The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-23
This Time He Has His Eye on the Ma
tionaI Afro-American
Council.
BODY MEETS HERE NEXT WEEK
CONFERENCE BETWEEN TAGGART
AND COLORED DEMOCRATS.
Held in Chicago Tuesday Night
James A. Hemenway interviewed
w. ID. FouIke's Meeting.

Mayor Taggart, whose chief character
istic in the way of political shrewdness was
best described by william Flynn when he
referred 10 his friend and political ally as
"Iley Tom" is at his old tricks again. The
mayor has laid a plot to lead away the col
cred vote this campaign and he proposes to
start the stampede in a very ingenious way.
1t is the plan of the mayor and some of his
faithful colored Democratic friends TO cap
ture the National Afro-American Council.
which meets in this city on Aug. IS.
The mayor went about his plan with
great sagacity. II is related. On Tuesday
he went to Chicago, The daily papers Of
Indianapolis announced that he had gone
there to consult with Chairman Jones, of
the Democratic national committee. Per-
haps the mayor did have a word with
Jones. During Tuesday IL was given out
that Mayor Taggart would leave Chicago
for indianapolis about $50 o'clock that
evening. II the nay started for the
depot he did not get there, or at least he
did not take the train for indianapolis at
the hour named.
Instead of proceeding TO Indianapolis the
nay went out on Dearborn street to at
tend a little meeting in a house in the
neighborhood of Thirtieth street. There
were at this meeting a number Of the men,
bers OF the colored Democracy. and the
purpose of the meeting it is known was
TO lay plans for the capture of the Afro
American Council for Bryan and the
Democracy. 1t is the belief that Mayor
Taggart has been personally delegated by
Chairman Jones, of the national commit
tee, to look after this job.
Among the coloreG Democrats at the HIT
tie conference Tuesday night in Chicago
were the Rev. j. Milton Turner, of Mis-
souri,. VINO had been i'll at the house where
the meeting was held; William Scott, of
Cairo, Ill, a colored man whose voice was
heard I'm the Anti-imperialist conference held
in this city recently; Joseph Houser, of
Missouri; j.. r. Crosswaite and William
Brown. of Tennessee; Robert NJ. Mitchell
and Attorney Watkins. of Chicago, and
Fred MCGEE, of st. Paul The fact that
w. Allison Sweeney, the colored custodian
OF Tomlinson Hall, and BILLY" Miller, who
is at the head of the barber shop at the
Grand Hotel, accompanied Mr.. Taggart to
Chicago might lead some to suspect that
these gentlemen took part in the Dearborn
street conference.
Bishop Alexander Walters. of New Jer-
sey, Is president of the National Afro
American Council. In politics the council
IL supposed to be nonpartisan. Among the
objects for which it was organized are the
following: ITO investigate and make
III lGpolI vi LII 1Nl(i-
ings and other outrages perpetrated upon
American citizens; to assist in testing the
constitutionality of laws which are made
for the express purpose of expressing the
Afro-American; to promote the work of
securing legislation which, In the indi-
vidual States. shall secure to all citizens
the rights guaranteed them by the thir-
teenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments to the Constitution of the United
States; to recommend a healthy mi
grafton from terror ridden Sec
tons to States where law Is respected and
maintained: to encourage both industrial
and higher education; to educate sentiment
on all lines that specially affect the colored
race"
1t is announced that the National Afro
American Press Association will meet here
on Monday. Aug. q.
A Chicago paper recently contained this
paragraph in reference TO the National
Afro-American Council George f. Tay-
lor. who is in charge of the colored bureau
at Democratic national headquarters, is ex-
pected to be one of the men who
will lead an anti-McK inley fight at
the national convention of the Afro
American Council, which meets In In
dianapolis Aug. IS. 1t is expected
to max a general criticism of the admin
istration when the council Is called upon
to take political action in the course of it's
proceedings. The Democratic campaign
managers calculate that many votes hither-
to cast by colored men in the doubtful
Northern States for the Republicans will be
changed TO Democratic and materially in
fiuence the result.