The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-09
GOVERNOR STILL WAITS
HE MAY NOT MAKE THE M'CUI,-
LOUGH APPOINTMENT.
Holds n Conference with Chafrmar,
Hoit-A Conspiracy to Thwart
SOund-Money Men.

The organization of the State Board of
Election Commissioners has not been made
and the appointment of James z. McCul-
Tough the representative of the Demo-
cratic party thereon still hangs fire. Gov
ernor Matthews had a long conference
with Chairman Holt yesterday afternoon,
the result of which was that the Governor
declared last evening that the matter had
not been settled.
Nothing has been determined in this
matter as yet" said he to a Journal re-
porter. ''and / have not yet appointed Mr.
Mccullough"
You are quoted In an afternoon paper
as saying that the law gave you no discre-
ton in the matter of appointing Mr.. Nc
Cullough when he was recommended by
Chairman Holt" was suggested.
THAT is true under certain conditions"
replied the Governor, ''but certain condi-
tons might arise under which 1 would be-
lieve it my duty to exercise some discre-
ton in the matter and would exercise such
discretion"
DO you mean by that that you are
waiting for some assurance that Mr. Nc
Cullough is in line with the Chicago plat
form and nominees?" was asked.
'On that matter 1 do not care to make
a statement replied the Governor
Evidently the conference with Chairman
Holt yesterday afternoon was unsatisfac-
tory. The Governor was quoted in an
afternoon paper as saying that the ap-
pointment of Mccullough was held up by
Chairman Holt until Mr.. Mccullough
should return and they should have some
assurance that he was in line with the
party. From the talk of the Governor
quoted above, it seems that that assurance
-
isfaction. Chairman Holt, however, last
evening reiterated his statement that he
should not change his recommendation and
that he knew Mccullough to be a good and
conscientious Democrat. Thus the matter
rests, and in the meantime it is growing
so late that unless the board is organized
this week it can never get through its
work.
The milk in the cocoanut lies in the fact
that over month ago when the National
Democratic movement was first started,
the little coterie of silver extremists sur
rounding Governor Matthews determined
to use the discretionary power vested in
the election board to shut out the Nation
al Democratic ticket and prevent it from
going on the ballot sheet. II is very ques-
tionable whether this could be done with
out directly overriding the law, even if
the DOdTu were SO constructed as to make
it anxious to commit the outrage, but
nevertheless they proposed to do it law
or no law. The intention was to have the
Democratic representative man who was
willing to resort to any trick to accom-
plish this end and to have a clerk of the
board in full sympathy with the purpose
of this conspiracy.
These conspirators ran against an unex-
pected snag when Chairman Holt, of the
Popocratic State committee, named James
e. Mccullough as the Democratic men,
Der of the board. Mr.. Mccullough stated
yesterday that he should probably make
some speeches for the Chicago ticket and
platform, and he long ago announced to
his friends that he would support Bryan
and Sewall But this is not the point upon
which the conspiratorS base their real OBJ
lection to Mccullough, though Governor
Matthews intimated in his interview pub
lIshed yesterday afternoon that the objec-
tons raised against Mccullough lay in
the fact that he supported the sound
money contention before the convention
The real objection lies in the fact that
Mr.. Mccullough is a man of such reputa-
ton and standing in the community that
he would not nor could he afford to soil
his good name by being a party, to such
conspiracy as this. AS a member OF the
board he would be apt to construe the law
as 1T reads, no matter what his political
views might be, and this is not the kind
who loaf about the Governors office de-