The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-28


Wherever two or more Democrats got
together yesterday or last night there was
lively exchange of tips, rumors and spec
ulation on the district craftsmanship con-
test, which will be fought to a finish this
evening from till o'clock at the primaries
all over the city and Marion county. Men
who ordinarily take little or no interest
in party organization affairs. who feel that
they have done their whole duty TO the
party If they get out and vote on election
day, have been aroused by the clash be-
tween the Taggart and Reach forces, have
lined up with one faction or the other. and
| are taking a hand or voice in the affair.
Most of them, and most of the workers,
are combining their efforts to voice-wOrk, in
| truth, and there has never been a primary
| fight in the city in which there was so
much of elimination and recrimination, so
| many charges and counter charges.
The story on the lips of all the Taggart-
Tanning men yesterday was that they had
| reliable information of a deal by which
| James l.. Reach expects to be elected dist
| riot chairman. They claimed that instruc-
| tiOns were sent to the more reliable of the
| Reach lieutenants yesterday to work with
| redoubled energy to get the Names states
| of delegates elected this evening for there
| was at stake than the election of
the Pike township farmer-if a majority Of
| the delegates elected should be Names men
Maines's name will be withdrawn, and
Reach will be elected district chairman at
the convention tomorrow afternoon. In
| learning this the Tanning supporters
1 claimed to have unmasked Reach and eX-
posed his double dealing in time to insure
! his defeat
The story purported to come from Reach
| men, who had turned on their chief at the
last moment. IL was known a week or ten
! days ago that Reach expected to be the
! candidate against Tanning, but after his
| session with his city committee he decided
| that he dare not make an open fight for the
| election. Instead he planned TO bring out a
straw candidate, whose name should be
| used until the very hour of the convention,
| and Wallace Names was finally induced to
| bear the brunt of the fight. 1t is not known
| that Names is party TO the deal. Indeed,
II is said that he really thinks he is the can
| didate for chairman, and that he will not
| know until after the primaries this evening
| that he is merely running for Reach and
/ may not learn il even then If it should
| from the primaries that flaming unques-
| uonably has majority of the delegates
| Names will go before the convention to re-
| ceive the complimentary vote of the admin
| istratiOn forces. Reach will not force
| Names to withdraw unless he is sure of
| the election for himself-he is not seeking a
| personal defeat
The men who have been placed on the
| Names slate for delegates to the conVen-
| ton are said to be in every instance men
| upon whom Reach relies absolutely TO do
| his bidding at all times Consequently he
will be able to hold them in line after dump
| ing Names.
The Taggart-Fanning forces are using this
story to the best possible advantage and
| are seeing that every Democrat In the city
who might be influenced by 1t hears of it.
| And it is having its effect. Men who are
| lined up for Names on the theory that he
| Is not the candidate of any ring or faction,
but stands alone on his own merits, are
| easily convinced that the story is true, and
| they are turning to Tanning on the grounds
that If they vote for Tanning delegates
this evening they can at least be sure that
| the delegates, IL elected, will vote for Fan
ming for district chairman, and that there
will be no double cross work.
Meetings of the administration forces to
further the candidacy of Names, or OF
Reach, as the case may be, were held In
every ward in the city yesterday. Strangely
enough, the notices calling these meetings
were in several instances at least, sent out
on stationery of the Board of Public
Works in envelopes bearing the return
several OF these notices fell into
the hands of Tanning sympathizers. One
of them, calling a meeting of Tenth WARD
Democrats at 1112 Harlan street, for Il
o'clock yesterday forenoon, was signed by
Fred Lehr and John Sanders, committee
man from that ward and one of Keach's
righthand men.
These notices were said to have beer
prepared and sent out by w. r. Williams
clerk of the Board of Public Works who
acted under instructions from Mayor
Hoffman and City Chairman Reach
The fact that notices calling Maine:
meetings were prepared by clerk of one
stationery of that board is pointed to a!
| incontrovertlble evidence that Names 1!
the administration candidate, his proteS
tations to the contrary, Notwithstanding.
Judging from the fact that practically al
the Democrats who are supporting Maine'
in this contest are men who belong t
Keach's personal machine, or are city EN-
ployes, or in some way connected with tn,
administration, the prediction is made tina
a majority of the delegates chosen at tn
primaries this. evening will be Tanning mel
and that Tanning will be reelected distric
chairman at to-morrow'S convention. Tn
Tanning supporters are extremely conf
dent of victory, and were claiming las
night that Reach would not carry ware
| in the city, save possibly the Sixth. Tn
forces of Reach were by no means so con
fident, but they assumed to be mysteriou
and to hint darlly of surprises in store 70
Taggart and Tanning.
In no other district in the State is Their
|
, craftsmanship, but one or two scraps ar
in prospect that may prove diverting. Il
the First district, for instance, movemen
: has been started that will doubtless brinl
about clash between the free-silver wini
and ''old-line" Democrats. 1t was an
nounced some time ago that ]. J. Nolan, o
; Evansville, the present chairman Of the dis
trict, would not be candidate for re-elec
| ton, but at the Vanderburg county cOnven
ton Saturday to select delegates to the con
vention q resolution adopted indorsin
Nolan for reelection and instructing tn
: thirty-six delegates TO vote for him. VIII
liam Reister, the district president of III
jefferson League, and the leader of the free
silver forces, attempted to prevent this &C
ton, but was unsuccessful. and Nolan vii
( go to the district convention with his count
behind him. With the thirty-six delegate
from his own county and the fourteen fron
Warrick county. which were not instructed
but which will probably join with the Van
3 derburg delegation, Nolans reelection
virtually assured Not without a fight
however, for the silverites of the distric
have vowed TO make desperate struggle I