The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-27
The Reach Element In Well Organized
and It's Chances at This Time
Seem to BE Good.
USE OF MR.. TAGGART's NAME
GENERAL BELIEF THAT 1T WAS NOT
AUTHORIZED BY HIM.
Bell Organization May Take Advan-
tage of Provisions of the Primary
Law-spectators Interested.

gle between the two Democratic factions
for control of the city committee. The
situation yesterday seemed to indicate that
the Reach element is best organized and
that its chances for controlling the COM
mittee were probably safe. But while this
is true the Bell organization, which Is try
ing to control the committee to secure the
election of John w. Kern as chairman. was
active and seemed well organized through
out the city. The Reach element to win
must use all its resources, for the Bell or
ganization will control through Chairman
flaming the primary machinery.
The call for the primaries is expected to-
day or tomorrow. Attempts to find Chair
man Tanning to verify the unofficial an
nouncement that next Saturday is the day
selected failed. 1t Is generally understood
that this is the day chosen, but why there
is not some official announcement is not
known. Under the Joss primary law the
chairman must give notice of the primaries
three days before the day chosen. and Sec
rotary Sahm. of the Democratic commit
tee, has been quoted as saying that the
call would be issued inside of three days.
This was Friday. and Democrats regard
this as an official announcement. Mr..
Sahm said 1.-The committee would issue
the call, but there has been no meeting of
any committee" recognized by the pri-
mary law. The Democrats are complaining
that Chairman Tanning has not consulted
the advisory committee of his own creation.
They assert that he has consulted
except the Bell organization, and the lead
ers of this pretend they do not know abso-
lutely when the primaries are to be held. .
KEACH HAS FRIENDS.
1t has developed that one reason Fan
ming has not called his advisory committee
together is that a majority of this COM
mittee have been found friendly to Reach.
Reach himself is member Of 1t. The dis
covery that Reach had captured Fanning's
confidential committee was a staggering
blow to the chairman. This discovery fol-
lowed fast on the ones that showed some
of the mightiest of the old machine lined
up with Reach.
About the only thing certain is that the
primaries will not be held later than next
Saturday. They may be held Thursday or
Friday, but not later than Saturday. 1t is
safe to assume that whenever they are an.
nounced 1t will be because the Bell crowd
feels that its success is most probable.
Bell and Albert Sahm are practically
alone in directing the work Of this organi-
zation. They are credited with being good
organizers and good tacticians. Chairman
Tanning has not assisted them and his
failure to do so has not been the most pleas
ant feature Of their work. Fanning's active
ison House meeting, when he announced
that he would not again seek the chairman
ship. Thomas Taggart has been wrapped up
In his hotel business at French Lick, and
John w. Kern. the candidate of the Bell
organization for chairman, has adhered to
his first statement that he would not make
an effort to get the Office but would only
lures the organization 1t will be his victory
and Keachs defeat. That Is the situation
in the concrete.
c,Lo r.
will be In control because he Is the sponsor
for Bell. 1t means later that Bell may step
aside and give the nomination for mayor to
Taggart. This Is deemed only a bare pos
sibility now. The course of Taggart in the
last week indicates that he is not bossng
the workers. If he was, not so many of
them would be complaining that they
lacked enthusiasm and didn't know where
they were 'at." Taggart's political organi-
zation has always been enthusiastic. The
Bell organization lacks this.
USED AS A WEAPON.
There is a general belief that Taggart did
not authorize the use of his name as a pos
sible candidate for mayor and that the use
of II Is merely a weapon of the Bell organi-
cation. An intimate friend of Mr.. Tag
CARTS says he decided some time ago to not
engage in the internal strife of the party in
this city because OF his position as national
committeeman and his hope for advance
ment to chairman Of the Democratic
national committee. While he is personally
favorable to Bell in his ambition to run for
mayor this friend said Taggart would not
get out and fight In the streets for him be-
cause this would only bring defeat at the
polls and lessen Taggart as available timber
for national chairman. In other words Ii
looks as If oily Tom" had sidestepped a
very dangerous proposition and would end
in the camp of the victor without any
malice toword him.
Should the primaries result in favor of
Reach the Bell organization may take ad-
vantage of the primary law which gives
ten days In which to issue the call for the
meeting of the committeeman. This call
must be made public two days before the
meeting. This would give twelve days for
the machine to convert" enough commit
teemen to defeat Keach's success. But even
reputed to be a man with two eyes and
| a system of conversion" of his own. He
has been for twenty years a leader of the
| Taggart ring and may not have forgotten
| some Of the lessons learned in that time
Besides, If the claim be true that Reach
| controls the advisory committee which the
| law makes the board to decide contests
| over the election of committeeman the Bel
| organization will have a huge work on its
hands.
The spectators Of this fight are awaiting
| developments believing that the outcome
cannot bring that peace and harmony which
| the wizard of the smile begged for in his
| last interview from French Lick when he
/ advised the Democrats to get together"
i