The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-05
THE STREET-CAR QUESTION.
Candidate BoOkwaIter Finally At
tacks Taggart on 1t.

"For Gods sake, Mr.. Bookwalter. let the
man die easy" was the remark made by
one of the many listeners at the Republican
rally in Mozart Hall last night as Mr..
Bookwalter rehearsed the record of Mayor
Taggart during his two terms of office. The
remark brought forth applause, as ii came
at a time when the Republican candidate
was warmed to his work and was quoting
figures showing how the Taggart admins
tration had wasted money for four years
and then claimed credit for having con-
Quoted an economical business administra-
tion." From the manner in which the man
arose 10 his feet to claim attention ii was
generally supposed that he was a Taggart
adherent and was preparing to create a
disturbance. Several attempts were made to
mak him sit down and dozens of people
In the hall shouted: Put him OUT but
Mr.. kwa stopped in his address and
allowed him to say something, expecting 10
hear a denial of the assertions made, but
the whole audience was dumfounded when
the man, looking around soberly. as though
he had something serious to relate, asked
that Taggart be allowed to die easy.
What's the use of all this talk. anyway
he said, hes dying inc you ought to let
up on him."
Contrary to the usual custom, no intro
ductory speeches were made before the ar
rival of Mr.. Bookwalter at the hall and.
although hoarse from overwOrk, he talked
for over an hour, principally on the work
done by the Democratic administration and
the claims made by the Democratic leaders
to offset it. He said the Taggart machine
claimed all the credit for giving the city
the benefits OF the electric street-railway
service, but" said he. they don't say a
word about claiming credit for the recent
settlement of the street-car question" He
said Taggart was standing before the disaf-
fected citizens of Indianapolis with the
record Of his extravaganza staring them all
in the face and saying, IF you will only
overlook the past. with all its broken
pledges, I'll cross my heart and promise
TO be good in the future. But can this man
be good? Let US look at the Democratic
platforms of the past four years. In 1895 l
read in the platform on which this magician
and political gymnast was elected, the fol-
lowing: We are pledged not to grant any
street-railway franchise on less advantag-
eous terms to the city than those specified
In the City Street-railway franchise and
all bids for such franchises shall be made
In open market
This sentiment, he said, has been re-
echoed by the DemoGratic platform in 1897:
with the additional pledge or being In 1aV0r
Of Scent fares, but they had all been swept
Mr.. alleged, for him to benefit
by il.
THE OLD CITY FRANCHISE
THE difference between the terms Of the
present franchise" said he, and that
granted to the old City Railway Company
amounts to millions of dollars. and every
one of these millions has been taken from
your pockets. Do you remember that night
when that ordinance was passed, selling the
streets of this city for ~thirty-two years,
how that Council. brought there under the
lash OF the master of Indianapolis, Wake
the corridors and refused to meet until the
proper influence raped at the door. How,
when a lump sum of $4,000 was offered the
city by the street-railway company Ii was
refused for a plan engineered by the master
hand, by which the administration made
the claim that the city gained several thou
sand dollars. How did the city gain this
money? Instead of allowing the lump sum
to be paid to the city and formed into a
fund which would draw interest, the plan
was to allow the street-railway company
TO keep the money and the interest 1t would
ur1" sm aSa a p yesr f for th 1he wears wears
with an additional $4,000 a year toward
the end of the franchise: The subtle scheme
I of this was to show the people that they
were being paid more money than they
would have been by accepting a lump sun
OF S1JO,OO0. But were they? The fact Is tina
IL was never intended to compel the street.
railway company. TO pay any part of thai
principal. The $4,000 a year only represents
4 per cent. of the lump sum that ought tC
nave been paid into the city treasury. and
the street-raflway company Will continue Il
pay its 4 per cent. on the amount of money
IL wheedled the people out of by the aid OF
the Taggart machine and never pay a cen
of the principal. There is little doubt bu1
that the city could have invested this sun
in such a way as to have earned "A hand
some sum in interest, which, foStered as 1
will be I'm the hands of the railway com
pany. would have Increased several fold BY
the time the franchise terminated"
THE CITY'S TAX RATE.
Passing TO the discussion of the claim tina
he had criticised the administration for fix
ing the tax levy at 50 cents, he said he haC
not done so because il had been reduced
but because he doubted the sincerity OF tn
claim that 1t would be sufficient, 'and,
said he. because IL IL is sufficient the Tag
CART machine stands convicted of having
taken IL cents extra from the pockets of tn
people last year. Taggart never means wha
he says and never says what he means
and / make this prediction that IL / an
defeated Taggart will at once make tenn
porary loans and anticipate the revenue
TO follow the wholesale employment of hi
/ henchmen at the city's expense"
In discussing Mr.. Herpick's assertion tina
the city was now having its regular IA
and spring house cleaning he said 40 wa
strange that these fall house cleanings wer
than at any other time. He then ~referre
! 10 the nay rolls. which showed that IN