The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-24
Mcdonald Indicates the Franchise Pol
icy Of the Citizens Street Railroad.
Certain Indications Of Conference with the
City Railway Company Vigorously Denied
by All Those Concerned.
Failure of the Effort to Gain More of a
Democratic Pull by Getting Taggart
lie Declines the Presidency - Interesting
Remark About Political Dealings with
Tom"-Keach. Holt and Burns.
CITIZENS DIRECTORS.

Claim of q Perpetual Charter-Tasgart and
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Conference.
There was meeting of o number of
the stockholders of the Citizens Street
railway Company in this city yesterday.
There were present X. T.. Mcdonald, Of Fort
Wayne; Messrs. Werner and Mckee. of
Pittsburg; Richard Clay. of New York;
President A. l.. Mason, Sterling X. Holt,
Vice President Elder and others of this
city.
President Mason said last night that the
purpose of the. meeting was simply to pass
finally on certain OF the improvements
which the company contemplates, and par
ticularly ON the site of the power house for
the new electric system, and that there
had met with the stockholders.
for that purpose. an expert. cleo
trojan from Pirtsburg and one from
Milwaukee. The statement of the CON-
pany's president was substantially verified
by all others of the stockholders who were
asked on the subject, but there was under
meath the whole an air of mystery that
belied those statements. 1t had been said
shat the meeting was for the purpose Of re-
organizing the directory of the company.
and supplantiDg several of the men who
are occupying positions with the company,
but no such action was taken or contem-
plated except In one case. that of the presi.
dency.
The real object of the meeting was to IA
miliarize the stockholders more completely
with she situation in regard to the perpe-
tuity of the franchise under which the
Citizens company is now operating. and,
If possible to devise some means whereby
the opposition company. the CITY Railway
Company. could be made q harmless oppo-
neDt
'Our franchise perpetual i know it,"
is the statement made by X. l. Mcdonald,
and from the positive way In which he said
it, 1t may be inferred either that the Citi-
zens' company does not contemplate any
serious trouble In establishing that point,
or that the company already spoken or has
become even now the harmless opponents
desired.
Thomas Taggart, the Democratic poiiti-
clan and the man who stands nearer the
city government than any other who could
be named, was offered the presidency of
the company with string TO It, That
string was that he should, In return for
the honor conferred on him. steer
the company out of all the embarrass-
ments underwhlch it 10 now !aboring In Its
endeavor to see it's way clear to occupy
Mr.. Taggart did not accept for reasons
which be knows more about than any one
else, and there will be no changes in the
officers in the immediate future.
It's not understood that the company de-
sires 20 get rid OF Dir. Mason for the reason
that he is not acceptabiy filling the posi-
ton which he occupies. but the company
needs more or a Democratic pull Further
more, Mr.. Mason desires TO resume his law
practice. and to give I'D purely business
dealings. Mr.. Mcdonald said. last night.
that the presidency had been offered lag.
CART. and In the next breath he said that i5
had not. To exp plain this contradiction he
said that he had known Mr.. Taggart for
some time and that he had had some po-
litical dealings with him. but declined to
say what they were.
Rumors are rife that :here have been me-
gotiations of some kind between the Citi-
zens company and the City company. lt
is asserted that Mr.. j. w. Murphy, who Ia
president of the latter company, was seen
10 come down the stairway OF the Motel In
which the conference was held with Mr.
Mcdonald, sbOut5 O'Clock yesterday after
noon, but all who are In position to know
deny that such negotiations are in troin.
The nonresident stockholders arrived in
the city early yesterday morning. and at
once registered at the various hotels In the
city. Mr.. Mcdonald went to the Bates and
Messrs Werner, Mckee and Clay went to
the Denison. At 10 o'clock they all met
In Mr. McDonaids room at the Bates. and
morning, there being present also Sterling
X. Holt and o number OF the local di-
rectors. An adjournment was made at the
noon hour for dinner. They met again In
the afternoon. adjourned for supper and
again came together IN the evening. The gen.
tIemen came down from the room about
O'Clock i'll the afternoon, and with them. it
ia claimed. was no less parsonage than
John w. Murphy. president of the City
Railway Company. Tbs person who saw
them said: MIR. Mcdonald and Mr.. MUIR
ply stepped down from the stairway at
the same time. having been walking side
by side The party, In which were. besides
the two named. Messrs. Werner, Mckee,
Holt and several others, stepped outside
the door, and separated. Mr.. Murphy going
across the street and the others going to
the State Bank"
In the evening the callers at Mr. McDon-
AIDS room were President Mason. Leon q.
Bailey, Sterling II. Holt and w. l.. Taylor.
President Mason was asked the purpose of
the meeting of the stockholders. and re-
Piled:
certain of the improvements which the
company contem plates making In it's sys-
tenn. and particularly that of the location
of the mower house. With Messrs. Werner
and Mckee made tour OF inspection TO-
day and it has been about decided upon
thai the power house will he built at the
West WASHINGTON street barns. although
the matter was not definitely decided
upon"
tion of the directory OF the company was
asked.
Not that know Of / am sure"
will there be any change In the officers
of the company
II do not know of any. If any such
thing is contemplated do not know of IT,"
what NEGOTIATIONS are pending between
your company and the CITY company"
Il know OF none
"Islt not true that President Murphy, of
the City company. was In conference with
your people this afternoon"
"If he was do not know it,
Then you know of no changes which
will be nader
None whatever
Mr.. Mcdonald stopped in the rush of his
callers to see Journal Representatives. He
was asked if he had anything 10 say about
the meeting or the street-rallway sltua-
ton, and replied that he had not
What W as the purpose OF this meetingf
There surely must have been some aeed Of
1T"
"oh. yes: we wanted to decide on some
improvements"
''ls there to be q REORGANIZATION of the d.
rectory of the company
There has been no meeting OF the de
rectory."
Then do the stockholders contemplate
such things"
IL do not think so"
"Do you mean by that that there will be
no Immediate changes made IN the officers
of the company OF in It's personnclf"
Il do"
did rou offer the presidency Of your
company TO Thomas Taggar'F