖ i The candidates for federal offices are thick as flies a molasses can. There is no end of speculation as to what kiritl of a plum Chairman Gowdy will draw, but the ohances are good that he will have an opportunity to bid good-bye to his Rush county farm for at least four years to come. It is known that several of his friends have been nosing aronnd in Washington for information regarding the character and pay of foreign appointments, and there is every reason to believe that he is slated for a consulate abroad. His personal choice is the consulate to Liverpool, os it pays a big salary and the duties are not onerous. The incumbent usually manages to make about $16,000 a year out of this office. i <• ♦> Most of the offloeseekers are taking it as granted that C. W. Fairbanks will have a great deal to say about the distribution of federal pie in this state, and he has taken no pains to dispel the delusion, if delusion it is. The consequences are that he is more sought after than ex-President Harrison himself, and as he is in a position at present to forego granting favors his political enemies say that his name can be found at the bottom of every petition for every office that has been circulated up to date. These enemies, who, it is needless to say, belong largely to the McKeen element in the race for senator, claim that Fairbanks does not hold the place in McKinley’s regard that he assumes, and that the offloeseekers who are depending on his support will be likely to get left. ♦ ♦♦ The principal federal offices that are open to be filled are the United States district attorneyship, the United States marshalship, the oollectorship of customs, the pension agency, the Indianapolis postoffloe and two internal collectorship, one with headquarters at Lawrenceburg and the other at Terre Haute. There is a swarm of candidates for the district attorneyship, but it is pretty generally conceded that Joseph B. Keahng of this city is leading the pace. He was a delegate to the last national convention and is a relative of the president-elect The position pays a straight salary of $5,000 a year. H. S. Biggs is a candidate for the place, which is a surprise, as it was thought all along that he was slated for a federal judgeship. In fact, the story is out tliat he recently made the race for circuit judge, to which he was elected, on a suggestion of the president-elect that he would be eligible to a federal judgeship It he would take that step in order to obviate the objection of appointing a man to the latter office who had no judicial experience. Mr. Biggs has been chairman of his comity committee and is a strong Republican worker. Albert Wishard of this city, who has been Fairbanks* faithful lieutenant for years, is said lo be rigted for something good

and his name has been connected - with the district attorneyship. J. S. Dodge of Bluffton, who was a candidate for the gubernatorial nomination last spring, is now a candidate for the district attorneyship, having recently announced himßelf. EL B. Hendee, a young lawyer of Anderson, and J. J. LaFollette of Jay county, said to be other candidates.

❖ ❖ ❖ The office of the United States marshal pays $4,600 a year and one of the present attaches of ;he office, who is in a position to judgi says that there are twice as many candidates as there are counties. Sam Keroheval, the member of the state committee whose vote elected Gowdy ohairman, and who has Fairbanks’ promise, is said to be in the lead. His strongest competitor is Ambrose Moore, formerly of Covington and now of this city. Other candidates are Fred Brandel, mayor of OrawfordsvUle, Charles Davis,ex-sheriff of Montgomery county, and W. D. Clark, ex-sheriff of Clinton county. ❖ <• <• For collector of the port the candidates are Jefferson H. Olaypool of this oity, formerly of Oonnersville, A. A. Young, General Sanford Foster and exLieutenant Governor Hanna of this oity. Charles Krausa, ex-member of the local council is also talked of. Olaypool is to have the support of Fairbanks. A great many are wondering why he wants the office, "as he has all kinds of money.” ❖ ❖ ❖ Fllbeck of Terre Haute is said to have a pull in the race for revenue oolieotor in his district. ❖ *> For pension agent Colonel L N. Walker has been mentioned, bat he says that he is not a candidate. Ed Wolfe of Rushville, ax-auditor of state, is a candidate, and another is Senator Tom Boyd of Nobleßville. General Reuben Williams of Warsaw is also a candidate. For local postmaster Colonel W. R. Holloway, Governor Morton’s private secretary, and an original MoKinley man, is a leading candidate. Judge E. B. Martindale is mentioned. Another candidate is General George F. McGinnis, the well known war veteran. He is quite an old man and his candidacy has occasioned some surprise. ❖ ❖ ❖ It is said that every member of th state committee is a candidate for something. George Holman, from the Thirteenth district, has his eye fixed on a foreign appointment, and Committeeman McCullough would like to have the district attorneyship. Aaron Jones of South Bend has been indorsed by several agricultural associations as a suitable man for secretary of agriculture. He was defeated for secretary of state and is president of the state grange.

❖ ❖ ❖ Some of the politicians will be surprised to read the exclusive announcement in this letter that a new and active candidate for speaker is about to enter the race. The new candidate is E. B. Reynolds of Wayne county, whose home is at Hagerstown. He is a farmer by occupation and one of the strongest citizens of hi 3 county. He hails from a strong temperance locality and should he fail in the race for speaker will pose as one of the temperance leaders of the house. ❖ ♦> ❖ Fremont Good wine, who will represent Fountain and Warren counties in the senate, bears the distinction of being the 6on of the only millionaire farmer Indiana ever had. His father owned Immense landed tracts in the counties mentioned and in various parts of the country. Mr. Goodwine is a man of strong abilities and his friends claim that he can be depended on to look out for the interests of farmers. <* ❖ The ooming meeting of Indiana bimetallists in this city on JJao&son day promises to eclipse any demonstration of the kind that has previously been produced. A thief whose identity has not yet been proved worked an injury to lionaire McKeen’s boom for the United States senate last week that should merit vigorous and hasty prosecution. It was during a fire scare at the Denison Houfio. Rollo Qglesbee, who "holds

down*' the job of manager oFthe boom, had gone downstairs to proepect as to the necessity of removing papers and other valuables from the McKeen headquarters. While he was gone a thief entered the room and. after prying open the desk, stole $2 worth of stamps. The supply had just been purchased and it was ezpeoted that no more would be needed in conducting the boom for two weeks. A very amusing story is told on Lieutenant Governor Haggard, and it bears all the more interest from the fact that it is true. One day last week he and his staunch friend, Jefferson H. Claypool, went over Canton to pay their respects to President-elect McKinley. Incidentally it is rumored that their visit had something to do with testing the president-elect’s feelings on the appointment of a collector of customs for Indiana. Haggard and McKinley are well acquainted.- but Me. Claypot>l and the president-elect had never met. On calling the servant conducted them into the spacious drawingroom of the McKinley mansion and in a moment the president-elect entered. Whether it was due to the august presence or some other unknown reason, Mr. Haggard found that when he had shaken hands with McKinley and turned to Olaypool to present him he could not think of the latter’s name, although he and Olaypool had long been intimate friends. He looked at the latter in quiringly, but every moment his embarrassment increased and he declares now that he conld not have thought of the name in 1,000 years. Fortunately Mr. Olaypool retained sufficient presence of mind to remember his own name and he kindly relieved the awful suspense by stating it. ❖ ❖ ❖ It is somewhat of a coincidence that the meetings of the Indiana Bimetallic league and the Gold Standard national executive committee were held on the same day and in the same city. The effect of both meetings was a determination to push the work forward. The bimetallists retained Allen W. Clark as director of the state movement and reappointed the old executive committee. The gold Btandardltes retained W. D. Bynum as the director of their national movement and elected an -executive committee of three to assist him. Mr. Clark will perform his duties without compensation, while Mr. Bynum will receive the princely salary of S4OO a month.

❖ ❖ <♦ In the races for senatorial honors and legislative appointments there has been somewhat of a lull during the past week. The McKeen people have been busy sizing up the members of the legislature, in order to ascertain their preferences for senator. They have been conservative in their claims so far, but promise for publication in these columns next week a statement as to how many votes they will receive and how many the other candidates will receive on the first ballot. General Lew Wallace has been a familar figure about the Denison House lobbies, where the politicians congregate, during the past week and this has led to the Relief that he is a more active candidate than has been asserted. Already Fairbanks’ friends are putting him forward for a position in the cabinet if he should be defeated for senator, but the anti-Fairbanks men are spiking this gun by circulating the report that Fairbanks is not a candidate for a cabinet position. This places the latter in a very ticklish position, as he does not dare to come out and acknowledge that he is, as that would spoil his senatorial chances. The Republicans claim that Indiana is entitled to a cabinet position and they are going to insist on one of the cabinet appoint-

ments.

L. L. LUDLOW.