The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-22
SEVENTH WARD TURNOUT
ENTHUSIASTIC REPUBLICAN MEET
ING ON MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE.
w. L. Taylor Makes Another of His
UnanswerabIe Attacks on the Tag
CART Method of Financiering.

hear Republican orators discuss the issues.
Last evening it was the turn of the Seventh
ward, and its rally at the corner of Mas
sachusetts avenue and Walnut street was
a thoroughly satisfactory one. A stand
had been erected with a canopy running
out about fifty feet, thus protecting the
voices of the speakers somewhat The
stand had been tastefully decorated with
bunting, and Chinese lanterns had been
placed effectively at various points over the
common. A crowd of over one thousand
people gathered and they stood on their
feet during the evening to listen to the
speeches The close attention they gave
and the hearty applause with which they
greeted every point made demonstrated
their interest and enthusiasm.
William L. Taylor was chairman of the
meeting, and in his opening speech he gave
some more cold figures upon the transact
tons of this business administration"
Mr.. Taggart has not rushed to the News
and Sentinel with denials of the speech
made by Mr. Taylor at the convention
and none of the Democrats have attempted
to answer it. No more are they likely TO
offer any reply TO his speech OF last even
ing. He said, in part:
This great audience only proves what 1
have all the time beneVed, that the people
OF this city are very greatly in earnest III
this campaign. The present administration
has maze It's record, ana it is bad. 1t IS
only equaled by the Democratic admins
tration OF 1874 and 1875. They We're then
in power for two years, and those were the
two saddeSt years in the history OF TINS
city. They begun with scarcely no debt,
and in two years they created a bonded
debt of 81 $4,000. AL OF 1t was To run twen-
ty years, and all of it bore $40 per cent.
interest. Fellow-citlzens, l am going TO
give you the startling ngures OF those TWO
tateIul years.
The people of this city in the twenty
years between 1875 and 1888 paid in interest
alone on that debt $1,765,OO0 When those
bondS matured they ndd TO be refunded.
They were extended for thirty years more
at per cent. You will pay IN interest dur
ing those thirty years 81, act, 0SO. me total
amount of interest that you nave paid and
that you will pay on that debt Will amount
to $3,215 $50. But the debt Will still be I'M
paid. Adding the principal to the interest
it amounts 10 the enormous sum OF $4,4z4,-
$50. Think of it, For two years OF Demo
cratic misrule you have paid and will have
to pay about four and a half million dollars
in cash.
LEGISLATURE HAD TO CHECK 1T.
80 disastrous to the city was that ad-
ministration of public affairs that the peo-
pie of the city, irrespective of party, de-
manded of the Legislature that 1t engraIt
in the Constitution of the State a provision
cent. of the taxable property of the city.
Responding to this demand, the Legislature
of 1877 adopted a resolution TO amend the
State Constitution. The subsequent Legis-
lature readopted it. and in 1881 it became
fxed in the Constitution OF the State tnat
no municipality could increase It's puDlc
debt beyond that limit. We We're away
above the limit in this city, anu lor twenty 5,a
years this city was against this stone wall
of a constitutional debt limit. AS soon as
the new Democracy came in power last
year it found that the Bet fall0 a DoieS
had been created, permitting aiotnet ~
crease in the bonded debt
Promptly the present aa am additonai
bonded debt has been created by TINS az,
ministration of $50 900. The most OF II WI
for thirty years. You VIII o pay IA da a
$6O0. OOO making total of principal ana IN
terest that you will have to pay OF
debt created at by tins the two debts
combined, created in three years OF Demo
cratic misrule, the citizens OF this city nave
Maid and will pay the enormous sum Oh
Se 764 600 This in brief is the story OF our
municipal debt. Not a dollar OF TINS dept
was created by Republican adm nlstratioh;
ssRut that is not all. Look at the eXpendl-
lures / hold in my hand the report issued
by the present controller OF this CITY. II
contains a statement OF the expenditures loI
1885, and also a statement or expenditures
for 1896. The total expenditures Tor 1922,
as shown in this report, exclusive of all
bonds and interest accounts, when IN Ialr-
ness should be excluded, amounted to $685.
o79 90 The statement for 1896 shows Jhat
the total expenditures exclusive OF the bona
ard interest account shows that the pres d5s
ent administration last year expended $50
2336S This report therefore shows that
during the first year of Mr.. Taggarts ad-
ministration, which was mu en-, nl I.oiti
be- there was expended $50 AZ more tnah
was expended during the last year OF Mr.
Now what is the record for this year?
This administration last night appropriated
for current expenses for the coming year
1897 600. This is within $4,000 of a round
million. It can safely be asserted from the
history of the present year that enough
additional appropriations VIII be mace u 70
lion dollars. The estimate of revenues
made by the present administration. as SUBJ
mitted last night amounts to $96Voo0' SO
that it may be safely asserted that II the
present administration is continued in
power that there will be shortage next
year of more than $4,000.
COLBERT OFF THE PLANK.
1.-THE people are awake TO these startling
facts Mr.. Taggart already sees the storm
approaching. Everything will be done by
him to save himself. He is like a ship
wrecked sailor with companion on plank
in a boisterous sea. If necessary he will
push his companion off the plank in rag
Colbert off the plank.
'If Cox craWls upon the plank and the
smiling mayor believes that he himself is
in peril, Cox will be pushed off too. With
him self-preservation is the first political
Smiley N. Chambers was introduced and
drew a contrast between the effects of Re-
publican and Democratic administration in
national affairs. The one usually meant
economy debt paying and good times: the
other meant more debts, hard times and adj
ministrative blunderS. So it was locally. 1t
had been the history of Indianapolis that
a Democratic administration meant in
creased taxes, temporary loans and def
ciencies. This was not the fault of the Re-
publican citizens it was the fault of those
in charge and they had at least been called
Democrats, though the question of whether
Mr. Taggart really is Democrat. mea-
sured by the standard of the last campaign.
was an open question. 1t depended upon
the point of view on the glimpse you might
catch of him as he turned from talking TO
a slverite to greet a gold-standard man.
Chambers, for he is quick on his heel
This sally was greeted with great laughter.
Mr. Chambers endeavored to trace the
gyrations and meanderings of Mr.. Taggart
upon this question of free silver He spoke
of his intimate associations with Holt, Will
son, FrenZel, Reach and other "klondik-
ers," and said: Now let us suppose for
moment that Taggart will be elected. What
silver Democrats will get all the credit and
glory and my 'gold-bug' friends will get all
the offices at his disposal He declared
that the Republicans were not greatly in
terested in this Democratic split but they
were vsibly interested as Republicans in
the result of the election. They had fought
last year for a sound currency and though
they had elected a President and lower
house of Congress favorable to currency
reform they were unable to carry forward
the great work al the extra session because