The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-20
MARTIN CALLS ON JONES
TELLS HIM THAT FUSION HAS HURT
INDIANA POPOCRACY.
National Chafrman Puts Him OF
When Demand LIS Made for Funds
to Repair Damage.

Chairman Martin, of the Popocratic State
committee, was at his post again yesterday
smiling blandly and declaring that he had
not been near Chicago. He slipped away
Friday night and turned up at the Audi
forum Annex in Chicago bright and early
Saturday morning. He was in trouble. He
explained to Senator Jones that the fusion
business in Indiana was not the great
thing it was cracked up to be in Chicago.
It's first fruits had been the fiat refusal of
the State candidates to put up another
cent of their assessments and the treasury
was empty. It next effect was to drive
from the party an unknown number of
Democrats who had been wavering a little
heretofore, because they had been original
ly for honest money. The evening before
S. p. Sheerin had let go a broadside that
had torn the sails of the Popocratic
schooner to shreds and he had it on the
quiet that Holt was going to let go next
and had heard that there were still others
who would continue dropping out of line
one at a time. He was not there to cry
about this, however. The national man
ayers had forced the humiliating fusion
deal over his protest and he knew of no
way of preventing these old-line Demo-
Gratis from deserving. They could, however,
help to repair the damage to some extent
by supplying the deficiency left in the State
committees treasury by the refusal of the
State candidates to contribute further to a
fight that had been deliberately made hope
less so far as they were concerned.
Jones patted Martin on the back, and
while he did not say SO, the intimation con-
veyed by his manner, rather than by his
words, was that he was young yet and
would look at these things in a different
light when he grew older. Money? Sure.
That was all right. There would be coolies
of it along pretty soon. And if there were
Aot, why, they would win, anyhow. The
value of this Populist deal must not be
underestimated. The figures showed nearly
500 Populist votes In Indiana, and 1T
Chicago to say that this would not carry
things through with 1t whoop. That mon
ey? Oh, yes; that would be all right Mr..
Martin ca~me back.
L understand Jones promised to make up
the deIioiency IN view Of the decllnatlon OF
was suggested to him by a journal reporter
last night.
We'll, / wish ned send it along, for it is
giving me a heap of trouble" Then he
remembered his lines. and chanted the old
story: we don't need much money in this
campaign. The people are doing it." And
then he smiled a winsome smile, while AL
on in approval.
Il am not doing any figuring" the chair
man fGplleQ, Wnen the subject was changed
and he was asked to give figures upon the
gains he hoped to make in the rural pre-
cincts and the losses he expected to suffer
in the cities. And he steadily declined to
state what mis- expectations were, further
than the general claim that Bryan would
carry the State like a Kansas cyclone.'-
A Clerk Bigger tkan the Law.
Chairman Pickens yesterday ipdited a
brief but tart letter to Charles Byfield, clerk
Of Johnson county and an ardent Popocrat.
The certificate Of the nomination of Evans
Woollen for Congress by the National DEM
ocrats, was taken to Johnson county for
fling by Ira Thayer. Upon returning Mr..
Thayer reported that the clerk he'd told
him that he would present the certificate to
the county election board. but would do all
he could to- prevent it from going on the
county ballot. In his letter Mr.. Pickens
said:
Il cannot but believe that Mr.. Thayer
must have misunderstood you with regard
to this matter. L cannot believe that an
officer who is under oath to support the
Constitution and laws of the State and
faithfully and impartially to discharge the
duties of his office would deliberately make
which would be a plain disregard of the
express provisions of the law. The law
provides that when a petition is filed signed
by two hundred legal voters expressing
their desire to cast their ballots for the
name of the candidate petitioned for, that
the tickle thus petitioned for shall be
placed upon the ballots. There is no choice
upon the part of the board. Besides, the
courts have universally held, wherever the
construction of the ballot law has been
under consideration, that such laws should
be literally construed to the end that every
American citizen should have the right to
"a ST his ballot for the man of his choice