The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-30
ROCKFORD IS THE KING
TAGGART RING OFFERS HIM ANY
THING TO QUIT THE FIGHT.
SiIverites I'm Rage Over the Sem
tineIs EditOriaI-Sahm on Gre
dcntfaIs Committee.


The Taggart ring is in state of panic.
Tt sees nothing but defeat in the primaries
tonight the convention tomorrow and
the meeting for the reorganization of the
county committee Friday on Sunday over
lures were made by the ring to John j.
Rockford, chairman of the county commit
tee. He was promised through stanch
friend the nomination for prosecuting at
torney in the convention tomorrow If he
would permit the ring to gain control of
the organization the next day, but this
offer was refused point-blank I'd the ring
sters who had been waiting his ultimatum
in the Grand Hotel dispersed with chagrin
when the word came back that Mr.. Roch-
ford controlled the situation and intended
to stand pat" as the card men say.
The offer of compromise was an admis-
sion that the ring feared its case was hope
less and when Rockford gave out the word
that he was more interested in keeping the
party organization in the hands of the true
Democracy i. e., the silver 'push'--than
in getting the nomination, 1t struck con-
sternation into the ranks of the ringsters
and aroused the other faction to renewed
enthusiasm. AS a last resort the ring APP
morning Democrats were amused at a hys-
terical cry of stop thief in that paper
That is some of them were amused. Others
were indignant A terrible ado was made
by the Sentinel over the fact that Mr.
Rockford was following custom in Demo-
cratic politics and was keeping the names
of the credentials committee secret until
the morning before the primaries. The cry
nv ho afternoon
organ, yclept Taggart's adopted son"
by the push" All sorts of vague hints at
crookedness and duplicity were made. This
morning the Sentinel will contain the list
of committees just as it has for years past
on the day of the primaries, Rochford's
friends say that no one can doubt the fair
ness and standing of the men named from
a Democratic standpoint at any rate. Elk
Judge Pliny w. Bartholomew, ex-Repre-
sentative Henry A. Harmon, a farmer said
to be worth several hundred thousand dol
lars, ex-Postmaster Albert Sahm, Charles
b. Clark, clerk of the Irvington Town
Board, and John Shea constitute the Gre
dentials committee that will pass on the
credentials of the delegates. to the conven-
ton. Police Judge Charles E. Cox, ex-Sen-
ator Henry T. Hudson, Charles A. Gauss,
James Collier and John, E. Christian con-
sttute the committee ON organization of
the convention. S. E. Morss editor of the
Indianapolis Sentinel, William E. English,
John M. Bailey, City Attorney John w.
Kern and Frank A. Maus form the COM
mittee on resolutions Henry N Spaan is
TO preside as chairman. Any one who has
known anything about local politics will
recognize in these names men who have
been prominently identified with the silver
element of the Marion county Democracy
with one or two exceptions. The claim of
Rochford's friends that he has all along
had at heart only the desire to perpetuate
the control of the Marion county Democ-
racy in the hands of the silver element
would seem to be borne out by the men
he has intrusted with the duty of organiz-
ing the convention passing on the eligibil-
ity of the delegates and preparing the plat
form on which the party's campaign is to
JUDGE cox AND THE SENTINEL.
Democrats could not help being Disguised
at the sentinels editorial to-day" said
Judge Cox last night. ''Mr Rockford has
not sought to further his own candidacy in
any wise. He has only attempted to keep
the organization of the Democracy of this
county where it should be-in the hands of
its friends Qhe silver menu He has neg
lected his own interests and his own can
didacy to accomplish this, and the result is
that he is slandered by the Sentinel"
When asked about the outcry of secrecy
Judge Cox said 1t was true that Mr. Roch-
ford was simply following the usual custom
in not announcing the committee until the
day of the primaries.
The truth is that the ring was awfully
anxious to know who were TO constitute
the committee. as soon as it was given cut
last night the information was at once car
ried to the Grand Hotel It's reception was
a dampener in one sense. No one there could
publicly say aught against the men who
constitute 1T. There was some grumbling
because Albert Sahm was named, as he is
alleged to have a grievance against the ring
for squelching his ambition, to be nomi-
also objection to Judge Bartholomew as a
man who could not be bulldozed by the ring
into seating slate" delegates.
There was an icy air about the Grand Ho-
tel last night. 1T was as lonesome and
quiet as graveyard on winter night, and
the few politicians who strolled in for a
word with the mayor did not tarry over
long. While there Joseph E. Bell, deputy
city attorney. who is said to be booked
R Rro1 aGn With hs ring RHs
e: M. johnson, Judge" McNutt ard others
who stood around few minutes until Tag
CART came down in the elevator. had few
words with them ana then disappeared.
there were few small-fry politicians
ment were slim, and they went away dis
consulate, while the leaders planned an
other coup, up stairs, whittier Mr. Johnson
disappeared with the mayor. Mr.. johnson
remarked that he had never seen things SO
quiet the night before the primaries.
Affairs were different about the county
committees rooms in the Stevenson build
ing. There was an air of jubilation, and
every one of the Rockford faction predicted
the ring would be wiped out tonight, not
without desperate fight, however. One
thing that is exciting comment is the al
legged breach between the ring and the local
brewery syndicate, which was such an ele-
ment in the city campaign last fall 1t is
said that they have agreed to separate and
that the ring is now walking arm in arm
with the Terre Haute brewery syndicate.
of which Crawford Fairbanks is the head
and Maurice Donnelly is the indianapolis
mouthpieee. Donneliy is quoted having
admitted all they wanted was the organiza-
ton.
1t is predicted everywhere that the fight at
the primaries tonight will rival any of
the Kilkenny eat affairs of recent years,
for which the party has been celebrated.
The Rockford crowd was more confident
last night than it has been before. Its
courage has risen since the candidates came
up with their assessments Saturday and the
overture for peace made on Sunday.
TARVIN. OF KENTUCKY.
He Will Be Next President of the BIZ