The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-24
THE RESULT WITH REPUBLICANS.

The reason given weeks ago why Repub-
licans and taxpayers should vote to contin-
ne the Taggart regime was that it has CIV
en- Indianapolis one of the most business
like administrations that the city ever had
This assertion was so confidently made by
few favorites that not few men who
are not Democrats were induced to believe
there was something in it. By this conf
dent claim it was expected to win the votes
of not few Republican business men. and
to cause many others to be so lukewarm
that they would take no part in the cam
paign. This Republican loss would more
than offset the number of Democrats who
will not vote for Mr. Taggart next month
for one cause or another.
This was fine scheme and for time
it looked as if it might, with the perennial
smile and cordial manner of Mr.. Taggart,
pull him through. But there has been a
change. By degrees voters are discovering
that the business of the Taggart adminis-
tration has been chiefly in the way Of in
creased expenditures. AS far as the mys-
teries of the park management can be pen
etrated, bungling rather than intelligent
The telephone franchise seems to have been
a thrifty business for the company which
secured the monopoly. The increase of the
city's expenditures during Mr.. Taggart's
first year for the same objects was IA per
cent greater than Mr.. Denny's last year.
This is not the quality of business which
pleases the taxpayer And so through the
list; the business of the Taggart admins
tration has not been in the interest of the
people.
And now comes the astounding evidence
of the utter decentralization of the police
1t should not be astounding intelligence,
because it is the result of policy and meth
DDS which have been apparent to all who
have followed the train of events. For
more than year drunkenness neglect of
duty and interference with the rights of
citizens have been common occurrences.
Men were not put upon the force because
of fitness. but because they were some
bodys favorites Never in one year has
the police department cost so much money
as the past year, and it has become nearly
as ineffective as it the last year of
Mayor Sullivan For this Thomas Taggart
is responsible, and nobody else. No one can
deny this, and making Mr. Colbert seape-
goat will not change the fact The cordial
manner and good fellowship of Mr.. Tag
CART should not blind the eyes of taxpayers
and citizens who desire an efficient police to
the fact of his responsibility for it's demor-
alization.
To-day the Taggart regime depends upon
the votes and the apathy of several hun
dred citizens to re-elect him mayor. This
support positive and negative it expects
from some of the best Republicans in the
city on the ground of good fellowship and
business administration. The business adj
ministration being a myth, can any Repub-
ican vote for Mr. Taggart because he
smiles and debauches the police? To-day,
if the Taggart regime believed that the Re-
publicans of indianapolis would go to- the
polls and vote the Republican ticket, it
would consider the defeat of Mr. Taggart
probable, because the managers know that
hundreds of Democrats will not vote for
the man who has smiled and stabbed