The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-06
THE 'PUSH'S' LITERATURE
CIRCULARS DENOUNCING MUNICIPAL
OFFICE-HOLDING GOLDBUGs.
Campaign of the Free-SiIverites to
Turn Down Taggart Begins-The
'.PIatO's Archers."

The local Democratic wounds are reopen
ing almost before they have begun to heal,
and it is "all along of the silver question.
Since the last campaign Messrs. Lieber,
Holt, Taggart. Curtis and others who had
no faith in the silver heresy have come to
the front and assumed leadership, to which
they are entitled by the force of their intel
ligence. OF these men all, except Taggart,
repudiated the Chicago platform and made
no secret of the fact, and the mayor is
judged by the company he keeps. The
leaders of the push" who regularly turned
this crowd down at every primary last
year. hate brains just as they hate the gold
basis. and they are already active in the et-
fort to stir up the same feeling that carried
Bryan into leadership to down" the hated
gold bugs in the approaching municipal
campaign.
The first open attack was made yester-
day, and was directed at City Attorney
Curtis, who holds his office by appointment
of Mayor Taggart. The following anony-
nous circular, with a plentiful sprinkling
of big black letters and black underscoring,
was issued and distributed yesterday by the
literary bureau of the push"
Notice to Democrats
who are Democrats
THE Indianapolis News, Nov. 4, 1896 Ghe
next day after the presidential election)
James B. Curtis-The very decisive ma
ture of the Mckinley victory will benefit
the Democratic party as it will at once be
reorganized on its od-t time principles, as
well as receive credit for the manly stands
of the Cleveland administration, which Will
take position with the great ones of the
country. The election demonstrated beyond
question that the Democratic party con-
tanned the thinking men of the country,
who act for themselves and were Mortified
at the very suggestion of financial or ma
tional dishonor Upon these men party ties
rest lightly. They came to the party re-
Gently upon the great economic questions
of the day, left it to chastise it and will
march under its banner again. positive
victory is better than a bare majority, as
agitation of the money question is always
MIR. Curtis now claims to be a Democrat
and to be chairman of the Democratic city
committee. Mr.. Curtis is also holding the
position of city attorney under the present
administration at a salary OF $4,000 per an
mum.
do we want boilers who bolted the bolt
ers' ticket and voted for Mckinley to con-
troll the Democratic organization and name
the men to be voted for at the approaching
city election. That twenty-three boilers
who bolted the boilers ticket and voted for
Mckinley shall be retained and pose as
Democrats? Is not a Democratic President
of more Importance than a Democratic
mayor?
Gratis on the ticket and success will be as
Sured. Consider.
This ebullition of wrath IS largely due to
the fact that the dreadful gold bugs
have accomplished the smashing of plato s
Archers," secret free silver society,
formed for the purpose of controlling the
politics of the country. Twenty odd years
ago w. z. Smith, who has grown gray in
the business of preaching cheap-money
schemes, figured out plan for a secret So
ciety. He worked out a ritual and started
the plan among the ancient Greenbackers,
but all these gentleman had a surplus of
long hair and q shortage of money. The
only man among, them who had much sub
stance of worldly goods was 'Old Man.
Pope, and the spirits told him to cling to
his cash. Thus the Archers did not thrive,
and lay dormant for years, until in the
summer madness of the dog days of 1896
Smith saw an opportunity to start the
scheme once more. He did so, and the
thing hourished moderately. He organized
the Apollo Lodge in this city and put up
Shepard, Van Norhis and other of the more
prominent gentlemen of this class in the
offices with big titles. He took into his
confidence f. d. Craig, of Rensselaer,, who
in the various queer deals with the Demo-
cratic state committee last year showed
and they organized an inner circle, whittier
most of the funds went,
Not satisfied with their financial success,
against which nobody seems inclined to OBJ
ject, Smith and Craig thirsted for power
and their ambition was their undoing They
tried to get some of the members of the
city administration to contribute funds for
the support of paper one of the approved
plans of working candidates, but We're
fooled. 1t seems that some threats were
made On the subject. and the next thing
Smith and Craig knew Van Vorhis and
Shepard had gone back on the whole bust
ness and attended meeting of Apollo
! Lodge, where they exposed the whole
scheme and smashed the organization
which had acquired a membership of about
four hundred.