The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-04
SPREADTOOTHER WARDS
ANTI-TAGGART LEAGUE CARRYING
MOVEMENT INTO NEW FIELDS.
City Central Committee Under Way
About Five Hundred Democrats
Already in the Scheme.

The Anti-Taggart League, organized In
the Fourteenth ward ten days ago, has as
sumed such proportions that Il was decided
at meeting last night Is organize a city
central committee. Three more wards have
been organized the Fifth, Ninth and Thir-
teenth, beside which steps are already be-
ing taken to organize the First and Third
wards. Leaders of the movement say that
within the next week there will be an eff
fective organization in each ward of the
city. A very strong addition will come
from the Fifteenth ward, it is claimed.
The representatives of the four wards de-
cided to consolidate last night into one
central body. w. F. Mowwe, OF 1925 Ring
gold avenue, was chosen chairman of the
central committee. w. H. Orbison, 1887
Shelby street, secretary, and B. r. Smith,
129 Olive street, treasurer. j. w. Seahill,
773 Elizabeth street, is ward committeeman
of the fifth ward; j. r. Chalk, Fletcher
avenue, is committeeman Of the Ninth; J..
G. Johnson, 1916 Hunter street, Of the Thir-
tenth, and Edward Jeffries, 119 South
Olive street, of the Fourteenth.
B. r. Smith, treasurer of the central
committee, is a brother Of Councilman
Smith, who was turned down in the Demo-
cratic primaries by the administration.
Councilman Smith was candidate for re-
nomination. 1t is said that if he had re-
ceived tho support accorded to Billy
Knight from the administration he would
have been nominated 1t was because his
brother was knitted that Mr.. Smith has be-
come identified with the movement.
All hands are hopeful of accomplishing
much toward Taggart's defeat. There was
a meeting in the Thirteenth ward Wednes-
day EVENING" it is said, attended by forty
two Democrats of that ward, every one Of
whom declared that he would not support
Taggart.
The belief that Taggart is not and never
has been a sincere silver man has been
much accumulated in the last two or three
days by the attitude and manifesto of the
gold bugs. It will be very hard matter
for Mayor Taggart to convince the hard
headed and earnest voters of the southeast
section of the city that he is indeed chief
of all the silver men as he calls himself.
f. J. Van Vorhis's speech at North Indian
apoliS, published in the Journal yesterday,
was food fer reflection to many South
Siders yesterday and they found themselves
Us not that nice condition of affairs?
Sterling r. Holt, Albert Lieber and John
r. Wilson, head and shoulder of the gold
element, consulting whether the leader of
the Marion county Democracy should go
before the people on silver platform?
power back of the platform is the gold ele-
ment of the party, what nonsense to be
caught by the glare or the words IN the
platform, when, Sterling r. Holt says,
they don't care a d--n for the platform so
they have the candidate.
At the meeting last night this phase of
the situation was discussed and more than
enc man was outSpoken in declaring that
Mr.. Van Vorhis had sized the situation
up pretty accurately.
The leaders estimate that there is mem
bership of nearly five hundred voters in
the four wards that have already CONSOLE
dated in the general movement. Member
81 ip in the Anti-Taggart League Is confined
to Democrats who are free-silver men and
who voted for Bryan last fall. No others
are admitted. The leaders say that they
have succeeded in winning over to their
cause some of the supposed agents of the
syndicate ring and will surprise Taggart
when 1t comes to the rub Bearing in mind
the inglorious capture of the silver league
at the Iron Hall building by "BilP .Flynns
braves, who formed a flying wedge and
took possession in the name OF Boss Tag
CART, the Ant-Taggart Leaguers are eau
tious as to who is taken into their con-
fidences and no opportunity will be given
for such fate as befell the league to over
take the new movement If it can be
avoided.