The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-30
Taggart Men, as Vote Told, Had
Things Own Way in District
Convention.
OVATION FOR TANNING
Names Delegates Cast Their Vote
for Pike Township Man
Reach Is Kissed.

porters, and, while he was not the whole
convention. yet theconvention was his. and
marked his return TO absolute control of the
party organization. 1t likewise marked the
eclipse of James Leroy Reach, city chair
man. who has had his day Of supremacy in
the city
AS Mr.. Taggart said in his opening sem
tence. when given an ovation and called
upon for a speech:
This looks like old timesw
The enthusiasm with which this sentiment
was received indicated that the party work.
ers of the county and district welcomed
heartily the return to "od times" which
means a return to "Taggart times"
The convention was characterized by an
abundance of enthusiasm on the part Of
the Taggart and Farming forces, accompa-
MED by disposition 10 rub it in on the
Reach and Hoffman faction. while the
latter are disposed to grin as cheerfully as
possible under the circumstances and to at
tempt, ostensibly at least, to Chamber on the
Taggart band wagon and ''whoop er up
for harmony.
Chairman Tanning received ninety-seven
votes to twenty-three cast for his opponent,
Wallace w. Names. of Pike township.
Mr.. Tanning called the convention to or
der shortly after o'clock Seated on the
stage at the time were County Chairman
w. w. Spencer, Alonzo Green Smith, former
attorney general. Frank p. Baker. and one
or two others of the Taggart forces. Mayor
Hoffman occupied a seat in the center Of
the hall, and after he had been there a few
minutes Mr.. Taggart went up and sat down
beside him. Reach was there, but made
himself inconspicuous In the rear of the
hall.
COMMITTEES NAMED.
Chairman Spencer. called the roll OF wards
and townships, and then Chairman Fam
ming announced the committees for the con-
vention as follows:
Committee on Organization-Jeremiah A.
Mahoney. Robert n. Madden, George Sad
Ter, Louis +. Henry, Joseph Pierson.
Committee on Credentials-Henry Fried
man. Edward Lyons, Charles G. Pettijohn,
Patrick O'Neil Elliott r. Hooten.
Committee Northumberland w.
Little, John Rauch, James NJ Healy, A. j.
Lauck, j. Z. Bell.
The committee on organization reported,
recommending the following permanent Of
ficers. in addition to Chairman Tanning:
Secretary, Theodore H. Dammeyer; as
sistant secretaries, John A. Kirkland and
Walter Clarke; sergeant-at-frms, Jacob
Hilkene; assistants, John p. Leyendec<er,
NJ. T.. Laughlin, Horace Cramer, John III.
Reddington, William Madden and Lon"
Mcclellan.
The committee on credentials reported
that there were no contests and at that point
a Reach supporter, one McKlowskey, of the
Eleventh ward, attempted TO create dis
turbance. He arose and demanded by what
authority q committee on credentials had
been appointed, and while he attempted to
reply TO Chairman Trainings answer to him
was subjected to a fire Of "Sit down.
Throw him QUIT" and the like. from the
Taggart forces. In the end he made a mo-
ton that the convention take steps to ask
the State committee 10 make a rule that
would govern all primaries such the one
held Monday, but was told that he would
have TO put his motion In writing or Ii
would not be considered, and finally sub
sided.
Chairman Tanning called L. p Harlan to
the chair while the nominations for dis
trict chairman were made Joseph E. Bell,
who was one Of Fanning's lieutenants In
his campaign for reelection, promptly
placed Tanning in nomination. The nomi-
nation was received with cheers Lee
Swails placed Wallce w. Names in nomi-
nation. and the roll call was ordered. AS
one ward after another gave it's vote to
Tanning the enthusiasm OF his supporters
increased, and when the Tenth ward. which
was one OF the two carried by Reach for
Names, gave one Of its votes to Tanning
and seven to Names, there was terrible
tumult
Names received seven votes from the
Tenth. nine from the Eleventh, two from
Franklin township, two from Perry, two
from Pike and one from Washington, max
ing his total vote twenty-three. There was
no motion TO make the election of Tanning
unanimous, the Reach cohorts finding il
impossible TO bring themselves 10 a point
where they would go far in a desire for
harmony
TANNING MAKES SPEECH.
Mr.. Tanning responded to the calls for
a speech after his election had been an
nounced by Mr.. Harlan with a few SEN
fences in which he expressed his thanks
for the Endorsement given him by a re-
election by such an overwhelming MAORI
t.. In his speech he took occasion to say:
II have always been with the party" and
laid an emphasis on the personal pronoun
and the always that provoked a signif-
cant burst of cheering and applause.
1t was a coincidence that each man called
upon for a speech before the convention
adjourned found il necessary, or was i'm
PEELED for some reason, to declare that he
was 4 Democrat, and all of them excep;
James l. Reach laid stress on the fact that
they had always been Democrats.
The calls for Taggart arose the moment
Chairman Tanning had said his final word
of thanks. and the willy boss was escorted
TO the stage, where he received the great
est ovation of the afternoon. His speech
brief, calling attention to the fact
that the convention recalled "old times. "
and pointing out that in the enthusiasts SIN
and harmony OF the convention ne could
read signs of a reorganization of the party
that would bring about a Democratic vic
tory next year in Marion county, the Sew
enth district and the State of Indiana.
Mayor Hoffman was called upon after
Mr.. Taggart had concluded. The reception
accorded him was not overcOrdial.
1T is always a pleasure to me TO meet
Democrats" the mayor began, land il has
been my pleasure for over twenty years 70
stand shoulder TO shoulder with the party
workers in fighting the party's battles
say to you now that L am ready to extend
my hand TO Mr.. Tanning ana say TO him
that 1 will stand shoulder TO shoulder with
had any doubt about Mr.. Trainings democ-
racy.
THAT LITTLE FIGHT"
The mayor continued by referring to the
little fight for the district chairmanshiu
and the brawl in the Sixth ward that had
prevented him from participating I'm the
contest by asting a vote
In conclusion the mayor stated that he
believed it possible for the Democrats 10
elect a member of Congress from this dis
trict next year and then launched into a
personal attack on Representative Jesse
Overstreet, the present Republican member
of Congress. insinuating that Mr. over
streets connection with a business institu-
into the hands OF a receiver would sput
him out of the running as a candidate
next year.
Alonzo Greene Smith made one of his
characteristic speeches. in which he took
several slaps at the Reach faction and de-
clared that the Democrats who had stood
by the party and voted for William len
nings Bryan in the dark hour OF 1885, con-
stitute the great mass OF the Democratic
nd al or xyb nsrfgh