The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-17

man. yesterday issued a call for a meeting
of the city committee. to be held tonight.
for the purpose OF passing on the question
of who shall be the next district chairman
to succeed Joseph T.. flaming. In doing
so Mr.. Reach made a bad break. the second
he has made since he decided 10 take a
hand in Democratic State politics.
Mr.. keach's break lies in this: The Dem
ocratic city committee has nothing what
ever to do with district or State politics,
and If there were any occasion for a meet
ing OF any party organization to consider
the district craftsmanship question, the
county committee is the one that should be
called together, according to all political
procedure and precedent. Mr.. Reach and
his committee are attempting to usurp the
functions and prerogatives Of County
Chairman w. w. Spencer, and the county
committee. it is claimed. and many party
workers are expressing amazement at what
they term MIR. Keach's audacity and poor
political judgment.
1t is conceded that no one could raise
any objections to any conference of Demo-
Gratis TO consider the district craftsmanship
matter, but it is not within the province
Of any party organization to take up the
matter and indorse any one candidate. In
dividually the members Of the committee
may work for any candidate they may pre-
fer, but as a mmitt they have no right
TO espouse the cause of Clarke, Tanning,
Polster. or any other man who may become
a candidate. Such is the argument of the
Taggart wing, and several Of the Reach
faction did not hesitate last evening TO
express the opinion that the city chairman
had made a serious mistake.
Mr.. Reach Is quoted as saying on the
question: THE members of the city COM
mittee are the men who did the work in the
last city campaign and who will have TO do
ought TO be consulted as to who shall be the
member from this district on the state COM
mittee. Any man the Endorses
VIII be satisfactory to me"
Inasmuch as the city mmi is Mr..
Keach's organization, no one doubts for a
moment that it will fndorse Thomas j..
Clarke, the Eighth ward committeeman,
whom Mr.. Reach has brought out as his
candidate against Mr.. Tanning, the Taggart
candidate, and it is pointed out that Mr..
Reach was entirely safe in declaring that
"any man the committee indorses will be
satisfactory to me-" However, ii is posi-
bic that the city committee may not after
all indorse either of the candidates. When
| the city chairman realizes the extent of the
break he has made he may reconsider and
merely have the committee talk the mat
ter over" and not take any action as a COM
mittee.
When Mr.. Tanning and Mr.. Taggart were
asked last evening about the proposed
meeting of the city committee both smiled
suavely but did not display signs of concern
or alarm.
Perhaps the committee will indorse me"
suggested Mr.. Tanning, although / confess
it had never occurred to me to seek the in
dorsement of any of the party organiza-
tons. / have been under the impression
that in order to secure the election / should
appeal to the voters individually on my rec
ord as a Democrat and as district chair
man, and not as the candidate Endorsed by
any committee. i should be glad, however,
to know that the members of the city COM
mittee. as well as all other Democrats in
the district, were for me-"
| Mr.. Taggart declined to make any state
ment whatever In regard TO the matter, but
was elated over the break made by his adj
versary and that he was making the most
of his opportunity.
Mr.. Keach's first break on entering the
arena of Democratic State politics wal to
declare open warfare on Mr.. Taggart and
announce to his friends without reserve
that he purposed to put his rival out of
politics for all time to come. If such were
his purpose. politicians agree, he should
| have proceeded to accomplish his ends
without notifying Taggart ct al. Of his in
tentions.
An old phase of the Keach-Taggart fight
appeared on the surface yesterday when IT
became generally known that Mr.. Reach
and John r. Wilson had taken up head
quarters at the English Hotel and were
calling in their lieutenants and giving out
instructions as to the campaign to be fol-
lowed in the effort to elect Clarke district
chairman and deal Taggart a telling blow.
During the Democratic city primary cam
paign last summer 1T was stated in the
Journal that John r. Wilson aspired to be
the Indiana member of the Democratic ma
Mr.. Wilson was one of Mr.. Keach's chief
advisers in his fight for the city chairman
ship and later in the primary campaign was
said to be In the deal with Mr.. Reach to
The Journal laid bare the scheme of Will
son, Reach, Sterling r. Holt n others
Of the gold wing of the party to secure
elect Reach State chairman, nominate one
of the crowd for Governor and send a dele
cation to the Democratic national conven-
ton that would elect Wilson national com.
mitteeman and effectually crush Taggart's
ambition to become national chairman.
That Mr.. Wilson Is now taking an active
hand with Mr.. Reach in the fight for con-
troll of the district organization is regarded
as good and sufficient evidence that they
have by no means abandoned their scheme
and while they may not hope now, in the
light of recent developments, to make
Reach State chairman, they still think il
possible to defeat Taggart for reelection as
national committeeman and possibly elect
Wilson as his successor. In their fgh,
they have one good ally in the person OF
Stephen b. Fleming, of Fort Wayne, who
dealt Mr.. Taggart a jolt at the meeting OF
the State committee by refusing to vote
for the resolution indorsing Mr.. Taggar,
for national chairman.
X
Charles Polster stated yesterday hat he
expected to nave his mind made up by last
evening as to whether he would enter the
race for district chairman against Tanning
and Clarke, but last evening he told q
friend that he was not ready to make q
definite statement. 1t was generally re-
ported that Polster would do whatever the
Taggart crowd wanted him to do, but ht
denied that he had formed any such ALI.
ances.
Terre Haute Democrats have arranged fol
q Jackson day celebration, to be held Jan
s. under the auspices Of the Jackson Clui
Of that city. John w. Kern. of this city
has accepted an invitation to be the prin,
cipal orator for the occasion, and Stats
Chairman w. H. O'Brien. OF Lawrence
burg. has indicated that he will be present
The Democratic State committee will hole
a meeting in this city Jan. s for reorganiza
ton. but 1t is understood that the meeting
will be hurried through so that the mem