The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-02
As tho Price of This the Democracy of
Indiana Is to Renounce Free Sill
Yer and Back Croker's Scheme.
CARTER HARRISON'S CONFAB
TAGGART, sHEERIN, BAILEY AND
OTHERS NET TAMMANY's BOSS.
Allen w. Clark Down from Chicago to
Head or the scheme-HarrI-
son for President.

Inc bISgeSt deal In Democratic politics OF
Indiana since the time when the Morss-
Shanklin combination turned the Indiana
state Democracy over to Grover Cleveland
IS now on, and this deal is to make
Thomas Taggart, of INDIANAPOLIS. chair
man of the Democratic national committee,
TO succeed Senator J. X. Jones, of Arkan-
sas. The prominent leaders of the State are
now carrying out the details of the deal in
the different districts of the State. and
there is confidence among them that the
transaction between them will be as clever
iy worked as the one which landed the In
diana delegation for Cleveland in 1892 and
which resulted in Samuel r. Morss being
sent as consul general to Paris, Luther
Snort as consul general to Constantinople
with various other good plums distributed
TO the loyal leaders in Indiana. "Boss'
croker, of New York, who has been spend
ing several weeks at West Baden, with
Chicago as his base. sprung the deal and
found the old party leaders here willing to
dicker on his terms. The plan proposes the
entire rout of the silver forces in the Mid
ole States. and all that Croker asks of the
Indiana Democrats is that they repudiate
free silver and indorse Carter Harrison, of
Chicago for President or for Vice Pres
tdent, as time may develop
Yesterday morning Allen w. Clark the
king of all the push" in Indiana irrev-
ocably committed to the free-silver heresy
and in charge of the press bureau Of the
Democratic national committee, dropped in
town, and Immediately the word went out
among the leaders in the new movement
to be wary, as Clark was sent here by the
Democratic committee headquarters to spy
on the Crokerites, and to destroy their or
gapiZatiOn ~ he fof1pd ~ y,oceFhIo u oaar,e
Chairman Jones's lieutenant had ascertained
the facts concerning 81 secret caucus held
at Mayor Carter Harrison's residence in
Chicago one night recently, and it took them
several days to discover the true import Of
that meeting Then they were astounded
at the conspiracy within the Democratic
national organization, or, more specifically,
the conspiracy directed against the organ
ization, for most of the men engaged in the
cabal have not eHthused much in a national
way since Bryan came to the fore. 1t was
found that ST Sheerin. Murdock, OF Lafay-
cite, Tom Taggart of Indianapolis Leon
Bailey Isaac Leyden of New Albany and
Samuel T. Morss, editor of the Sentinel,
had been in the conference, and had con-
Quoted negotiations from the Indiana De-
mocracy's side. Indiana wanted something
FOR the good old Hooser STATE is always
ready to demand recognition or her claims
on either political side. Mr.. Croker smiled
in that tigerish way of his, for he knew
that 1t was not to be a gift Of love on the
part of the Indiana leaders. But what
would Indiana like? The suggestion came
up that Tom Taggart would make a good
vice presidential candidate. That wasn't
just what Mr.. Croker expected. He had
fixed his eye on Carter Harrison as one of
the team for 1900. and the proximity of iii
noiS to Indiana I'm these days when the
Nation extends half way around the world
would bar the selection of the entire ticket
IN these TWO States wouldn't something do
as well? Before anyone had a chance TO
reply one of the Hoosiers facetiously
marked; Toms barney easily settles that
question:, and then everyone saw in q mo-
ment that Mr.. Taggart was ineligible for so
high a position, because he had been born
IN Ireland But the Constitution Of the
United States does not prescribe any quail
ncations for the chairmanship of the ma
tional committee, and besides Mr.. Taggart
mas had some experience in q managerial
capacity, having served as state chairman,
not to mention a reputation for being too
shrewd 10 run for an office when there was
chance of being defeated. 1t didn't take
more than fifteen minutes to determine
the handout Indiana was to receive. Mr..
TagSart was to be national chairman. 1t is
doubtful If the plans of this secret caucus
would have leaked out had it not been for
the Volubility of Statesman Leon Bailey,
whose sudden rise TO such eminence as being
called into consultation by Mr.. Croker
turned his head. He pranced around for
whole day with his hand over his mouth
trying to keep it down, but his hand was
no match for the exuberance of his boyish
delight, and he let out just enough to give
the committee a good clew to run down
the entire story. He even went so far as to
permit himself to be interviewed in what
he considered to be a harmless way.
THEN BAILEY APPEARED.
Bailey had met Croker before and 1t is
said had done certain work for him with
ATnr1opIr nj
no sooner had Croker turned up at West
Baden than Bailey put in an appearance.
AS stated in the Journal at the time, Bailey
announced that Croker would come to In
dianapolis. A day later Mayor Taggart told
Journal reporter that he was going down
to West Baden and that he would probably
see Mr.. Croker. 1t was readily understood
that Mr.. Croker did not come out to Indiana
for his health, for when the Tammany
chteftain wants recreation he goes TO Eng
land, where he has his 'orSeS and is 'ounds.
At first his game was not quite apparent
since no one thought so unpopular rings
ter would dare to attempt the manipulation
of Western politics, close on such a crush
ing defeat as was administered Croker by
the Roosevelt forces in New York. How
eyer, Croker is nothing If not daring and
the way he started after the Western
Democracy and got the leaders under his
control shows tho innate force OF this re-
markable leader of as corrupt an organiza-
tion as ever hlackInailed a human being.
But how did Bailey get in such close
touch with Croker? Back OF this is traced
the friendship and relationship of the two
BaileyS. Bailey OF Texas and Bailey of In
diana. The former made two speeches in
this city TO help out his cousin, who was a
candidate for Congress against Jesse Over
street. The Texas Bailey was the leader I'm
the last Democratic House. whose ambi-
tons are as high as his oratOrical flights
Bailey wanted to lead everything Demo-
cratic I'm sight and made himself thorough
ly disliked by the Democratic leaders Of
sound Judgment. He felt that Bryan, per-
haps, was the only man that stood between
him and the presidency in 1900 The story of
quarrel between Bryan and Bailey is well
authenticated. Mr.. Bailey was. no doubt.
fully advised of the efforts In the East 10
down Bryan and his cause, all of which
was delight TO him, and he readily en-
listed his cousin Leon as an Indiana mis-
sionary Leon was recommended to Croker
when Croker came West and Croker did not
have 10 send for Leon Leon went with a
hop, skip and jump. He conveyed the nice
bait thrown out to Taggart ana other Indi-
ana leaders and found them like lot of
urchius Just ont of school. ready for any
thing that offered diversion. Prominent old
line Democrats in the state We're taken into
| the scheme. TaCgart. instead or going to
West Baden. went TO Chicago 10 meet
Croker.
Croker being a New Yorker. realizes the
| futility of making a campaign on free s-
Yer In 1900 and the first proposition he laid
down 20 the Boosiers was that silver should
go overheard. Taggart and his crowd were
very tired of the fallacy and We're glad to
acquiescc. Parks Martin. chairman or the
| Democratic state committee in the last
campaign. was not at the Chicago meeting
with Croker and IL is presumed the con-