The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-04
ON THE HOME STRETCH
REPUBLICANS ARE MAKING A WIN
MING FINISH IN THE RACE.
All Indications Point to Another Vic
tory Like that of Is03-Begin-
ming TO Know Taggart.

The Republicans enter the last week of
the campaign at a winning gait There
have been some picturesque features of the
general skirmish during the past week that
have diverted the people somewhat, but
have not distracted their attention from
the main issues. The showing Of the poll
takers, the reports OF the precinct commit
tees, the attendance upon the meetings and
the tenor of conversation one may hear at
any point all surely point to the election Of
Harding by majority no less decisive than
that which gave the first indication of all
the recent Republican victories in 1893 The
Republicans have worked steadily at their
organization until now they have a COM
pact, loyal and thorough organization, COW
ering every point in the city. The work of
the precinct committees has been subdi-
vided down and systematized in such shape
that If any Republican voter fails to vote
on election day it Win not be because an
honest effort has not been made to get him
TO the polls.
During the past week the Taggart outfit
was driven to the stump by the great sue
cess of the Republican meetings. knowing
full well that they could not begin to dupli-
cate the success of these meetings in point
of numbers, they did not undertake open
air gatherings, but appointed their meet
ings for suburban halls. holding anywhere
from one hundred TO three hundred people.
These halls were filled, but people were not
turned away. The largest meeting they
had during the week was at Phoenix Gar
den, where one of the Taggart organs put
the attendance at 600 and another at 700.
And this Notwithstanding the attractions
of free beer and fireworks. The contrast
hat Pan h
lican meetings is remarkable 1t is seldom
that the Republicans have had less than
one thousand people, where Mr.. Harding
spoke many of them running from 1,5O0 to
1900, and the one of Monday evening ran to
1900. All the Taggart meetings have had a
beer annex except that in the First ward,
and there the city employees carried most
of the crowd to neighboring saloons as
soon as the meeting was over. The others
have been held in halls over saloons, or at
tached to beer gardens, with free beer on
tap Such campaigning would kill a Re
publican candidates chances in a single
day, but Mr.. Taggart and those on the
ticket with him carry it on with impunity.
AT all these meetings Mayor Taggart has
delivered the same speech, varied a bit oc-
casionaliy to fit the locality. The speech
is composed mainly of a misstatement of
the charges against his administration ana
a general denial Mr. Harding has gone
steadily forward, fighting his battle for the
people, for cheaper and better service from
the quasi-public corporations. and the way
people have flocked to his meetings and
cheered his words gives every reason to be-
lieve that his campaign is meeting their
hearty approval.
The boosted popularity of the Taggart
smile is waning as the people begin to I'M
derstand that that smile costs them hard
cash and good deal of it. 1t is rather
sleepy Republican these days who cannot
tell you about anywhere from five to TWEEN
ty of his Democratic neighbors and friends
who have expressed their intention of vot-
ing for Harding.