The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-21


near Posters saloon, walked over to the
stand where the speaking was going on.
He accosted a group of well-known Repub-
licans near the stand and declared that he
wanted to get up and make a speech.
''Of course" he declared with vehemence
I'm for Taggart all over, but l want to
give Cox h--l!' And then he proceeded to
tell how many different kinds of disagree
able things he thought Cox to be. The
men to whom he talked declared that it
was Republican meeting and it was not
the proper place for him to make a speech.
Some of them tried to get him to go to his
buggy and advised him to go home but
he would not move an inch until q Demo-
crat in the crowd hurried over to Polster
and told him what Colbert was doing.
Polster at once hunted him up and induced
him to go to his buggy in which he sat
with him until the meeting was over.
The appearance of Colbert proved the
sensation of the meeting and was the topic
of conversation on the downtown streets
when it became known.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD.
The crowd which stood on the bridge and
listened to the speeches of the evening was
estimated at fifteen hundred people. The
meeting was under the auspices of the Col
ored Republican League, one of the strong
est political organizations of this city. AL
though it was a meeting of colored men
there were many white people in the crowd.
The crowd was orderly and attentive, but
it was enthusiastic and the speakers were
frequently interrupted with hearty cheers.
platform tastefully and gayly decorated
with bunting and flags had been erected
especially for the occasion and from this
point the speeches were made. The orators
of the evening were w. n. Harding, John
l.. Griffiths ex-Police Judge Stubs, r. r.
Shiel and Gurley Brewer. Before the speak
ing the Indianapolis Home Band, under the
leadership of Jerry Franklin, gave a num-
Der of lively airs. George l.. Knox, the
chairman, was late in arriving and Beverly
Porter, president of the Colored Republican
League introduced Gurley Brewer a very
intelligent young colored man, who talked
until the arrival of Chairman Knox. The
speaker referred to the Democratic meet
ing at Masonic Hall and to the attempts of
the Democratic leaders to lead the colored
men away But I'll tell you. my friends,
he declared, 1.-The manhood and dignity of
the race we represent are not to be meas
ured in the wine glass" He urged the i'm
portance of the colored voters doing their
duty on election day.
George l.. Knox, in an appropriate speech,
in which he noted the fact that the Repub-
licans are aroused to their duty, introduced
w. N, Harding the Republican candidate
for mayor. The latter was received with a
great cheer. The crowd was very demon
strative and showed its enthusiasm and
pleasure. Mr.. Harding has not entirely re-
covered from his hoarseness, but he was
able to make himself heard by all. He did
not make an extended speech, but he COW
fI,a hnf ITtYhI ND nj
many plain facts before his hearers He
spoke of the friendship of the Republican
party for the colored race - friendship
that began when the race was in slavery
and of which there was a practical demon
stration in 1864, when the Republicans made
it possible for the colored man to enjoy the
rights of citizenship in the United States.
E1r. Harding said 1t was the father of the
his life for this Si5,z zen ps.srt FSr
everything that was done to pros
titute and degrade you was done by the
Democratic party The North, the home Of
the Republican party was for liberation of
the slave. The South-the cornerstone of
Democracy-was for slavery. l thought of
this when | heard that Thomas Taggart
was trying to prostitute your manhood with
money
Mr.. Harding spoke of the solid South and
the danger to the negro voter when he
attempts TO cast an honest ballot in the
famous Yazoo county, Mississippi, where
General Harrison received but five votes
county.
TAGGART AND COLORED MEN.
Touching on local issues, Mr.. Harding re-
ferred with fine seorn to Mayor Taggart's
professed love for the colored people OF
Indianapolis.
Go to the courthouse" he said land
watch the long line of men who come in
from work in the trenches. Count them as
they so by, and note the fact that Thomas
has only four or five colored men employed;
., such surprising love" The speaker held
up new map OF the city of Indianapolis
and pointed out to the voters below him the
boundary lines of the newly-anneXed terri
tory He called particular attention to the
First ward, in the northeast part of the
city. Here said Mr. Harding. you will
notice small white spo1 on the blue back
ground of the map. That represents a coll
ored neghborhood of one hundred votes
that was carefully left out of the city
when these annexation lines were drawn.
Thomas Taggart directed the lines that dis
franchised one hundred colored voters"
The speaker recalled incidents of the last
campaign when the Democrats attempted
TO traduce Gabriel Jones' the colored Re
publican candidate for representative, and
read, from a copy of the Sentinel of last
Sunday an interview which a reporter
claimed to have had with Gabriel Jones,
quoting him in the most ridiculous lam
guage And now" added the speaker
''Tom Taggart Is down on his knees with
his money in one hand and his wine in the
other, begging that the coored vote be di-
Nldeus
Tell IL all, Mr. Harding" sang out
voice in the audience below
1T would take me a lifetime rejoined
the speaker ITO tell 1t all--of the degrada-
tion that the Democratic party has heaped
upon you colored men. My feilow-country-
men-as / call you-nO race on Gods foot
stool has made the progress of the colored
man in the last thirty years. | remember
twenty-five years ago l taught the school
in Wayne township In which the first col
ored children We're admitted on an equal
footing with the white. There was oppOSi-
ton TO them when they came. but l said
Let them come to school. Don't shut them
out because they are black | took these
colored children in. and before that school
ended the white children of the school were
friends and companions with the colored
pupils. ] did not think then that / would
ever want the votes OF the Colored man.
l am not here now TO get your votes, but
i want you TO know 10 what party you owe
YouT allegiance However, ! mean to rec