The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-25
THE DRIFT OF POLITICS.

FIavius ]. Van Vorhis, the most uncom-
promising free-slver Bryan Democrat in
Indiana. and who is by no means without
personal following among the Democrats
of Indianapolis, is waging bitter war on
James l.. Reach, who was recently elevated
to the head of the party's city organization.
And he is not fighting under cover. On the
contrary. he has issued a def in the
shape OF circular entitled "A Few Plain
Words to Democratic Voters" published
his signature, which he is placing
wherever he thinks it will do any good, and
at the same time he is building up an in
formal organization of his own to carry
on the campaign Every day he holds nu-
merous conferences with Democrats at his
office. on East Ohio street. and. while he is
not making any claims as to what he will
accomplish. it is generally understood that
he is making considerable Roadway, and
that he expects to be able to show the
Potato King where to head in.
His plain Words PRONUNCIATION makes
decidedly interesting reading, from a Re-
publican point of view especially. and the
document is certainly plain enough. In
speaking of Reach he says:
Never before, however, has any party
face to public opinion and so audaciously
disregarded even the appearances of polit-
ical decency. There are not twenty men
in the city who do not know that the man
selected to head the organization has the
reputation of being in full sympathy with
the classes in politics and business that
prosper most when appesites and passions
to expect him to have the ability, or even
the inclination, to make any effort in the
direction of the enforcement of law or the
lT,1 N n m II ic rou-
sonable to suppose that he can attract to
the party, or have any influence with men
whose motives have moral basis, or who
are controlled by an unselfsh desire for
public welfare. 1t Will be difficult to find
a single man in the city of Indianapolis
who will say that he believes that Mr..
Reach will be controlled in his political ac-
ton by regard for public morals or for the
morals of any question. 1t is we'll known
that for severl years he has been doing all
he could to disorganize and defeat the
party
But Mr.. Van Vorhis does not confine his
attention to Reach. He goes on to COM
pare him to Tom Taggart, and incidentally
he gives Taggart and Samuel E. Morss,
editor of the Sentinel. few digs. He says:
ut is probably true that the party is in
no worse condition than when Taggart was
in Ostensible control. He represents no
worse crowd than the Republican crowd
now in control, but other man in the
city is so prominently identified, in the pub
lie mind. as the leader of the low. degraded
leader, really, than Taggart has been
There Is no difference between them except
Taggarts smooth surface They have both
taken their instructions from Morss editor
of the Sentinel There were some Demo-
Gratis who were foolish enough to believe
that in supporting Reach they were oppos-
ing the Taggart ring. Properly speaking,
there 10 no Taggart ring and never has
been. Taggart and Reach were both the
tools OF the ring of which Samuel z, Morss
has been the head. Morss and Taggart had
blowing the antitrust horn with consider
able vigor and some eclat until the public
learned that he is member of the Pier
pOnt Morgan Standard Oil Economic
League. Reach was selected by Morss to
complete Taggart's overthrow with the
result. practically. the same influence is in
control of the committee with Reach as
chief-of-staff in place of Taggart. The mer
who supposed they were helping to get rid
of what they are pleased to call the Tag
CART ring have made fools OF themselves
and have assisted in perpetuating the con-
troll OF MOrss in the city organization
Neither Taggart nor Reach knows any,
thing about the principles of true Democ-
racy, nor cares anything about them.
Neither Of them in any sense represents
the friends of Mr.. Bryan. although they
both played for their support, and both by
a few of them. 1t is remarkable
that any one who wants Demo-
cratic principles 10 prevail in the par
ty or who desires the party TO preserve
any semblance of decency. could be induced
to tolerate man like Reach. who left the
party and did what he could from the out
side TO defeat 1t; or how he could have any
confidence In a man like Taggart, who. al
though he remained with the party and
professed loyalty 10 It. kept up very tpti-
mate relations with its enemies, trying to
keep himself solid with both. but actually
ready to betray either
THE mass of Democrats took no interest
in this contest between the two fragments
Of the Morss crowd: the difference and the