The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-30
MR.. SMITH IS SCORCHING
TRIES HIS HIGH-GEAR SPEECH FOR
THE FIRST TIME ON SOUTH SIDE.
Runs Down Banker FrenzeI, Taggart
and Others and Bumps Into the
Street-Car Question.

street. Inc HFSl tnlng on the programme
was the appearance of a colored quartet,
occupying Mr.. Smiths beautiful lemon
cclored double-seated trap, drawn by Mr..
Smiths magnificent bays in their silver
mounted harness. driven by Mr.. Smith S
liveried coachman. AS may be imagined,
this swell turnout attracted attention, and
the singers had no trouble in attracting
crowd of about two hundred. After two or
three songs the outfit moved on to collect
another crowd at Fletcher place, while Mr..
Smith drove up in a spring wagon. His
turnout was painfully plain, with a horse
too old to be frisky. At the back of the
wagon an arrangement had been fixed to
hold too flare lights, and IN the lurfd glow
of these the promoter of the Smith move
ment read his manuscript. In the wagon
with him was Edward Gates, who was kept
busy shooing away the pestiferous small
boys who persisted in lining the roof of
the one-story saloon building beside which
the wagon was halted and annoying the
speaker with unseemly noises made by
pursuing their lips and emitting their breath
in an explosive fashion, characteristic of
small boys. Barring this deviltry of the
small boys, Mr.. Smith was given q respect
full hearing, and the crowd was attent-
i've. He does not lay claim to oratorical
ability, and read his manuscript in a mat
ter-of-fact way and in voice so low that
only those standing very near could hear
what he said.
In his speech Mr.. Smith declared that the
Republican party was controlled absolute
ly by two men, and the Democratic party
was controlled by Frenzel, Holt, Wilson and
Reach. None of these people cared anything
for the public welfare He was an indie
who had been shrieking a whole lot and
complained that sef-styled independent pa
pers were not supporting him. He saw
the papers presented a slckly smile and he
knew he was prodding them in sore spots.
He knew he gave them a pain. He told
how he rescued a bank and building as
ISOLATION thus:
II have heard it said that went into this
movement because Of some trouble / had
had with two bankers in this city. Now,
my hearers, this proposition is a very vague
one, and l propose to clear your minds on
this point. During the financial panic of
1898 l aided a bank in this city that had
been forced to suspend. This bank Is still
open and doing prosperous and legitimate
business to-day, and mas the honor of being
the only bank that ever opened its doors
in indianapolis after a suspension and re-
NAMED open. The next time that defied
these shylocks in their high handed work
of ruin was during the financial panic of
1856 when l Went to the rescue of build ng
and loan association they were attempting
to wreck. l helped to save it, and 1t is open
He said that while he condemned the at
titude of the Citizens Street-railrOad Com
thaf the Of it Tay more With
people who reside here than with the for
eign capitalists. The trouble started under
Frenzels management, and Mr.. Smith de-
clared that as a street car manager F'renZel
had proven a failure Frenzel he said had
promised to get the directors new charter
for $150,000.
REALLY WASN'T JERRY COLLINS.
There seems to be a difference of opinion
among Mr.. Smith, Jerry Collins and some
other gentlemen as to who did the business
for the Citizens Company in the last Legis-
lature. Smith is new claimant for the
honor. He gave this version
"a regular sand-bagging skin game; con-
cocted to extort money from the Citizens
Company under the plea that they were do
ing it for the good OF the people of In
danapolis. 1t took me less than one hour
one night at Englishs Hotel to knock their
game higher than Gilroys kite. 1t took me
less than an hour to spoil the play which
they had spent three years in planning.
Now, why was l able to do this? 1t was
because | was on the side of right and
justice, and they were on the side of wrong
and iniquity l tell you, my fellow-citizens,
q courageous man, armed with the scepters
of truth and justice, seldom fails in any
thing he undertakes. Prior to this time
pressure had been made continually to ex-
IOFI money lIOUl the OlllZeIS Company
who at one time agreed TO pay them their
price Of over a half million dollars"
He declared that early in the year of 1893
this City Railway Company was projected
and organized by John r. Wilson, at that
time county clerk Sterling r. Holt treas
urer; Thomas Taggart, auditor; and as
sisted by John r. Pearson, John Z. FrenZel
and Mr.. Fletcher.
Concerning the. company he said: Il do
believe, fellow citizens that Thomas Tag
CART, John P. Frenzel and the other gentle
men, whom I have named as the real pro-
motors of this City Railway scheme, had no
intention of laying rail or driving spike
when they obtained the City Company
franchise I do believe that it was their
only idea to hold this contract 1T, over the
them to buy 1t. / do believe, my fellow
citizens that you should raise up as body
and demand a return to the city of this
contract. You need have no fear of not get
ting as good a contract in 1901. l, for one,
will pledge myself, as citizen to see that
you get a better one. Don't think for
minute. my hearers, that this street car
business has been settled, for 1t has not.
| was told only few days ago. by a party
Interested that there was deal on right
now whereby all suits would be stopped,
aud suitable decisions rendered and
straight scent franchise secured for the
Citizens Company to run fifty years. Mr..
Taggart has said, This is the effort of my
life, I must be reelected | am of the be
lief. my felow-citizens, that there are sew
eral jobs started by the Taggart admins
tration that the ring would like TO see nm
ished before he retires. / sent gentleman
a few days ago to the office of the Park
Board to examine the records that | might
be able to show the people just what lands
this park scheme included and who it be-
longs to. The gentleman was informed by
the clerk in charge that his instructions
were to allow no one to see the records
Now my friends, these records are public
property, and any citizen has the right TO
see them, but this refusal only convinced
me, as 1t should you, that there IS some
thing rotten in this park scheme
TAGGART FRENZEL'S TOOL.
He closed with this peroration ut is
common talk on the street that Mr.. Taggart
is, and has for long time been under the
control of Boss Frenzel the man who says
he controls the Sentinel and News, and
stands closer to the mayor than any man
in Indianapolis, and strong evidence of this
is seen in the case Of the Syndicate Brewing
Company, of which John p Frenzel is sec
rotary, and Otto, his brother is treasurer.
Superintendent of Police Colbert was once
in the employ of the syndicate also. We are
allowed to violate the law, while those who
do not sell syndicate beer are compelled to
obey the law. I am told that two years ago
the syndicate contributed $1,000 to Tom Tag
CARTS campaign fund, and God only knows
how much they are contributing to this one.
Mr.. Frenzel is an extremely liberal man
when some one else furnishes the money.
l will say to you frankly, gentlemen, that
personally / like Tom Taggart, but he is
not fit man to fill the responsible position
of mayor of Indianapolis because he hash
the will power nor courage to withstand the
commands of the political and financial
bosses