The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-12
HAS BECOME MERRY WAR
TAGGART AGAINST ROCKFORD FOR
THE COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
A Desperate Effort to Rescue the
Party from the Control of
the SiIverites.

The Democrats are in a, warlike mood.
Their belligerency is not aimed at "Cuby,"
but at each other. Their fighting blood is
up. There are two camps around which
they are rallying. One is that of Taggart
and the other that of Rockford. AS yet the
scrimmage is confined to a war of words.
Each faction is as busy as possible read
ing the other fellows out of the party, and
hurting all kinds of anathemas and direful
threats around promiscuously. The Roch-
fordites say that Taggart is a "gold bug"
and they back up this direful charge with
the equally fearful information that Ster-
ling r. Holt-Holt the political monstrosity
in the eyes of the push--is actually manip-
ulating the strings that control Taggart.
They also aver that John p. Frenzel is
putting his oar in and a very smooth oar
it is. The Taggartites say on the other hand
that Rockford is a manikin, a mere fell
low, sort of a presumptuous nothing that
has the nerve to attempt to run the party.
They say his followers are lot of mendi-
cants, Populists and cranks-an insignif-
cant crew beyond the pale of political re-
spectability.
The occasion for all this row has been
noted from time to time in the Journal
but the true inwardness Of it is only begin
ming to be developed. 1t now appears that
Mayor Taggart does not care rap about
who gets the nominations this year or
whether the party will be even successful.
He did care, it is safe to say some few
days ago, but he is past caring now. He
still smiles on various aspirants for the
nominations and he talks pleasantly
enough to tickle their hopes but
his heart is set upon but one thing now,
ana that thing must be wrested from the
enemy at all hazards. This thing is the
county organization. To wrench the or
ganization from the blatant silverites is
now his one great purpose, and in order to
accomplish the feat he will read the whole
s SILVER push out OF the party and send them
into the Populist camp or somewhere else;
he does not care where, so long as they
are not in the Democratic ranks. He will
as last resort, it is given out on good au-
thority, refuse to recognize the regular or
ganization and form a boiling convention
to save the Democracy from the domination
or what is termed the riH-raff.
MR.. TAGGART'S CHANCES
This is bold threat, but then Mr.. Tag
CART is desperate. He knows if the Roch-
fordtes retain charge OF the machine that
his chance for the gubernatorial nominal
ton two years hence will be utterly nil
This is what he is gazing upon now-the
executive chair in the Statehouse. In or
der to obtain it he will work every resource
at his command The county organization
must be made subservient to him. and in
order to make it so he has called to his
aid the gold Democrats. The National
Democratic party is now in a dormant
passive state awaiting the result OF the
game being played in the old party. Its
members will try once more to swing the
regular Democracy back upon the Cleve-
land platform They will attend the pri-
effort to place the county organization
in the hands of good anti-Bryanites
Marion county must be able to send dele
gates to the state convention in 1900 who
will be against the whole platform of 1896,
and who will vote for delegates to the ma
tional convention that will support any man
but Bryan. This is the programme, and it
is highly probable it will be successful. The
county organization captured, the thing is
done. An organization has been effected to
bring about this result. 1t includes men in
every. precinct, and nightly meetings are
held in different parts of town. But, de-
spite the efforts being made, the Taggart-
ties are not willing to take any chances.
They recognize the fact that the silverites
captured the organization in 1896, and If
they did It then, why cannot they do it
again? They therefore are resorting to
threats and intimidation.
Among these threats is one that the old
county committee will be called together,
numbering about ESQ, for. the purpose of
was Rochford's committee, and if it were
called its action would be problematical, at
least. 1t was composed Of the original sill
the only man authorized to call the COM
mittee.
The Taggartites charge Rockford with
changing the old county precincts to the
new city precincts, with the idea of district
ing some of the old committeeman out of
their positions, but this was done with the
sanction of Taggart himself. In all about
twenty-five new committeeman have been
appointed by Rockford. In speaking about
the matter yesterday Rockford said:
There is not a single one of the old COM
mittee who has not resigned, died or been
districted out by reason of the change of
do rin hot
committee
In view of the fight for the organization
Rockford may withdraw from his candi-
dacy for prosecuting attorney and decide to
stand for denomination as county chairman.
CANDIDATES GROW NERVOUS
In all this hair-pulling match the seventy
odd candidates for the nominations are
growing very nervous Some Of them are
siding with Taggart and some with Roch-
ford, while many are trying to trim between
BOTH A number of them are becoming dis
gusted, and, seeing sure defeat this fall,
are withdrawing from their contests. 1t is
charged that both sides have states, but
both sides. Of course deny this. 1t is APP
parent, however. that Sindlinger, johnson,
Mcguire, Spencer, Bell, Buskirk and some
SIDE
The fun of the whole fight will come on
the night of the primaries, when if the
gold Democrats turn out and the Taggarto
ateS are carrying things, there will be con-
testing delegations from the whole town
and in the convention next day Rochfords
credentials committee will straighten things
out. 1t will be at this interesting juncture,
If present indications hold good that a
rump convention will be the thing
The convention will contain about $50 del
egates, and the basis of representation will
be one delegate to every thirty votes cast
for Bryan.
Will Make an Example Of Him.
The resolutions recently passed by the
Bryan Free-silver Club of Shelbyville read
ing l.. j. Hackney, justice of the Supreme
Court, out Of the party have been printed
in a leaflet, which is being sent broadcast
over the State. The slverites are deter
mired to make an example Of Hackney
and the question of his nomination is be-