The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-11
CONVENTION MAY SPLIT
COUNTY DEMOCRATIC ROW ASSUMES
FIERCE PROPORTIONS.
Taggart's Caucus, Which Several
COuncilmen BOlted-Park Funds
for Campaign Purposes.

The Democrats OF tnlS county are getting
a little excited. Some of them are actually
predicting that there will be two county
conventions, two sets of candidates for cleo
ton this fall and two county organizations.
These dreful prophecies were taken from
the mouths of prominent politicians at the
Grand Hotel last night and when the states
men at the Grand begin to talk that way
there must certainly be something the mat
ter. The lobby Of that hosiery is the ante
chamber of Mayor Taggart's little office
where things politically are usually fixed
up. But it is said that the mayors private
telephone with Chairman Rockford has been
disconnected and that war has been de-
clared.
The trouble has been brewing for long
time and is the logical result of the eff
forts that have been made to make gold
Democrats and silverites trot side by side
in the same harness. The two elements are
so antagonistic that a rupture is certain to
occur, and it looks as if this rupture is now
impending On the one side are Chairman
Rockford, S. N. Gold, George Little, Romus
Stuart and other radicals that belonged to
the old silver push, and on the other are
Taggart, E. M. Johnson, Peter Sindlinger,
Charles Polster and others who are at heart
opposed to the silver fallacy. The silver
push has the organization and means to
keep it, while the mayor and his friends
are determined it shall not keep it. The
MAYOR is now using all the power of his
position to defeat the ends of the sill
Verites, and has also the backing, 1t is SAID,
of John P. Frenzel, John r. Wilson and
has also other means at his command to
wrest the organization from the faction
that is now in control.
WALKED OUT OF CAUCUS.
Several days ago a caucus of the Demo-
cratic members Of the Council was held
in which the mayor asked for an ordinance
making the park funds Immediately avail
able He also stated at that meeting that
the park appropriation should be increased,
and it is already figured out that some
thing near 81, OOO, 900 can be devoted to parks
by making another bond issue up to the
limit of the city's indebtedness. The mayor
asked that the money on hand be imme
diately appropriated for the purchase of
lands and the employment of labor along
lines that the Board of Works have
adopted. The reason for this sudden de-
termination to use the park money has
direct bearing on the present fight for the
county organization. The administration
has already promised hundreds of jobs to
party heelerS and these promises must be
fulfilled or defeat this fall is rendered more
certain than ever. These heelers must be
pacified. Their services are needed to carry
the county convention and hence the i'm
portance to Mr. Taggart of having the fund
made Immediately available. But the DEM
OcratiC councilmen have ideas of their own
they are at loggerheads as to what par
ticular lands shall be purchased and at the
caucus several of them got up and walked
out, saying that they would never again
attend a party caucus while in the Council.
While matters are being fixed up with
them, however, the fight against Rockford
is beginning to be openly Waged An ul-
timatum has been delivered him that he
must lay down entirely. He is not even
offered the assurance in exchange r., thar he
gartites say that his candidacy for office
while holding the place of chairman is
breach of political ethics, as if there was
such a thing in Democratic politics. They
charge him with changing the county pre-
cinct boundaries from those of 1896 10 the
city precinct boundaries of last year for
the purpose of districting about one hun
dred committeeman out of the old organiza-
ton in order that he might appoint men
that he can handle. They also charge that
he will appoint a credentials committee that
will make doubly certain that the conven-
ton will nominate silver anti-Taggart
ticket, including himself as prosecutor.
And, to cap the climax, Edward Little will
be made county chairman If Rockford
succeeds in doing all of these things, Tag
CART, Sindlinger, Mcguire and e. NJ. john
son will be left out in the cold, and also
Albert Sahm who, 1t is now said, will take
the county Craftsmanship if elected. Rather
than permit the continued rule of the sill
yer push the mayor and his cohorts say
there Snau De dnOIner convention ana an
other organization.
Rockford denies that he is running things
to suit his own ends, but then he is per-
haps aware of the fact that there is no use
in controlling the machinery unless it is
controlled for some purpose. He says that
the change of the precincts from the old
county boundaries to the boundaries of the
city precincts was done for the reason that
the County Commissioners have decided to
adopt the city precinct boundaries this fall
He also says he is in the fight to stay and
rather than lay down will withdraw from
the race for prosecuting attorney.