The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-02
PUSH" CARRIES THE DAY
1T NAMES JOHNNIE. ROCKFORD
AS THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN.
w. w. Spencer, Selected b. the DEM
Ocrntfc County Candidates. Turned
Down by a Big Majority.

II the candidates on the county or State
ticket fondly imagine that they can control
the push" they will learn after a while
that the push" does as it pleases and asks
advice of no one. 1t is determined that the
original gold bugs" even though they
claim TO be now in line. shall have nothing
whatever to do with running the campaign
in this county. and when the push" deter
mines anything in regard to things Demo-
cratic nowadays it is as good as done. The
candidates and ex-leaders will have TO
swallow Johnnie ROCKFORD as county
chairman and an executive committee of
his own creation, whether they like it or
not.
1t will be remembered that when the new
county committee met two weeks ago to
elect a county chairman Judge Brown. Jc-
seph Tanning and other candidates per-
suaded the members to postpone action a
few weeks to give the candidates a chance
10 determine upon a man. They talked
among themselves three or four times with
out accomplishing anything. and in the
meantime ROCKFORD, who wanted to be
chairman whether the candidates wanted
him to be or not, was out hustling for votes
and getting them. too. Finally the candi-
oASNo oPOA oRNAN -
county attorney. the gentleman with the
strawberry beard, who won fame in 1898
by handling the tally sheets at the city
convention in such a mysterious way that
all the candidates said to have been nomi-
mated for councilman at large had 10 resign
in order that the cry of fraud might be
out. Having come to this conclG-
sion, the candidates sent Tom Hedian
-~l - - -L-- -
meeting of the county committee at the
Gray Club last night. and supposed that
everything was fixed. But it wasn't. The
boys from the precincts were noisy and
turbulent and determined not to be bossed.
The result sent Hedian and a few of his
friends out of the meeting. boiling over
with wrath and declaring that the Marion
county campaign was lost before it was be-
gun.
The rooms were crowded and the swelter-
ing atmosphere was fetid with the ming
ling of odoriferous breaths of varying de-
grees of pungency. The crowd was turbu-
lent to the point of riotousness from the
start. and Leon Bailey, who presided, wore
out his voice and his cane in the effort to
preserve order. AS soon as the roll was
called and the addresses of the new COM
mitteemen obtained: nominations for chair
John j. ROCKFORD. w. W. Spencer. c. w.
Bridges and Louis Haag were presented.
b Bridges sIx was Sot not in IT. i; of E course d and g got
the county and State candidates. did
not fare much better and got but As
out of the 1S3 votes cast. When the roll
call was but little more than half finished
1t was apparent that ROCKFORD had 1t and
his noisy following nearly precipitated a
riot by insisting that he be elected by ac-
clamation. 1t was then that Hedian and
his friends could stand II no longer and
mercifully as he left and called upon him
for a speech. but he did not respond. And
what do you Think" he asked afterward.
Seventeen of them - - asked
me for a dime as / came out!'
AS soon as the vote was announced, Ma
honey slipped in a motion that the new
chairman be permitted to name. his own
secretary and executive committee.
Michael Cain did not like this. and, after
tremendous efforts TO make himself heard
In the riot, offered an amendment that the
member of the executive committee from
each ward be elected by the committee
motion before he did the amendment and
declared it carried and the crowd ad-
journed. while Cam was still on a chair
trying to make himself heard amid the din.
The meeting last night marked the final
defeat in Marion count politics of the
clique" sometimes known as the court
house ring" headed by Thomas Taggart
and Sterling Holt. They have had a good
time and prospered in their leadership of
day is over. Their dream of holding onto
the Marion county organization by getting
into line for a principle they abhor has
proven a dismal failure and they must
give way to men heretofore practically I'M
known in the councils of the party