The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-25
Names of Several Hundred Anti-Tag-
gnrt emocra of Two Years Ago
Now in Fanning's Possession.
THE MEN WILL BE CHALLENGED
A POLITICAL JUDAS BETRAYS ANTI
TAGGART ORGANIZATION.
The Scheme TO he Worked in the In
terest of Maguire-C1eaning Up for
To-Norrow's Primaries.

II a scheme which has been agreed upon
by the Democratic machine is carried out
fully seven hundred Democrats will not
be permitted TO vote at the primaries to-
morrow. The voters who will practically
be dis~franchised are those Democrats who
belonged TO the a~nti-Taggart organization
two years ago.
The Democrats who were opposed to Tag
CARTS election two years ago had In that
campaign n small but thorough organiza-
ton, which did some very effective work.
The leaders OF the organization were well
known, but there were hundreds OF Demo-
Gratis in sympathy with them who voted
against Taggart who were known only TO
the men who comprised the executive COM
mittee OF the anti-Taggart organization.
In fact. to this day Mayor Taggart has
never been able to account for the large
number of Democratic voters who
scratched him at the last election. Now
and then the machine has been able 10 put
its finger on what the members of the ring
are nIeased to call a ''disa ffected Demo-
crat," but the identity of the majority Of
those silent voters who scratched Mr.. Tag
CART at the last election has never been
discovered.
A POLITICAL JUDAS.
It remained for a political Judas to be-
tray the ~anti-Taggart Democrats into the
hands Of their political enemies. A Demo-
crat who was so close to the anti-Taggart
organization two years ago that he had
access to the books containing the names
OF those Democrats who could be relied
upon to vote against Mr.. Taggart has sold
these books to Joseph T. Tanning. chair
man of the Democratic city committee
and the head of the Democratic machine
which proposes to nominate Charles Ma
guire IL IL can.
The books which Mr.. Tanning now has in
his possession contain the names OF be-
tween seven and eight hundred Democrats,
and from reliable authority IL is learned
that each one of them has been marked for
slaughter on Monday. The scheme is TO
challenge each voter whose name appears
in the books on the ground that he did not
support Taggart at the last city election.
The law provides that any person shall be
entitled TO vote providing hat Eat the last
preceding election he affiliated with the
party holding such election: that ne voted
for the regular nominees OF such party at
such election. and that he intends to sup
port and vote for the regular nominees OF
such party at the coming election
Both Republican and Democratic election
boards have construed this law to mean
that any voter who voted with his party at
the last preceding election. whether IL be
state. county or municipal, shall be entitled
TO vote at his party'S primaries for nominal
ton. Notwithstanding this construction,
however. II is said that none OF the Demo-
Gratis who are challenged will be allowed to
Olt liiCD liCN IudhC dIlQdNll lid IDeN
voted for Taggart two years ago. 1t is
urged that they give the law this new con-
struction with impunity. as every precinct
election board in the city is under the con-
troll Of the machine, the officers of the
boards in each instance being Mcguire
Democrats.
A TwOFOLD OBJECT.
The object of challenging these pro-
scribed Democrats is said to be twofold.
In the first place the city committee, or
the machine. believes that the majority of
them. were they allowed to vote, would
scratch Mr.. Maguire's name off of the
ticket. In the second place the machine
wants to ascertain for a certainty If all the
men whose names are on the books really
voted against Taggart at the last cleo
ton. II they did IL is probable that they
would hesitate. in the majority of cases.
for a long time before they made affidavit
to the contrary. Again, all those who re-
fuse 10 make affidavits when they are chal-
lenged Will be set down as Democrats who
nominee in the event of Mr.. Maguire's
nomination. The committee will thus have
"at." me-
1t is said that even now those who are
| close enough TO the machine 10 be in the
secret cannot content themselves with wait
ing until the day OF the primaries, but take
delight In INVITING the men whose names
are on the books with their unfaithfulness
A well-known Democrat was accosted by
one of the city employees who works in the
basement or the courthouse yesterday and
unceremoniously made acquainted with the
whole scheme.