The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-12
A LITTLE ROW EXPLAINED
How the State Saloon-Keepers' League
Menaced the Democratic Party.
Two Thousand Dollars That Failed to Get Into
the Committees Treasury-WilsOn Feath-
cred His Nest-Coy's Work.

A story has just come out. as stories do
in the usual run of affairs. regarding a row
that occurred about six weeks before the
election between the Democratic State
committee and the State Saioon-keepers'
League. 1t came about over the collec-
ton of something like $1,000 of CAM
paign funds which failed to get into
the treasury of tho Democratic commit
tee and about the whereabouts of which
the Democratic committee is still keeping
mp a devil of a thinking. The money was
collected by the president and attorney of
the Saloon-keepsrs' League. the game was
finally blocked by Albert Lieber. and the
story which Is to follow has for o nucleus
the organ of the State Saloon-keepers'
League. the Right and Freedom. owned
and operated by James Wilson in
the interest of the Democratic party
for revenue only, as it now seems.
To begin at the first. there was q premedi-
tated intention on the part of the officers
OF the state Saloon-keepers' League 10 or
ganize all over the State for the purpose of
selling out to the highest bidder, whether
it be the Republican or Democratic party.
AS an evidence of this the fact can be re-
ferred TO that up to within six weeks of the
election the Right and Freedom, the organ
of the league. had not come out iat-footed
for either party. About the only thing 1t
had done was to enjoin silence and urge its
constituents TO look out for individual
Candidates. Owing to this policy OF the
hight and Freedom, and the fact that Mt.
Sable. the attorney for the State Saloon
keepers League, was q Republican, some
of Mr.. Taggsrt's friends and advisers be-
came very much alarmed aud abjured him
him to take prompt action to block any
little game that might be attempted.
After several days OF severe urging
Taggart t~elegraphed for two or three men,
bers of the league to meet him in this city.
but when they arrived he couldn't muster
up enough courage TO tell them why they
had been called to confer with him and
they went back mono the wiser for their
visit.
In the meantime James Wilson. prorrle-
tor of the Right and Freedom, concluded 1t
was time to pull somebody's leg and issued
stock to the amount of $40. COO on his paper.
In the matter of disposing of this he was
judiciously advised and succeeded in dis
posing of S.. 600 or $4,000 worth of stock to
whisky men over the State. securing in
that manne sufficient capital to liquidate
all the obligations outstanding against
him.. While this was going on Taggart
was being told daily that something must
be done at once; that if his inactivity con-
tinued the officers Of the league would be-
gin the collection of campaign finds which
WOuiu never IodCu tuo tIca5uTy 4 tuo
committee, and In view Of the
fact that a convention of the State League
was soon to be held in this city, he was ad-
.vised to 60 before it with a resolution
favoring the appointment of a committee
TO take charge of the collection of funds.
which would effectually shut out any
scheme of the manipulators of the league.
Chairman Taggart, however, was still luke
warm; he was afraid that his immaculate
political garment might be stained by con-
tat xn,fl tha convention ~ thu Sfofa
Saloon-keepers League, and he kept hands
oil.
1t was about this time that the news
reached the Democratic committee here
that President William Beatty and attor-
new Sable, of the league, had begun the
collection of funds, ostensibly for the bene-
fit of the Democratic campaign fund. This
could easily be done without arousing sus-
organization had been the medium
through which campaign funds had
been collected. The campaign
fund collectors first went to the Terre
Haute Brewing Company and demanded
s 1000. OF rhisa amount $500 was paid down
with o promise of the balance in thirty
days. After collecting from other sources
enough money to swell the total amount TO
49, 900. Messrs. Beatty and Sable tackled
Albert Lieber, of this city, for $1,000. The
scheme. He was aware of the intention
and purpose of the gentlemen who called
upon him and promptly told them they
would not get a cent from him; that when
he was ready to subscribe to the Demo
cratic campaign fund he knew into whose
hands to Intrust the money so that it
would be- properly placed He then
communicated TO Chairman Taggart
he had learned and that gentleman became
at once wildly alarmed. He called into his
council his favored henchman, Simeon
Coy. n after putting the matter
be done. This vas apple pie
for Simeon. and the matter of counteract-
ing any evil results that might already
menace the success of the Democratic party
was placed entirely in his hands. He went
ut once to Jim Wilson. editor of the Right
and Freedom. and told him that he VIII
sony was about to be dumped" by Sable
and Beatty, and that he must at oDoe come
ont %squarely in his paper for the Demo-
cratic ticket. He said he would do 1t, and
q strong article was prepared for him.
which he published. The following week
an article was sent to him by the other fac
tion of the State Saloon keepers League
soundly exccriating Albert Lieber. but
Wilson refused to publish 1t. and from that
time till the election supported the entire
Democratic ticket. This policy brought
the s-aloon-keepers of the state into line
and successfully routed the scheme of
the officers of the State League. But
they had already secured about $1,000
which the contributors intended should go
to the Democratic campaign fund. Not a
cent of IL was turned into that depository,
however, and the Democratic committee is
out that much. Some say that it was spent
by those who collected il in high living in
this city. but it Is easy to see where the
most of it found loG cement. During the
campaign the State Saloon-keepers' League
Kept mp q campaign organization in every
county in the State and this cost money.