The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-24
Reason Why He sustafns the Dishon-
orable Violation of an Agreement
as to Official Ballots.
PARTY HAD NO OTHER HOPE
TAGGART ALSO SAW THAT BYNUM
COULD NOT BE ELECTED.
S~pencer's Outrageous Effort
TO Keep MIR. Fesler on the Ticket
Thwarted-A D~isgracefuI Affair.


election board will stand. Such was the re-
suit OF yesterdays session Of the board
when, after a long delay. John r. Wilson.
the gentleman in politics. finally made
his appearance in the clerks office. 1t was
then a quarter Of the noon hour and Mr..
Spencer and Mr.. Van Buren, had to wait
over two hours for his arrival. He looked
disappointed when he returned from the
law school, where he had been lecturing
to students upon the binding force of agree
ments voluntarily entered into, and found
that instead of the business having been
transacted through his deputy clerk his
presence was awaited with some concern.
Mr.. Van Buren, refused to agree to the
meeting until Mr.. Wilson himself returned.
Mr.. Spencer's suggestion, however, that the
time be spent in scrutinizing the proofs
of the ballot was accepted and the proofs
were carefully read and revised according
to the certified reports. There was a large
number Of persons around and Mr.. Spencers
temper was not improved by the chatting
that he had to endure concerning the back
down of the two Democratic members Of
the board from an agreement In which he
had participated and which bore his sigma
ture. 1t was impossible to obtain from
him any reason why the change was desir-
able and what the Democrats could expect
to gain as an Offset to the disgrace and
dishonor Of repudiating contracts This mem
Der of the board was under orders from
the Democratic county chairman, for he
himself had said it, and like a soldier his
duty was not to reason why, but to do or
die.
No question arose as to any of the GER
tificates or the printing of ballots until the
certificate nomination of James w. Fesler,
clerk, in the place of A. j. Joyce, was
reached. Mr.. Spencer objected to this GER
tifcate on the ground that it did not show
that Mr.. James W. Fesler was qualified
to fill the position of clerk. He claimed that
this certificate should state, among other
things. that the nominee was qualified for
the office. He thereupon laid the certificate
aside and said that he would not pass it,
insisting that it was defective. Mr. Spen-
Ger said that he would under no consider
alton consent to permitting Mr.. Fesler's
name to go on the ticket on a certificate
which did not state that he was qualified
for the office of clerk.
The provision Of law in relation to such
cases is Gin case of deith OF any
candidate subsequent to nomination . . "
the chairman of the county committee shal
fill such vacancy. The certificate of
nomination shall be in writing and shall
contain the name of each person nominated,
his residence and the Office for which he
is nominated and shall designate a title
for the party or principle which said candi-
dates represent, together with any simple
figure or device by which they shall be
designated on the ballots"
MR.. SPENCER'S SILLY BREAK.
There is a provision that where candi-
dates are certified by the petition of twenty
five voters. Independent of party lines, the
petition shall show that the candidate is
legally qualified to hold the Office and the
petitioners to vote. Mr.. Spencer's position
provoked laughter from Captain S. NJ.
Shepard, the Populist candidate for Judge
of the Superior Court, and from other law
yers who were present 1t was so obvious
ly unfair and preposterous that it was re-
luctantly abandoned by Spencer before Mr..
Wilson came.
Mr.. Spencer moved that Mr.. John r. Will
son be elected chairman, and his motion
was seconde by Mr.. Van Buren,. Then
Mr.. Spencer moved hat the Sentinel Com
pany be ordered to print the county ticket
in the following order: Beginning with the
clerk and running through the county off,
GERS as far as the County commissioners:
and at that point there be printed the name
OF the candidate for Congress of the
Seventh district, followed by the judicial
and legislative tickets. Mr.. Wilson second
ed this motion.
Mr.. Van Buren, moved to amend it by
having the ticket printed in the order
in the agreement made by
the chairmen of the Democratic and Re
publican State committees. The Chair, al
though there was no second TO this amend
ment, put the amendment to vote and, with
Mr.. Spencer, voted in the negative, and de-
clared the amendment lost. Mr.. Wilson
then declared that the question, before the
meeting was that of the original motion of
Mr.. Spencer, and Mr.. Van Buren, thereup-
on protested against such action on the
part of the board. Mr.. Van Buren,, in Of
fering his protest, presented to the consid-
Grafton of the board the agreement signed
by Thomas Taggart and John X. Gowdy;
in which agreement the order of the ticket
had been prepared by a committee of law
yerS, of whom Mr.. Spencer was one. He
also presented a communication from Mr..
Burford, attached to said agreement, which
was as follows:
This job was printed from a copy hand
ed in by Joseph Kelley, secretary of the
Democratic State central committee, and
revised by Mr.. Reilley, and upon his order
four hundred sent to each committee"
THE BROKEN AGREEMENT.
He also presented the following agree
ment made by Mr.. Taggart and Mr.. Gowdy:
ITO All County Chairmen-The agreement
OF recent date relative TO township trustees
and assessors was entered into for the
purpose of avoiding litigation. We believe
the points of law laid down TO the joint
committee of attorneys to be correct, and
desire to say that the recommendation as
TO denominations and elections without op-
position of trustees holding office by ap-
pointment for the short time is withdrawn.
Wherever trustees are serving by appoint
ment you are advised to nominate for the
short term If you so desire
Mr.. Van Buren, further stated that he
was informed, and knew, that the agree
ments had been sent to all county chair
men in the state of Indiana; that the Mr..
Spencer, a member of the board Of election
commissioners was the same Spencer who
had prepared and dictated the said agree
ment. The speaker appealed to Mr.. Wilson
to deal with this matter fairly and TO vote
10 sustain inviolate the agreement entered
into. He said that the question
was not one of party favor or adj
vantage; that the agreements here
after 10 be made by the committees
should be held binding; and that the people
of the State of Indiana might, regardless
Of their party utilization, find some COM
mon ground upon which TO stand. In the
interest OF harmony and fair play he urged
Mr.. Wilson TO vote down the motion of
Mr.. Spencer 10 change the order of the
ticket. He reminded Mr.. Wilson that the
people of the county understood that he
was a high-minded, fair-dealing gentleman
in politics as we'll as in everything else,
and would grieve to find themselves dis
appointed by his taking such an action as
would leave no doubt OF his participation
out TO Mr.. Wilson that II the people OF
the State should learn that a written agree
ment between the party committees had
haan Wfllfnllv violated nv him and his mar