The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-02
SUSPECTS HIS OPPONENT.
Mr.. Bailey Has Doubts About the Fair
ness of the Conference Scheme.
He Says He Will Consider No Proposition for
Conference Not Embracing One of
His Four Suggestions.

One-half of the Democratic congressional can
didacy. In the person of Leon Bailey, sat nursing
his leg IN front of the Occidental Hotel, last
night He appeared to have large resources of
satisfaction on which to draw, and showed no
mental suffering over the last effort of Bynum.
as his friends term it, to cheat him out of his
distinction as congressional nominee. He WAS
temporarily supported by Deputy Gig Clerk
Joe Tanning, who. going at a rushing gait down
South Illinois street, stopped to shake hands
with his leader and assure the reporter that
I'VE are agin em. There is no compromise
Put that down"
"And has Mr.. Bailey changed his opinion since
Saturday about the Bynum proposition
II have assurance" replied Mr.. Bailey as
he let his gifted legs seek the sidewalk at an
angle of about forty-fve degrees-"I have no
assurance, repeat, as he thoughtfully tapped
his toes with dudish rattan, 'that Mr.. Bynum
has made a proposition, or is willing to make
one. Eb Henderson, understand, Is to be here
tomorrow with letter from Bynum, and until
that comes my friends and myself are not in
clined to consider any suggestion looking toward
q settlement of the difficulty, except through
one of the four means l have proposed. We
have reason TO look upon the other side with sus-
piclon, and before anything is done the PROPOSE
ton must come from Bynum alone and in
black and white. Throughout this whole
affair there has been no trouble to get
somebody on the other side to suggest confer
ence. Seidensticker has played that role FREE
quently. You can generally count on him every
other day coming forward with a conference
scheme We don't take to them kindly, and as
have said before, nothing in that shape will be
for moment considered until Bynum comes
home. or proposes it through some one author
lied to act for him. Seidensticker may be
Democrat but l have seen nothing IN his politi-
cal career to lead me to think he is unalterablv
so. Friday last he went to man supposed to
be neutral He persuaded him to come to me
with the proposition to appoint a COM
mittee of frierds-three. I believe-to
confer with him (Seidensticker) Cooper
and Thomas about submitting the
question of candidacy to the State central
committee This man and John Holman came
to my Office that evening and stated their pur-
pose. / gave them no satisfaction. but, Satur-
day noon, ] went to Holman's Office, and told
that gentleman if Mr.. Seideusticker would put
| his request In writing. and as coming from Mr..
| Bynum, would consider it. Holman carried
| this to Sedensticker in very few minutes, and
| the latter received it with apparent astonish-
ment saying, My God. I never thought of a
conference as being possible. did not mean to
| have it take that course. I only suggested the
| idea, and If Bailey received it favorably. some
| thing might come out of it, That settled my in
| terest in the matter until Bynum is heard from
| in way that leaves no doubt about his willing
| ucoS w bu6 Qu6StlOu W WIG CoutEcA cOuA-
mittee."
"Do you have reason to question his sincerity
| in this plan2'
| There is deep suggestiveness about the fact
| that they, mean Bynum and his friends, were.
some time ago, violently opposed to having the
central committee take cognizance of the ques
ton. When it was proposed, Jack Landers went
about tearing his hair and shouting against any
| such plan. 1t was about that time too Bynum
valiantlv cried out I can't be coaxed off; can't
| be bought off; / can't be scared off, Why is it
his friends and, perhaps, himself are now so anx-
| ious to get before the committed If. as the
committee has said, it has no jurisdiction except
through the consent of both of as, it, therefore,
must act simply as body of arbiters. Why
should l go to set of men, of
whose disposition towards myself I have
no knowledge? I would be blank fool to ac-
cept any such proposition that. Tt is just
| this-the people are not anxious whether Mr..
| Bynum or Bailey is the candidate That is not
the question they want settled 1t is what is
best for the Democratic party2 Arbiters, who
| ever they are whether chosen by me and Mr.
| Bynum, or whether they are the central commit
tee, even if packed with Bynum proxies, can
| alone consider the difficulty in that way"
| There is no possibility of settlement theng"
"Yes; but it must be settled In manner that
brings success to as either by the retirement of
both from the candidacy, by convention, arbitra-
/ ton, as have suggested, or by primary cleo
| ton. But there will be no settlement of any
kind until Bynum is brought to accept the situa-
| ton as one apart from self"