davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
ANOTHER BUSINESS BLUNDER.

Representative Overstreet is doing his
Indianapolis constituents good service by
pointing out some new and good reasons
why Mayor Taggart should not be re-
elected. In his speech Monday night he
turned the light on the station house bond
transaction in a way that would make a
really business administration hide its head
in shame. 1t is too late now to inquire
whether it was good business management
to borrow money with which to build
new station house. Admitting that one
was needed the emergency was not so
great but that the city could have waited
till such time as it could have been paid
for out of the ordinary revenue. 1t is never
good business management to borrow
money if it can possibly be avoided, but in
this case the mischief has been DONE and
not only that but it has been done in a
very laundering and costly manner. AS in
the case Of the proposed park system the
first step was to issue bonds to the amount
of $350,000 borrowing that sum at interest,
before any ground had been selected or
plans adopted, so in the case of the station
house the first step was to issue bonds to
tAC VI @1oV,VVV' AAtS JULIUS navy DSSA
drawing interest at per cent. since last
June. This money was borrowed at per
cent. for specific purpose, before q single
preliminary step towards the erection of a
station house had been taken or even the
plans drawn. Worse than that, it now APP
pears that the ground for the station house
cost only 10000, while the contract price
for the building is $549S0, making a total
expenditure for the station house improve
ment of S749S0 and leaving $75.020 unac-
counted for 1t is surmised that it may be
intended to use this balance, more than
half of the original bond issue, for furnish
ing the station house or carrying out the
so-called Gamewell contract, but there is
no emergency in either of these matters to
justify the borrowing of money at per
cent. interest to provide for them, and that,
too, long before it is needed. 1t was bad
enough to borrow money to build a station
house, but to borrow twice much was
needed was, to say the least gross extrav-
agance. AS a result of this blunder, or
worse. the city is paying per cent. a year
on $75.020, or $3.50 a month, for money which
it has no use for at present and cannot
have for a long time to come, if ever. Yet
we are told this is business administra-
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

war. l ask Mr.. Lieber, ] ask Mr.. Taggart.
to stand up and deny this charge.
Mr.. Bookwalter told how on the following
MONDAY night the appropriation ordinance
had been passed and the Sentinel had tho
next day published the fact that a tract
to be included in the purchase. He had
been told at the Office of the Park Board
that in making this announcement the Sem
tlnel had made mistake, which II had
corrected the next day. He then read two
clippings from subsequent issues of the
Sentinel declaring that the paper was right,
instead OF anything in the nature OF cor
rection. he charged that as late as May
two members of the Park Board visited this
bog land and one of them declared that the
thing was ten times worse than he had sup
posed. he charged that the scheme to buy
the Taggart land is merely held in sus-
penSe until after the election.
Mr.. BoOkwalter charged that this pro-
posed purchase was put before the Park
Beard al every meeting from Feb, to
bers who had been relied on to vote for it
declared that he would not. He called upon
the municipal reporters of the Journal and
Sentinel to say whether IL was not fact
that at every meeting UP to May 10 at some
stage of the proceedings they had been re-
quested to step outside. 1t may be said in
passing that this is fact. Mr. Book
walter declared that whenever the reporters
stepped ont MIR. Taggarts land stepped in.
He read the denial made by Taggart in
been made that land belonging 10 me has
been included and purchased for park pur-
poses. This is absolutely false" OF course
this was false. This charge had not been
made. The charge was as specified above.
that the mayor had tried TO have this in
cluded.
Mr. Bookwalter was followed by Messrs.
Healing and Shiel in brief speeches.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

valuation of their lots. exclusive of i'm
provements. Allotments Of 100 acres each
to be made to every citizen, and all
the residue of Creek lands is to be held or
sold and the money held as a fund to
equalize the various allotments the loca-
ton, condition of soil and fertility of land
to be taken into consideration by the al
loting agents. Provision is made for the
setting aside of lands for school and church
purposes. 1t is said the treaty is satisfac-
tory to the Indians, but will be fought by
the whites who own town property in the
Territory and by the owners of grazing
franchises and other concessions. If the
treaty is ratified it will result in opening
a large amount of good land for settlement
and will be a long step toward the better
civilization of the Indians
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The refusal of United States Judge Baker
to grant an injunction restraining the
United States marshal from removing from
Office deputy appointed by his predecessor
is good sense as well as good law. 1t is
high time to put down the idea which has
recently sprung up that the incumbent of
an office has vested right in it under
which ne may defy removal by the head
of an Office, department. or even the Pres
ident himself. Judge Baker based his de-
cision on the ground that a court of equity
would not interfere where there is a legal
remedy. and on the broader ground that
the executive power of the government,
including that of appointment to and re-
moval from office, rests with the executive
branch, and that the courts will not as
sumo jurisdiction to control the exercise of
such power. In the case at bar the court
held that the plaintiffs tenure of office ex-
pired with that Of The marshal who appoint
ed him. A few more such decisions will
go far to clear away the fog that has
gathered around the civil-service law.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The Democrats held two meetings last
night. One was for the Ninth ward and
was held in the little hall over Wesling's
saloon, at Hoyt and STATE avenues. The
hall will hold about one hundred people, IL
part of them stand up. 1t was filed. and
there were half as many more in the
loon below absorbing Taggart beer. Messrs
Taggart Cox and Stuckmeyer appeared
the First ward the night before. After
they had gone, Sculptor Mahoney. chair
man of the meeting, read beautiful COM
position on Indianapolis he had written per-
haps during his second year in the high
school and revamped slightly for the oc-
casion.
From Wesling's place the mayor and his
friends drove in loW-necked hack TO Lit
ties Hall, on East Washington street,
where another small knot of faithful DEM
Ocrats listened to their speeches.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The city charter prescribes the duties OF
all city officers Among other things 1t says:
1t shall be the duty of the mayor to ap-
prove or disapprove in writing, within ten
days after receiving the same, any ordi-
nance or resolution of the Council, and shall
transmit to the body within that time a
message announcing such approval or dis
approval or veto.
This is mandatory and without any quail
fication or exception. The mayor has no
more right to violate or ignore that pro-
vision of the charter than he would have
to appoint ten members of one of the ex-
ecutive boards instead of three. Yet he has
violated it very conspicuously. On the 18th
of May last the City Council, by vote of
IS to ?, passed a resolution calling on the
city attorney to furnish the Council at its
next regular meeting a written opinion as
to the power of the Council to control the
price of gas by ordinance. The resolution
was sent to the mayor and it was his duty
within ten days thereafter to approve or
disapprove of it in writing and notify the
Council Of his action. II mas not done
either. He simply pocketed or pigeon holed
the resolution, thereby violating plain
provision of the charter. Is that business"
or is it something else?
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

easily as If the working barrel had been
dropped into a large tank and never seem
to become exhausted. The oil is a fair
quality of Indiana crude and is in good mer-
charitable condition when pumped. The
first well drilled does not make any water
and the others make only few inches TO
a tank of oil. None of them has been shot.
but it will not be long after the wells COM
mence to come in too thick until the
glycerine man will get in the game with
his little tin cans and help the work along
getting the oil out fast possible.
None of the wells drilled has gone into the
sand over twenty-five feet. Since the strik-
ing of oil at Peru the popultion of An
drews has organized d company and will
sink a couple of wells at once. The follow
ing table shows a comparison of work in
the State for AUGUST and September:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

Mr.. Harding is making a manly canvass
and is making an excellent impression on
the people 1t may be to his disadvantage
that he has not an opportunity to use SAC, 900
of the peoples money on Pogue's run, the
bridges and the streets. which would not
have been used if Mr.. Taggart's election
were not pending Neither is Mr.. Harding
backed by rich beer, gas and other syndi-
Gates, as is the mayor. Nevertheless, with
out these principal adjuncts. the Republican
candidate is gaining ground and will be
elected if Republicans go to the polls and
cast full vote.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The Northwest Colored Republican Club
had barbecue at Emerich's grove yester-
day. and the colored voters had an excel
lent opportunity to hear the Republican
side of the campaign issues presented by
one of their own race who is fully able to
do it properly.
The barbecue and picnic was not intended
to be a political affair but representatives
Of both parties among the colored voters
were invited to address the gathering on
other topics. Allison Sweeney and William
Miller, admirers of Taggart, were invited,
and Gabriel Jones. a Harding man. was
there by request. The latter intended to
confine himself to talk on THE Progress
of the Negro Race" but when he was
called upon to speak. and neither Miller
nor Sweeney was on hand. he was per-
mitted to discuss political affairs, and he
did so. He compared the two candidates
with refer ence to their friendlineSS to the
negro race. Taggarts friendliness he said,
had always been when he had an AK to
grind. He had been in office ten years and
had been literally supported by the colored
people. but he gave them nothing but
smiles.
Harding's friendship began in his early
life in Wayne township. His father had
been an employer Of cOlored people, and
when Newt became a teacher in a pub
lie school he invited the colored children
to come to the school along with the
whites. This act was done long before he
ever dreamed that he would ask their sup
port as a candidate for mayor Of Indian
apolis Mr. Jones also showed how extrav-
agant the Taggart administration had been
compared with the previous Republican adj
miniStratiOn.
The barbecue was largely attended. There
were refreshments of all kinds, dancing
and amusements. A short address was also
delivered by William Long on municipal
affairs.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
THE MAYOR AND SILVER.

If the sound-money Democrats of this
city have the courage of their convictions
they will vote against Thomas Taggart.
No matter what his personal views on the
silver question are, and 1t is doubtful If
he knows himself, he stands on a free-sil-
yer, Bryan platform. and his election would
be proclaimed as a free-slver victory.
Sound-money Democrats who think they
can afford to vote for candidate for mayor
who stands on free-silver platform would
better heed the advice of Hon. Bourke
Cochran, who has written letter in which
he says: ~
While regret that our views should diff
fer as to the duty of the citizen in the
forthcoming election, rejoice that we con-
cur in believing that the election to the
mayOralty of any man who supported the
Chicago platform would not merely be a
municipal discredit but grave national
calamity.
of those gentlemen who. having left the
party last year rather than support the
Chicago platform, are now ready to assist
the custodians of that revolutionary pro-
gramme in their efforts to gain possession
of the most important municipal govern
ment in the country.
statement that questions of ma ional politics
should not be considered during municipal
elections SHOWS a curious mlScOncepIlOn or
last years political upheaval
If Organism is tolerated, much less en-
couraged, in the great city which Bryan
himself has described as the enemy's coun-
try, his supporters will remain in undis-
puted control of the Democratic organiza-
tons and the campaign of devastation and
disturbance through which we passed in
1896 will inevitably be repeated in 1907
This relates. of course, to the municipal
election in New York, but it applies with
equal force to every election where can
didate stands on the Chicago platform of
last year as Mr.. Taggart does. When
sound-money Democrats vote for that plat
form they vote. in principle, for Bryan.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The coming election in Nebraska will at
tract considerable attention, because the
campaign will be made largely on the silver
issue. The Offices to be filed are unim-
portant politioally-a supreme Judge and
two university regents-but the fusion of
all the free-silver parties and the fact that
the sound-money Democrats will again
vote with the Republicans will give the
election special interest. Bryan will stump
the entire State and both parties will have
able sneakers from outside
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

Recent dispatches from the Indian Ter
ritory have predicted that the Dawes COM
agreement with the Creek Indians regard
ing the allotment of their lands in sew
crafty, but it has done so. At joint ses-
sion on Monday Of the Dawes commission
and one appointed by the Indians a treaty
was concluded which VIII work complete
change in the Indian government. BY the
of where towns now exist and residents
can secure title to their town property by
the payment of 50 per cent, of an assessed
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
State Pride.

What kept you so late, SOM" asked the
colonel
Il didn't know the boundaries of the State
and teacher kept me in" answered the boy.
Well, boy, yo' ought to know yo' les
sons, though it was not such a impo tant
mattah in this case, the States outside OF
Kaintucky goin' to make up those boun-
diaries, being of mino' imno' lance"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
THIRD WARD MEETING.
COIored Men Addressed by Mr.. Hard
ing and Others.

There was a meeting of the colored voters
of the Third ward last night at old Third
and Howard streets. Willis Kersey pre-
sided Gurley Brewer was the first speaker.
He proceeded to touch upon the looseness
with which the city government has been
conducted under the Taggart administration.
He declared that the colored vote was not
to be purchased by a Democrat for thirty
pieces of silver"
You forget" said Mr.. Brewer, 1.-THE blood
shed of your fathers and mothers. you for
get the perils and hardships they had to UNI
dergo when you vote for Tom Taggart. A
colored man who supports the Democratic
party is a traitor to his race" Mr.. Mat
son was the next speaker. He dwelt on the
rights and privileges the colored man has
enjoyed since the end of the war. At that
period he was a degraded creature, Mr..
Matson declared. but now he is an enight~
ened, civilized being. The speaker asserted
that the Republican party put the laws on
the statute books which gave the colored
man equal rights with the whites.
do any of you know" he asked, of any
instance of a colored man being elected TO
Office by the Democratic party? l answer
no." The speaker said further that Tag
CART had not given colored men employ
ment on any of the city jobs The Demo-
Gratis tell you that you want to be independ-
ent in action. Is it independence to accept
a drink and dollar or so for your voter
The speaker urged his hearers TO vote in
the right way. He declared that coiored
men would receive recognition if Mr.. Hard
ing was elected and urged that they vote
for him. Mr.. Negley was the next speaker.
He referred to the vast debt that has been
created, $4,000 in twenty-five months.
THAT genial smile of Mr. Taggart's does
not pay the interest on these bonds nor
straighten out the park muddle, said he.
Mr.. Negley'S speech was interrupted by
enthusiastic cheers for Mr.. Harding, who
had Just come from another meeting. X
Il. Bagby spoke of the disregard of Mr..
Taggart for the rights of the colored peo-
pie.
"Of ali the laborers employed by the
city" he said, there is not colored man
in the lot, When Mr.. Bagby concluded,
Chairman Kersey proposed three cheers for
Mr. Harding. The candidate was given an
ovation as ne stepped to the platform and
began a brief speech. Mr. Taggart says
that he fears his throat cannot Stand the
strain, nor his body the fatigue of the cam
paign, said Mr.. Harding. las he has thus
far addressed one crowd of about two hlii-
dred people while have this evening adj
4.0O0 people, l imagine his throat is not
badly strained his body very much
fatigued. People say: Watch the cOlored
vote / say to you watch the white vote
l have every confidence in the colored vot-
ers and do not fear that they will leave me
in the lurch. l regard the colored man as
equal to the biggest white man. Show me
a slave or a man who has been a slave, and
| will show you an enemy of the Demo-
cratic party" Mr.. Harding declared that II
criminate against the colored men as Mr..
TaQgart has done.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
struck a 1,5oo-BarreI Wen.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
SUMMITVILLE, Ind, Sept. 2S.-A big Oil
strike was made by the Allegheny Oil
Company with wildcat well on the Will
liam Bowles farm, three miles east of
mere this morning. 1t is pronounced the
biggest we'll in the State and is said to be
good for 1900 barrels a day. The main oil
pool in this county is believed to have been
tapped Oil operators are jubiant over the
strike and are coming into the new terri
tory to go to work already.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
THE INDIANAPOLIS JOURNAL

Can be found at the following places:
NEW YORk-Wndscr Hotel and Astor House.
cHIcAGo--Palmer House and p o. News Co.,.
III Dearborn street.
CINCINNATI-J. r. Hawley & Co.. 15A Vine
LOUISVILLE-C. 7. Deering. northwest corner
of Third and Jefferson Streets ard Louisville
Book Co., 256 Fourth avenue.
ST. LoU1s-Union News Company. Union Depot.
WASHINGTON. D. C.-Rggs House, Ebbitt
House, Wizards Hotel and the Washington
News Exchange Fourteenth street, between
Penn. avenue and J. street.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

Under an opinion of the attorney general
of New York constituting the convict labor
law of that State it's convicts will hereaft-
er manufacture supplies for the State mil
itia, including uniforms, clothing, arms and
equipments of all kinds. This will con-
tribute something towards furnishing en-
ployment for the convicts, but not much
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The Journal recently mentioned the case
of Miss Whitney, of Chillicothe, No. who,
after having been chosen TO represent the
town as it's prettiest girl in a carnival at
Kansas City. was ruled out by the managers
because she worked for a living In a To-
bacco factory. Since then she has been in
vited TO act as queen of beauty at the To-
peka fair and starts for that city to-day.
accompanied by her mother. in a special
car. The pretty girl is INDICATED.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
Petersburg Has Natural Gas.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
PETERSBURG, Ind, Sept. 2S-Citizens
are now using natural gas for cooking and
heating purposes, and it is the only town in
southern Indiana that can boast OF the great
natural fuel. Petersburg has natural gas,
and plenty of it, all reports to the contrary
Notwithstanding
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The current expenditures of the city in
1885, the first year Of Mayor Taggart's ad-
ministration, were sos, 800 greater than
were those for the same items in 1895. the
last year Of Mayor Dennys administration
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The leading, because the largest, of the
Taggart evening organs admits that the
Republican meeting Monday evening was
very large one. All of the Republican meet
ings are so well attended that If the meet
ings are an indication of election results
Mr.. Taggart's name is Dennis
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

The report that Spain is preparing to
send fleet to Cuba to threaten the United
States is not alarming. Spain has a few
war vessels and might shell some of our
cities should they get sufficiently near, but
Spain is bankrupt. and it is worn-out ma
tion Of day before yesterday. 1t could not
borrow $1.OOO,OOO for the purpose of making
war upon this country.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
just for Luck.

Hello, Brown. How did you get your
face SCARED sop
Got run over by a truck"
Didn't you see it coming?''
No / was looking over my shoulder at
the new moon for luck
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

If Mayor Taggart were going to build
$4,000 addition to his hotel would he. be-
fore even getting the plans drawn, borrow
twice as much money as he expected the
Improvement to cost? That is what he did
in regard to the new station house
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
Pig Iron and Prosperity

LUUISNIIIt NUIllIItfGIaI.t
We forget the worthy name OF the gentle
man who has contended for years that pig
iron is the true barometer of prosperity.
but he is right In It. Pig iron and wheat
are standing up together wight along.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

Charles f. Smith viii begin his 'apeak-
ing" campaign from a buggy tonight. He
will be at Fountain square at o'clock and
at Virginia avenue and South street three
quarters OF an hour later.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

but when read about those experts dsput-
ing over whether the sesamoid bone be-
longed to or to a pigs foot, 1 could
stand II no longer"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

If it cost $1,000 month to maintain a
park system on paper, before a foot of
ground has been purchased, how much
would it cost under the same kind of man
agement to maintain a real one?
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29

If the Taggartites imagine that the friends
of Cox will throw away their concealed
weapons because Mr.. Colbert has been
forced to resign they are quite sure to be
mistaken
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-29
BUBBLES IN THE AIR.
TrnveIing ReDafr snop.

'Gweat heavens, Algy. DO you always
have gwoom in attendance when you so
wheeling?"
He is not a gwoom. deah boy 1 have
the fellow along to make wepairs."