The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-04
Mr.. BOOkwalter Was Given a Hearty
and Responded with
a Strong Speech.
ATTORNEY GENERAL HEARD
MIR. OTTO sTECHHAN ADDRESSED
THE AUDIENCE IN GERMAN.
DIR. Theodore a. Wagner One of the
Speakers-RepubIicans ViIifed
at Democratic Meeting.

0AAANA NIAO auspices IL lut NGl
lean Republican Club Of indianapolis was
one of the most successful of the munich
pal campaign. The audience was not mere
ly large and enthusiastic, but it was COM
posed Of evidently solid and substantial
citizens. The speakers of the evening
caught an Inspiration from facing such a
gathering, and their addresses were in con-
sequence conspicuous for sobriety Of
thought and cogency of argument.
Otto Stechhan presided over the meet
ing. As chairman it was his p~rerogative
to deliver the opening address. but with
characteristic courtesy he gave way to the
Republican nominee for mayor and in u
few appropriate words presented Mr.. Book
walter, who was received with applause
and cheers. Mr.. Bookwalter expressed his
pleasure at being able to address in person
so many COMMUNICATIONS. The speaker
continued, saying in part:
when Mayor Taggart submits to you his
series of published letters he challenges
criticism on the part of his political adj
versaries, but no sooner do we
the criticism of his political acts than he
takes refuge behind the great mass of citi-
zenship Of Indianapolis and accuses us of
a desire to Islander the city in which we
1900 4oA app ANNA - 49,
Taggart as an individual, and l feel that
it is not necessary for me to apologize to-
night for abiding continuously to Mr.. Tag
gart, for the reason that, so far as the
Democratic nominee in this campaign is
concerned, L am fighting a shadow, n
that shadow as cast by Mr.. Taggart, for
the reason that the candidate himself, in
his letter Of acceptance, declared that he
stood only in the light of what had been
done in the past six years, and only pledged
himself to do the same for the people
during the ensuing two years. Hence 1 say
TO you that when L refer in this talk to
you TO Mr.. Taggart, l wish to have il un-
derstood that L refer at the same time to
his shadow, Mr.. Mcguire, and when l ar
raign the administration of Mr.. Taggart,
appreciating him at his full worth and
accepting him at the estimate placed upon
him by his most enthusiastic admirer and
partisan, / at the same time cannot as q
reasonable citizen admit that he has grown
to be so great that We annot ~criticise his
public acts without being charged with
slandering our home town. . : 8
TAGGART'S LETTERS.
I'm the letters submitted by Mr.. Tag
CART he alludes to his business administra-
ton of public affairs. Why, my friends, if
it is business to spend this week the money
you expect to earn next week, and if it is
business next week, after you have pledged
your credit to maintain the expenditures of
the past week, to continue those expendi-
lures in the same volume if not greater than
the ones that caused you to pledge your
credit; if it is business, L say, for an in
dividual to do that, then it is business for
Mr.. Taggart, in the months of July, August
and september, 10 spend the money that he
would not receive until November.
Il shall not insult the financial intelli-
gence of the German people of Indianapolis
by attempting to justify such action. You
understand a financial problem as quickly
if not more quickly than any other element
OF our community and you know, just as
Mr.. Taggart knows, that when he spends
three and four months before it is received
the money which should be held in trust to
pay the expenses for the succeeding six
months after November, that he has been
guilty of mismanagement of your affairs,
and 1t is only his dire political necessities
that cause him to argue that he has been
economical in the management of your af-
fairs. Why, my friends, you realize that ]
cannot talk to you at length upon the is
sues OF the campaign, for the reason that
l have been assigned to four other meetings
tonight, but when l think that after six
years, after an increase in the bonded in
debtedness of over 500, 900, after an increase
in the floating indebtness of nearly 100000
after the expenditure of a cash balance left
by the last Republican administration OF
nearly $50, 600, that Mr. Taggart can to-day
present himself through Mr.. Mcguire to the
people of Indianapolis and ask for their
approval of his conduct, conduct which he
claims to have been upon good business
lines, l say to you that 1 cannot tonight
allow the opportunity TO pass without spe-
officially calling your attention TO the mis-
management that has brought about the
present conditions.
During the past three or four days
have had an examination made of the city
engineers office in order to determine Jusl
how many men were to-day being borne up
on the pay rolls. L am informed-and
have seen the list Of those men-I am in
formed that to-day thirty-four inspectors
and one chief Inspector, the thirty-fouI
drawing salary at SEQ per month and the
chief inspector at SO per month, are borne
upon the rolls of the city of indianapolis
for every job under process OF construc-
ton in the city this evening. In the face
of that condition he calls your attention
to his business management of affairs
WHEELING WOODEN BLOCKS.
Mr.. Bookwalter showed how the street
repair pay roll has leaped in the past -four
weeks from less than $500 per week to more
than 1890 per week, with a fair prospect
of attaining $500 by the end of the present
week. Then he spoke of seeing on NORTH
Meridian street men engaged in the delect.
able occupation of wheeling paving block:
from one side of the street to the other
ReAA u DCO N9AN1AN $500
been like Coxey's army-on one %continuou:
move ever since they left the freight cal
in which they were shipped to Indianap'
oils. lApplause.l And that is what Mr.
Taggart calls a business administration
Laughter. That accounts for an increas;
in the bonded debt of 100000; that sor
of management of your affairs account:
for a depleted city treasury; that sort OF
management accounts for the city having
reached the constitutional > per cent. deb
limit; that accounts for the fact that credit
ors of the city to-day are denied theil
money because you are unabl as a city e
borrow a single dollar more with which
To pay the ordinary household expenses OF
the city government. . .
Every voter, every taxpayer, every citi
zen in Indianapolis of German extraction
understands that the people have the righ
10 the ownership and do own the puoliI
streets, and when your public servan
grants to any man a franchise which Sc
cures To him the right 10 enter upon thOs,
streets and enjoy possession thereof yOl
have a right to insist that that public serv
ant shall secure TO you just and adequate
return for the privilege. lApplaurSe.l AnC
in this connection / wish TO pledge To ny
fellow-citizenS of indianapolis that after
shall have been elected mayor, as l an
satisfied l Will be lgreat applausel. on tn,
Sth day OF October that there shall be in
augurated i'm this city on Thursday, tn
10th. an administrator devoted 10 tn
proposition that any and all corporation
seeking special advantages in the use OF tn
streets Of the city shall be compelled to rem
der TO the people that just and adequate re
turn" lGreat ~applause.l
Mr.. here reviewed the LETTING
- Tho gAnYFanf for the Ean0aUuaH Mi,