The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-17
TRYING TO FORCE" KERN
PROGRAMME OF DEMOCRATIC MA
CHINE Is THINLY DISGUISED.
Real Struggle Between the Two Ele-
ments Will Begin This Week
The 1896 Feature.

This is the day the Taggart machine ex-
poets its boss to return to don the overalls
and seize the oil can and prepare it for the
impending fight with the Reach element
of the Democratic party. Last night Mr..
Taggart was shifting the political winds at
the Iroquois Club banquet in Chicago.
When he gets back here he will probably
find the local political atmosphere sur
changed with the impetus which Reach
is giving his campaign. Last night a num-
Der of meetings were held in Keach's be-
half. They were widely scattered but the
reports from each was encouraging.
The programme of the Taggart machine
is Enthusiastically TO hold John w. Kern up
as their choice for chairman of the city
committee. Mr.. Kern is the law partner
of Joseph z. Bell. Taggart's candidate for
mayor. The political mistake of booming
Kern has already been made clear to the
machine men by South Side machine work.
ers who protest against giving the chair
man and the candidate to the North Side.
and both to the Third ward. But this will
probably not affect the inner circle of the
machine which will try to appease the
South Side with couple of councilmen at
large. Mr.. Kern said yesterday that he
would have to be forced into the chair
manship but that he did not want to be
forced" Forced" is a word with which
all Democrats are familiar by reason of
the forcing of Mayor Taggart to run in
1899 and the forcing of Joseph T. Fan
ming TO be chairman for the second time
race the same year. While Taggart was
declining to run in 1899 his machine leuten-
ants stood about with clubs to Stay the
candidacy of any one else so that they
rxrN1A hnwr4 alA 70 WnGb 70 a.
CART. They nominated each other and then
declined. When John w. Hoffman was
finally sprung and accepted the response
bility Taggart sought to 'avoid" he was
Immediately forced out of the way. This
is probably the kind of forcing the ma
chine Will use with Kern
KEACH MEN LAUGH.
The Reach men laugh at what they call
''the machines little play before the foot
lights" They consider the general retreat
of boss, Bell and all behind Kern, as the
last ditch In the fight. There is scarcely a
man In the Reach element that does not en-
terrain the highest regard for Kern but
they will pelt him, they say, If he under
takes to become the shield of the machine.
They really believe that the machine will
not make its final stand on Kern, but will,
by that time. have some one else ready to
spring.
Reach for his course in aligning himself
with the old Gold Democrats in 1896. But
this argument suggests the constantly re-
curing challenge as to the attitude of Tag
CART and his man, Bell, in that campaign.
Democrats remember that Taggart and
Reach worked side by side fighting the
silver push in 1896 and that Bell was
openly against the silver crowd and work.
ed with Taggart and Reach.
eff the machine wants to go back to
1885, said a Reach man last night, the
doors are open. Reach does not have TO
close them Bell and Taggart are too wise
TO crowd the so-called renegades for they
might pull the house down on them
selves.
This suggestion that Reach can make a
better showing as a Gold Democrat than
Taggart can as truly loyal Silver
Democrat leads to the belief that there will
be a washing of dirty linen in public If
some kind of oil is not poured on the
water.
The Reach men say that their workers
are the fresh young men of the party, while
the machine clings to the old bell wethers.
The indications are that the struggle for
the organization will be such that whoever
is successful must take long chances on
having a harmonious party behind him.