The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-08
AMOUNTS TO KNAVERY
DEMOCRATS AGAIN ADVERTISE AN
OWEN-MYERs JOLT DEBATE.
Scheme Exposed at New
Taylor Had Double the Audience
of Mr.. Myers.

The Democratic State committee sought
to evade it's knavery in advertising the
joint debates between Mr.. owen and Mr..
Myers, the Democratic and Republican can
didates for Secretary Of State. by saying
that the bills which had been distributed
announcing such joint debates were print
ed before the illness of Mr.. Owen. TIL lie
has been given to this statement of the
Democratic committee in the most positive
terms and the proof of its culpability be-
yond all question OF a doubt comes from
New Albany 1t is the struggle of an Or
ganization in the death throes, the clutch
of a drowning man at a straw. The Dem
ocratic committee finds it necessary to
attract a crowd in some way or other to
its meetings, and as it is unable to do so
with any speakers which it can secure it
is compelled to advertise, as taking place,
the joint debates which have long since
been declared off on account OF the illness
of Mr.. Owen. Within a few days past
Chairman Taggart wrote a letter to Chair
man Gowdy asking If the health of Mr..
Owen was such as to permit the fulfllment.
of the dates for such joint debates as were
to nave been had after this date. He was
answered that the condition of Mr.. Owens
health was such that he could not think
of taking part in the deoates. The State
committee, in the face of all this, continues
to advertise the debates and trusts to it's
ability to deceive enough persons to draw
a respectable crowd to hear its speakers.
This despicable bit of falsehood was per-
petrated at New Albany Saturday night,
but the scheme was exposed by the New
Albany Ledger on the very evening of the
advertised debate. The Democratic COM
mittee distributed a large number of cir
cuiars announcing the joint debate. In or
der to prevent a refutation before the
night of the alleged debate, which was in
fact but a speech by Mr.. Myers, the cir
culars were not distributed until the after
noon of the day on which the speaking
was to take place-Saturday. One of the
circulars came into the hands of the Ledg-
er. The last form of the newspaper was
locked and ready TO go TO press, but il
was hastily unlocked and a statement
showing the despicable scheme in it's true
light was inserted. This had the effect
Of warning most of the voters that a fraud
was being practiced upon them. The pub
LEGATION in the Ledger spoiled the Demo-
cratic scheme, and as a result the attend
ance at the Democratic meeting was al
most a minus quantity. Mr.. Myers spoke
at Mascotte Hall TO about one hundred
people. There were a number of persons
who had seen the handbillS advertising a
debate who had not seen the publication of
the fraud, and attended the meeting. When
Mr.. Myers arose to speak he said he had
expected to meet Mr.. Owen at the hall and
did not know why he was absent. After
this statement, and it was known that
Mr.. owen would not speak at the hall, a
number of those present left the room. The
bills which had been circulated announc-
ing the debate had been printed on Satur-
day and furnished conclusive proof of the
falSity of the statement of the Democratic
committee that the bills which found their
way to the public were old ones printed
before the debates were declared off.
In marked contrast with the meeting adj
dressed by Mr.. Myers was one held at
the Lincoln League Hall. addressed by
w. L: Taylor, OF tnis city; the hall was
damned and packed to the doors. People
swarmed the aisles and the srace between
the speakers stand and the front row of
seats; they crowded upon the platform and
around the speaker so closely that he bare
ly had room to turn around. Even the
stairway leading to the hall was jammed
with people. The house remained packed
till after IL o'clock.