The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-21
TO COLORED REPUBLICANS.
Messrs. BoOkwalter and Brewer Adj
dress Them I'm the Third Ward.

Antioch Church, at Howard and Thir-
teenth streets, was filed to the doors last
night with enthusiastic colored residents of
the neighborhood. who lent warm support
TO the first rally in the twelfth precinct
or the Third ward. For fully an hour before
the meeting the Third Ward BookwaIter
Club (colored) stirred up the ward by a
parade with fife and drum, headed by a
transparency on which was painted Book
walter will win sure" The meeting was
presided over by Joseph Frey, who at the
start introduced Gurley Brewer. who. he
said, would pave the way for the speech
OF the ext mayor of INDIANAPOLIS. Mr..
Brewer directed most OF his talk TO the So
called independent colored voters. He said
he had noted the Independent movement,
which. on the whole, he deprecated. IT
am a Republican" said he, ''and recognize
no purgatory politics. When / read in
the papers that a large number of colored
republicans had forsaken the party and
mad cast their lot with the Taggart ma
cnine L felt a sense Of relief 1 had not
known in years. and later, when 1 heard
mat they were coming back to us, / was
niied with apprehension. These men who
say they are independent colored voters do
not mean that they are independent of both
candidates. but that they are independent
OF the Republican party. They ask to be
dhoWed 10 caucus with us, share the pat
f fect e, with us and stu not be Of US. In
they have deserted, while still Remaining
OUT OF the fold. In short, they want 10
pendent colored voter is like the prodigal
son In the Bible. His place Is in the Re
pupIcan ranks, but he listens to Taggart's
WdnQerS AWAY 10 East WqghfnQtOp Qfraat
and forgets about his party. For a few
Gays ne basks in the smiles of the Demo-
rats, until his vote Is gone. and then he
that he eats the husks belonging to the
nogs, and In the end even the Democratic
nogs refuse to associate with him. l re-
MEMBER the biblical story OF Saul going to
damascus and seeing a bright light on the
way. That light wasn't heaven at all. and
IN the same sense the only light the Demo-
Gratis see is the light from the treasury de-
partnent or the city government"
Referring to the statement that there
We're no issues in this campaign, he said
wnen colored voters who had listened to
Democratic agitators came up to other COL
ored voters and said, There Is no politics
IN this thing" the proper thing to do was
to point out that all colored men should
vote the Republican ticket. IL for no other
reason than that the settlement of the
questions growing out of the Spanish war
their own race from slavery. He referred
to Taggart's free spread on East WASH
ington street as an insult TO the colored
voters. He closed his talk by saying:
When William Mckinley comes to this
city in October he will he welcomed by
Mayor Charles A. B~ookwalter." AS he said
walters hand, led him to the front of the
stage, where he stood for five minutes. un-
able to speak for the applause that greeted
him.
After complimenting Mr.. Brewer, Mr..
said: Il am wondering If il is
possible that the colored voters of the city
will 111nur tho nornnrrntfo nortxy a. trrr. fhnfr
heads with the sweetness of that ineffable
smile which has heretofore been so effective
shortly before city elections. and which dis
appears Immediately afterward. My Re-
publican friends, that mile means absolute
ly nothing except that through IL an attempt
Will be made to deceive you as TO your own
your votes are needed you will be fed on
pate de fol gras, but after election will come
the husks, and in the contemplation of the
manner in which you have been duped by
that smile few will then confess that they
voted the Democratic ticket. You are
not mere pawns to be moved around on the
in the city government. The Democrats
have said IL the Republican ticket is elected
Improvement Will stop and the occupations
that the Republican party In Indianapolis
has always been a party of progress: always
facing the rising sun. II 1t is successful this
while you are not directly interested in
the track elevation. on which subject the
democrats Will try TO deceive you, you nave
an interest In II as citizens. To settle all
doubts as to where the Republican party
stands in the matter 1 will say that il is
pledged to take every reasonable step to
protect the lives of those using railroad
crossings. On the other hand, the Demo-
cratic platform Is ambiguous in dealing with
the subject, and, moreover. Mayor Taggart
mas written a new platform, in which, ac-
cording. to report, he has notified the rail-
roads that. notwithstanding the passage of
the elevation ordinance, he is willing to take
III no 0fr ~ aIf. =
safe as soon as election is over. 1t is my
opinion. however, that after election Mr..
Iaggart need not trouble himself about the
anairs or the city. With regard to gas
meters 1 want to say hat 1t has no place in
this campaign. This party is against any
thing tending, in order to enrich a few. to
earth for everyone"
Following Mr.. Bookwalter there were
speeches. by Charles N. Elliott. Henry Hub
bard. John Walls and Joseph Minturn.
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