The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-11

each one when asked who would succeed
| Holt declared that he did not know and
state of mind when Chairman Holt called
| the meeting TO order at II O'Clock. With
| out wasting any time In preliminaries he
asked the secretary to read the following
letter, which Mr. Holt had addressed to
| the Democratic State central committees:
Il hereby tender my resignation as chair
| man of the committee, to take effect forth
| with. I have reached the conclusion that
| it is my duty to pursue this course. was
| chosen to the position / now resign about
eight months ago. Since the adjournment
| Of the Chicago convention have been the
| object of unjust criticism and uncalled-for
| suspicion Nor has this criticism and sus-
| picion been confined to me, but it has been
extended to all the members of the COM
mittee and of the executive committee who
heretofore have opposed the free coinage of
so handicapped and crippled the committee
almost to disqualfy 1T from doing ef1i-
cent work. Personally, during my whole
political career I have been opposed to the
doctrine involved in the free coinage OF
silver yet did not see see N a this faet sum
ization of the party, and have SO stated:
nevertheless. in view OF the condition OF
I owe it to myself as a man and to you
as committee to step down and out"
HUNTING A SUCCESSOR.
After the reading Mr.. Holt bade the
members a cordial farewell and left the
room. Every member present expressed
personal regret at the turn affairs had
was made at the brief morning session to
canvass the situation and an adjournment
was taken until O. clock There was some
thing of a disposition not to accept Mr..
HoIt's resignation, but he made it SO en-
phatic that the committee could not do
otherwise. Before resigning himself Mr..
Holt accepted the resignation of Mr.. Ma
gee, member of the committee from the
Eleventh district, and of H. r. Smith. OF
Hartford City, member of his executive
Nr fourth
ber of the executive committee to resign IN
two weeks, and, with air. Holts resigna-
ton, the other thirteen members OF the
committee stepped down and out without
the necessity of resigning. They include
James E. Murdock, Crawford Fairbanks,
John E. Lamb and number OF the most
influential Democratic leaders in the state
When Mr.. Holt was in Chicago a week ago
j. @. Shanklin, the Indiana memper OF
the national committee. demanded that ne
remove these three, together with " ii.
O. Brien. Judge Thomas l.. Study, Henry
Stockneth and the four members who have
already resigned - George Ford, j. l..
Keach Charles Piel and Harry B. Smith.
When the committee went into session in
the afternoon two or three different sub
jects were discussed. There was a dispo-
sition on the part of some of the members
to think that the whole committee ought
to quit and turn the campaign over to the
Allen w. Clark, which was FORMED before
the State convention The question was
discussed as to whether. In naming the
chairman, they should take one Of the well
known politicians of the State, all OF whom
were for gold before the State convention
or take an original silver man. 1t was
feared that if Taggart or some other gold
man should be elected the committee
would within ten days be again emoar-
set Holt. 1t was well understood that the
silver leaders wanted to see Taggart elect
ed but it was feared that they simply
wanted him for scapegoat upon whom
to unload their anathemas at the end of
the campaign, which n Is 5, bound to Oh result SUI
the committee could not find a single man
among the original siIverites competent to
undertake the management OF the cam
paign. Four or five such men We're sug-
gested but the committee feared that IT 1T
Should elect any one of them the action
sponge and would make the party organl-
zation a laughing stock.
After canvassing the subject thus thor
oughy the committee decided to do the
best it could under LAS circumstances by
electing Mayor Taggart. Mr.. Taggart mad
promised Holt and large numoer OF
his personal friends and business associates
that he would not undertake 1t, but the
candidates with whom he talked-Messrs
Ralston and Fanning-Were very comment
that he would accept it. Mr.. Taggart, be-
ing a member of the committee, was pres
enf during the discussion and asked numer-
Gus questions as to what the other mem
hers of the committee would do under this
ser Of circumstances and under that in
case he should accept. They agreed to such
conditions as he imposed and seemed anx-
ious for him to assume the reSonslpllly.
ANY CHAIRMAN AT ALL.
After thus catechisng the committee in
a general way, Taggart asked for a de-
tailed report from each district as to the
condition of affairs therein Accordingly,
each member was called upon and made
a long-winded speech about the conditions
in his district, painting things in as rosy
colors as possible This sort of thing was
still in progress when o'clock came and
the committee adjourned for supper. AT
O'Clock it reconvened and the State candi-
dates were called in to add their voices
to the pressure being brought to bear upon
Taggart. Al the time of adjournment they
had not made much impression upon him.
for he declared to some of his personal
friends that he had no intention of accept
John w Kern, Frank B. Burke and a
number of Original gold bugs, who are
now in line for the Chicago ticket, were
called in and participated in the discus
sion. While all this was going on the
though it was in attendance at a funeral
Other possibilities besides Taggart were
o. Henderson. Henderson is understood to
be the choice of Governor Matthews for
the position. When asked by a Journal
he replied: Il should hate TO be asked
to assume the responsibility, but if they
good man and should come to me as a
last resort, 1 should hate to refuse after
having but recently retired from State
office any duty they might ask of me-"
AT one time during the evening 1t looked
much II Mr.. henderson would be
chosen as three or four members of the
committee declared for him. but ]. T. Fan
ming candidate for Auditor, a very close
friend of Mr.. Hendersons, shut off the
movement by announcing that it would not
do. 1t was then recalled that Henderson is
a business associate CT Holt in the cold
storage house and it is said that this
would be brought UP against him. About
twenty other men were suggested. among
them John W. Kern, Frank b. Burke, SEN
ator Turpe, Governor Matthews, Allen w.
Clark James E. Murdock, John E. Lamb
Joseph Reilley, "Eb'' Henderson, W. H.
Hawkins d. f. Allen and every single
member of the committee. Taggart de-
clared time and again that he could not
serve. and it was the consensus of opinion
that if James II. Rice were only alive all
would be well. Messrs. Kern and Lamb
were kept busy preventing their election
and one the other would surely have
been sacrificed if they had not been there
TO head it off Unfortunately, Leon o.
Bailey was not there and nobody thought
of him. Allen Clark was around all day.
but nothing definite turned up in his dreo-
ton further than tine honor of being men
toned
While the silver leaders about the hotel
talked for T2ggart, there was among "the
push an undercurrent of dissatisfaction
with his possible selection and rnutterings
of this sort reached the committee room
New arrivals, when told that the commit
tee was likely to select Taggart. were prone
to remark that they could not see wherein
he would serve the purpose any better than
Holt but these innocent persons were soon