The Indianapolis journal., 1903-07-03

The Democratic party is in practically as
nad present predicament as the Repub-
mean party. And IL has no federal bowl and
whip TO codde and coerce its disunited ele-
ments into something like a solid array
when general election is at hand.
The correspondent then reveals all the
dire plot 10y stating that Senator Fair
banks and his friends are now striving to
make situation in which he may be sure
OF the chance TO come forward two years
hence to wrest the State from Democracy,
retire Beveridge with the stigma Of two
defeats upon him and send some one to the
United States Senate in the place of the
voiceful young man of destiny
While he is furnishing this information
he should have gone farther and shown
how Indiana can go Democratic and be
wrested from Democratic control, all within
the next two years, when there is but one
State election in that time. But that is
o9uptiess TO him an immaterial detail,
which he did not have time TO work cut
lie next proceeds to line up the Indian
apolis newspapers as follows:
Inc indianapolis News, an afternoon
puDlication, independent in politics, is now
owned by Delevan Smith. of Chicago. a
cousin of Senator Fairbanks. The News
is violently assailing the Bookwalter adj
riinistration. The Indianapolis Sentinel,
ing sold the Associated Press morning
franchise. is newly in competition with the
with the News in the violence of its attacks
upon the Bookwalter administration. Also.
1T is the organ of City Chairman Reach,
who lately slipped into his seat, defeating
Tom Taggart and the 'old-line' Democrats.
The Indianapolis Journal, Republican,
which was purchased few weeks ago by
Charles l.. Henry, has assumed an atti-
tude of calm and distant dignity. Edi-
torially it does not mention Beokwalter's
name. In its news columns there is moth
ing in the mayors defense.
''The Star. which was recently established
by George l.. McCuloch of Muncie, the
purchaser of the Sentinels morning fran
chise, is the Beveridge paper. 1t hasn't
opened up yet for the Beveridge policies,
but is just now engaged in getting circula-
ton, declaring itself newspaper and no
organ There has been no morning Demo-
cratic paper in Indianapolis since the sale
of the Sentinels morning franchise"
The correspondent takes up the Demo-
cratic candidates for mayor and exposes"
Chairman James L. Keach after this fash
ion, persistently misspelling "Keach," by
the way:
''It is generally understood that John w.
Holtzman is the choice of Chairman keacn
for the nomination. Chairman keach, OF
rather unusual quantity in politics any
where. He is rule or ruin man, some
thing of the Golden Rule Jones type. with
confessedly with no political knowledge or
sentiment beyond the strife to get power in
indianapolis. He declares that he has no
interest of State national politics. His
election as city chairman was due TO
combination of circumstances, but princi-
pally to the ardent support he was given
by the News, which Is owned by Senator
"Chairman Reach came to indianapolis a
penniless fruit pedder. He is now the
owner of a large commission house and is
reported to be wealthy.
''He led the Palmer and Buckner move
ment in 1896. and. as chairman of the Palm
er and Buckner committee, fought yigor- g
ously against the old-line Democrats, head
ed by Tom Taggart, and co-operated
throughout the campaign with the RepuD-
licans. Here, as elsewhere, the vote for
Palmer and Buckner was inconsiderable.
All the active and intelligent followers OF
the movement voted for Mckinley. At the
recent election of city executive, who In
turn would elect a city chairman, Tom
terests and embarrassed, furthermore by
business alliance with a powerful banking
concern which had interests to protect,
contented himself with announcing that
John w. Kern was his candidate for chair
man. and left the election to take care
of itself.
"The idea that man like Reach would
control the newly elected committee over
so sterling a Democrat as Kern seemed
preposterous, if not impossible. But it
wasn't. The support of the independent
press. together with the result of inde-
fatigable effort, literally backed financial
ly, gave Keach a majority of the commit
tee and practically put Fairbanks in con-
troll Of the Democratic machinery of In
dianapolis. Thus the situation is to-day.
while the old-line Democrats stand aloof
and wait for the natural end Of the extraor-
operate with Keach. and they even hope
that some other candidate than the one he
has selected may win the Democratic
nomination for mayor. but they have little
heart in the fight"
The interesting screed is brought to a
close with these interviews:
TON Taggart, at French Lick Springs
the other day. declined to be interviewed on
the Democratic prospects. There is no
iana, said he. There will be nothing doing
until after the local election in Indianap-
oils. still believe, however, that Indiana
would be a Democratic State If we could
prevent the intimidation of workmen and
could get the party forces to work vigor-
ously together. That We may be able to do
before the next election. The split Of 1896
Is gradually disappearing. We shall not
feel it's effect much longer The present
division of the Democratic party in Indiana
Is not great, and not due to the conse-
quences of the Bryan campaigns
John w. Kern, who in 1900 was the DEM
ocratic candidate for Governor, takes a
somewhat gloomy view of the situation.
Il am Democrat, and expect always to
be Democrat said he, but, frankly do
not see much hope for Democracy in In
diana just at the present. Until the bub-
BILE of prosperity and overcapitalization is
punctured 1 believe Indiana may be counted
a reliably Republican State. The best that
Democracy can do is to keep up it's faith
and it's organization until natural conditions
assert themselves once more
~. T. Tanning, chairman of the Seventh
district Democratic committee and former
chairman of the city committee, is more
hopeful. Il believe said he yesterday, that
the Democrats have very good chance to
win the city election, and to carry the State
next time. There is no serious division
among the Democrats. and the Republicans
are badly divided. We ought to profit by
the situation, and think we will do so.
believe that either John w. Kern. B. F.
Shively or Hugh Doherty could have the
Democratic nomination for Governor for
the asking. and believe that either would
have a good prospect of success. The Re-
publicans will hardly be able to nominate
a man acceptable to both Fairbank and
Beverdge and the feeling between the fac
tions of these two leaders is now more ex-
treme than ii ever was. !"
The situation in the Eleventh district as
regards the Republican nomination for Con-
gress next year grows more interesting from
day to day. the all-important question in
! this connection being, "WilI Maj. George
w. Steele, of Marion, be candidate against
Representative-elect Frederick Lands, of
Logansport?" The major steadfastly avoids