The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-21
THE MEETING OF THE FOES.
An Angry Exchange of Words Between
the Democratic fractional Leaders.
The Democratic State Committee Listens to
the Wrangie Several Hours and Adjourns
to Take Up the Matter Again To-Day.

The Democratic State central committee met
yesterday afternoon to get out of the way it's
routine business, in order to give clear field to
the Byrum- Bailey question in the evening
After electing R. o. johnson, of this city. secre-
| tary, the following were chosen as the executive
committee; Joseph e. Mcdonald, S. P. Sheerin,
Israel Curry, of Boone county. John A. Holman,
James H. Rice, John P. Frenzel and w. J. Craig
vited to talk over the situation Their advice was
asked as to the time Of. opening the campaign
They favored an early beginning of the work
Acting upon this, the committee decided on
| Sept for the formal opening of the canvass
| This brought the hour of adjournment up to 5:30
o'clock, with the agreement to meet again at 7:30
o'clock in the evening, to hear from Bynum and
Bailey
| At that hour local statesmen, Of Democratic
| proclivities, had gathered to the number
of forty or more. The division was
| about equal, but The Bailey people did most of
the outside talking. To hear them from early
| in the evening until the committee opened its
doors ats11:30 o'clock was to get the idea that
Bynum had no supporters at all. Whatever the
friends of the two candidates before the COM
mittee thought as to the outcome Of the meet
ing, the lobby folks had but one view, and that
was to keep up the fight until Bynum was de-
feated, either by his withdrawal from the race
or at the polls. One solid old Democrat said,
| 1T would have been Gods blessing if Stanton
| J. Peelle had defeated him. / would rather see
| Republican in Congress than Bynum."
II want them both to stay in the race" said
another ION election day Bynum will find out
whether there is any strength or not in the
Bailey faction"
what the Deuce" another remarked. 'is
Seidensticker doing In that committee-roomg He
was a bolter himself in '63. We Democrats
elected him to the Council and he then left us
and did not come back until ~. He is nice
man to talk about boilers"
While this kind Of talk was being INDUCED on
the outside about the headquarters the commit
teemen packed in room that would hold not
more than half their number comfof tally, swell
tered in the close air of an August night. Many
of them had their coats off, and as all windows
were open, the speakers could now and then be
heard distinctly by passers-by on Illinois street.
About these. throughout the whole time, were
gathered groups Of three and four anx.
| of the Bailey faction and the comments passed
were of the order detailed above. 1t was 3
| o'clock before the committee was ready for bust
ness. The candidates were there, with Messrs.
| Sedensticker Cooper, Beck and Landers sup
| porting Mr.. Bynum and Messrs Offut, Kern
| English and Frenzel in behalf of Mr.. Bailey. 1t
was agreed that each side should have an hour
| in which to present its case
Mr.. Bynum began what afterward proved to
be summer nights circus by making a state
ment as to his claims and the position he occu-
pied. Mr.. Bailey did the same, and following
them, in turn came the gentlemen named. Mr..
Seldensticker had the first chance, and, dwelling
largely upon the legality of the Bynum nomna-
ton. passed to consideration of the Bailey con-
vention and its result He wanted the COM
mittee to know that they 1.-THE By
mum supporters) claimed there could be
no question as to his being the regular nominee,
| but for the sake of harmony they were willing
| to have the committee pass upon the matter.
| while holding to this, he said, believe and
assert Mr.. Bailey and his supporters have no
| standing before this committee" This was the
| first hot shot of the evening, and brought forth
| rapid fire of questions from the other side, all
tending to get Mr.. Seidenstickers views on the
Landers decisions in the convention. the
claims of the contested delegations,
charges and counter charges that have been
made since the two conventions adjourned. He
stood the ordeal without weakening. and at last
| gave way to Charles Ct. Ofut, of Greenfield. This
gentleman gave his account of the eventful day
| in June last, and warmly expressed his opinion
about the Landers decisions and the refusal OF
the Bynum people to accept their liberal offer OF
| settlement John j. Cooper replied, giving
views in accord with those of Mr.. Seidensticker.
| He enlivened the meeting, and caused protesting
scowls from the Bailey side, by saying Mr..
Bynum has 80 per cent. of the Democratic votes
| in the district
| John W. Kern came next, and in energy Of
| expression, devotion to the Democratic party and
| belief in the righteousness of the Bailey cause,
/ overtopped the other speakers He like Mr..
1 Offut. said they were not there to support Mr..
| Bailey, but in the interest of the party. A re-
| mark from Kern relative to Bynums alleged dis
| paragement of Hendricks caused that gentle
4 man to say, Don't you repeat that again"
II will repeat it." retorted the fiery Kern.
| IF this is to come to personal attacks" re-
/ piled Bynum, 1--WE had better adjourn to the
hall" Even this did not quell the rising warmth
| of references that the pugnacious Kern had in
| store He continued his speech with his voice
now and then at it's highest PITCH carrying his
words across the street to listeners IN front Of
| the Occidental Hotel.
/ When Jack Landers took the floor the ques-
/ tons with which the Baileyites piled him would
make good sized pamphlet He bore tile brunt
good humoredly, and did not surrender until he
| had told how the convention was conducted
| from beginning to end
John p. Frenzel took the floor, and. like Kern,
| conducted the argument with but little ami
| ability. He charged the other side with the
purpose of destroying Democratic chances in this
district by its failure to regard any fair PROPOSE
ton that had been made by Mr. Bailey. I'VE
| agreed, as patriotic Democrats" he exclaimed,
to submit the whole question to this committee,
and Bypum and his friends refused"
| "You did not" shouted Bynumite.
/ 1--WE did" exasperatingly replied Frenzel.
'sYou did not" and so it went on until Frenzel
had the last retort. to be followed by w. e.
English. In this gentleman's remarks such
referense was made to Bynum as to cause him
| to deny the statement. 1t the old, old
story of Bynum's remarks about Mr.. Hendricks
At his disclaimer, Mr. English angrily turned
upon with, You liar" and that settled the
matter for the time being.
At intervals as relief from speech making,
! no doubt. one or the other side would offer q
proposition which it was known would not be ac-
copied. The Bynum people enlarged their pro-
| posals from those which have been published.
| but all confined the question to who is the
candidate, Bynum or Baileyr They were will
| ing to have this passed upon even to consider
alton of the legality of the candidacy of either.
| This was not accepted, because the Bailey
folks thought they had better plan, and
that was to submit to the committees arbitra-