Fright in Indiana

In municipal elections the voters of Indiana have a marked tendency to turn out the ins. Republicans went into the 1947 elections with mayors in 74 cities, came out with only 48. In 1951 Democrats held 54 city halls before election day and only 32 afterward. Last week Indiana voters jumped on the ins harder than ever, gave the Democrats control of 72 cities, leaving the Republicans with only 30, and completely reversing the pre-election balance.

Why was the shift so big? National observers blamed dissatisfaction with the Republican farm program, but Indiana observers thought that the issue had only slight--if any--effect. Said Democratic State Chairman Charles E. Skillen: "I think it had some effect; I don't know how much."

An important factor was the teeth-jarring, bone-crushing factional fight between Republican Governor George North Craig (TIME, March 7) and U.S. Senator William E. Jenner. In Indianapolis, the Craig-backed Republican candidate for mayor, James Birr, had won a bitter primary fight over a candidate backed by G.O.P. Mayor Alex M. Clark, who is anti-Craig. Clark was nominally for Birr in the general election, but his heart was not in it. Democrat Phillip L. Bayt won by 16,000 votes. The defeated Birr sulked: "It is clear-cut evidence that you can sulk your way into socialism."

Reading the 1955 results against prospects in 1956, Democratic Chairman Skillen predicted that his party would sweep the state. Republican State Chairman Al Cast had to console himself by philosophizing that "we run better when we're scared." In Indiana the G.O.P. this week had good reason to be scared.

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