The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-24
LARGE PROMISES MADE
REPU 7LICAN OFFICIALS WCI0USLY
ATTACKED BY KEACH'S MAN.
Hoffman Fails to Clear Ills Own
Record in the Keynote Address
Chilly Crowd Present.

The opening of the Democratic city cam
paign last night In the hall at Massachu-
setts avenue and Bellefontaine street, in
the Eighth ward, was unmistakably a
frost" A good-sized crowd was there. the
candidates were there and John W. Holtz-
man delivered his keynote. but still the af-
fair was frost either because there was
nothing to arouse the audience TO the slight
est degree of enthusiasm or because the
audience refused to be aroused to such
state. The keynote fell fiat.
The meeting actually funereaI COM
sared with the demonstration accorded
Mayor Bookwalter when he delivered his
opening address st every sentence the
mayor uttered was cneered and applauded:
Mr.. Holtzman was interrupted by applause
barely half dozen times during his long
speech. Mr.. Hoffman occupied just an
hour In delivering his address, but had IL
been properly punctuated by applause ii
would have required at least half again as
long. And il was not because the audience
was not with him and ready and anxious
to wax enthusiastic. When he appeared on
the stage and again when he was intro
duced the crowd cheered and applauded
warmly. but almost from the moment he
started to speak the enthusiasm vanished.
ssIthough his auditors were patient and
stayed with him TO the end. The lack or
enthusiasm was due apparently to the fact
that Mr. Holtzmans speech was merely
rphash of the Trades against Mayor Book
walter and his administration which have
been repeated time and again within the
rast two months in the columns of the Sen
ttneI and the News. Mr.. Holtzman had
nbthing new TO offer and his plattudes were
not appreciated.
LINCOLN AND McCRAY.
The times when Mr.. Hoffman was most
literally applauded were when he quoted
Abraham Lincoln's famous utterance. "Gov-
eminent of the people. by the people and
fdr the people shall not perish from the
earth.' and again when he quoted Judge
bLcCray as saying that Bookwalter could
not be defeated. One or two of his sarcastic
nipgs at the mayor provoked laughter and
half-hearted applause and when he con-
cluded the audience gave him a perfunctory
demonstration. but for the most part his
hearers were unresponsive.
Tie hall was well filed. but the Demo-
cratic managers had wisely chosen small
hall 80 that there might be no chance OF
empty seats. There were less than 200
chairs. Everyone was occupied and several
persons stood throughout the meeting, but
at that the crowd did not exceed $50. There
were five six women in the audience.
Thomas j. Clark, Democratic committee
nan for the Eighth ward, presided and
aalled the meeting To order shortly after s
O'Clock Mr. Holtzman. William VI. FOgarty.
candidate for city clerk. and Edward W.
Little. candidate for police judge. occupied
seats on the platform with the chairman
End when they appeared they were cor
daily greeted. Mr. Fogarty was introduced
Srst. but he did not attempt 10 make
speech, saying he realized that everyone
there had come TO hear the candidate for
mayor. Mr.. Little spoke at some length
!fut he was uneasy. ungrammatical and un-
r7nvincing. Incidentally he stole some of
Nr. Holtzman's thunder. as he attempted
~ make a play Mayor Bookwalter's slo-
gan, Stand up for Indianapolis that was
almost identical with the one Mr.. Holtzman
made at the close of his address
Included in the audience were several Re-
y'lblcans. some OF whom are openly espous-
ilS the Democratic cause and We're more
enthusiastic than the old-time Democrats
but most OF them there to give Mr.
doitzman hearing 10 see il he could hold
cut sufficient attractions TO draw them from
party fealty. They were manifestly dis
appointed.