The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-18

them with an honest purpose On the 9TH
er hand, in four of the elections our politi
cal bosses decreed that the saloon must be
Pleased the platform was tame and COM
monplace on the saloon question. and the
nominee was as dumb as an oyster after
ward, never speaking one manly protest
against this greatest abomination, and in
more than one case seeking favor by ming
ing with the hummer element, IL not
drinking with II. But they were defeated
every time on the heels of great Republic
an ma1or1ties on national issues. Is not
the republican politician a fool who insists
on such exchange of influences? l do not af-
firm, but l defy any man to deny Take
a few pertinent facts bearing Immediately
on the late election. Last spring mammoth
petition was filed asking that saloons be
excluded from the first four wards II was
said to contain the names of three-fourths of
the voters in the district and irrespective OF
party. The canYassers reported that 80 per
cent. of those approached signed with en-
thusiasm, and that more than half of those
who refused gave as their only reason
fear of the boycott the saloon was threat
ening. Let us study the figures of those
four wards in the light OF this fact They
are instructive and may give an inkling to
the cause of the defeat of Mr. Harding. L
assume that the Journal is substantially
correct in estimating that 5000 voters stayed
at home, and that these were mostly Repub
licans. / do not concede that party politics
should control in a municipal election as
they certainly did not in this and would not
had the issue been as bold and heroic an
attack on the saloon as its enormity de-
home? Simply because there was no Re-
publican issue at stake, and they refused TO
indorse the wide-open policy of the party,
preferring that If the saloon must run riot
it should be under Democratic auspices,
many of those who did go to the polls either
not voting at all for mayor or voting for
some side candidate or for Mr.. Taggart.
Look at these figures: While in those four
wards Mr.. Taggart ran ahead of his mate,
Mr.. Stuckmeyer, 4O4 votes, Mr.. Harding ran
2lS behind Mr.. Hays, his companion, and
Yet in the other eleven wards he ran
ahead of him. Is there no connection be-
tween the fact and the figures? Mr.. Hard
ing is not personally responsible for the
manlinesS to denounce its failure in such
burning words as he and his denounced the
bog transaction. With him the possible loss
of $1,000 demanded the moving of heaven
and earth, and men of all parties should re-
buke it by voting against Mr.. Taggart, but
the preservation of homes and schools
against roadhouses and beer gardens and
low doggeries was nothing. Can we blame
the Republicans for not voting when this
home protection should have been the para
their apology whether they are right or
wrong in it, and if our party managers are
wise they will ponder over the condition
they must face in the future more than they
ever have in the past, and fortunate Will II
be if next year when United States sena-
tor depends upon the legislative delegates
from Marion county, a Republican ticket is
not nominated that ignores the Christian
Endeavor and Epworth League and otner
similar associations of Protestant Chris
tians. and the knights of Father Mathew
and all the Catholic churches with such men
as Archbishop Ireland in the lead and our
own Bishop Chatard and the venerable Bes-
sonies close after him. Democrats may eject
saloon men, but Republicans In Marion
county never can. u. Il. 0EE
Indianapolis, Oct. 10.