Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-04

men who formed the state committee We're
men who would take their instructions from
him alone and attempt no move Whatever
that did not emanate from his own brain.
Taggart's Strength overestimated.
The consequences have proved grave TO
the party in Hoosierdom. Taggart over
estimated his strength He found unpleas-
ant conditions in New York, where he had
been led to expect cooperation and assist
ance Instead of being able to devote much
of his time to directing the campaign In
Indiana, he found 1t necessary to devote
all his time to repairing his own FENCES
that inconsiderate members and ofnclals OF
the national committee repeatedly tore
down for him.
This is not conjecture; in Indiana 1t is
known and recognized and admitted as an
absolute fact. Taggart saw his error too
late, and he FASTENED back to Indiana. But
his arrival has wrought no change; his
presence has accomplished nothing. He re,
turns to his machine more as defeated
man begging assistance to aid him In DEM
onstrating to the country that he made no
false boast when he declared that he had
Indiana in his pocket"
He has set for himself the most pro-
digious task that any politician produced
on Hoosier soil has ever attempted. rag
CART now proposes to buy Indiana lie mas
every precinct poll book of every precinct
In the state locked up in his room on the
fourth floor of his hotel, and there, alone
he is studying the problem. At the same
time he is appealing to New YORK iran
tjcally for funds and the funds do not
come He has reached the conclusion that
to win Indiana he must buy 23.Oo0 votes at
the least. In other words, he must puy
eight votes in every precinct in the state
to bring the democratic vote up to the re-
publican majority. and, to secure DEM
ocratic majority, he must buy at least
thousand more.
Buying Votes.
But while he is making this stupendous
purchase it is not to be presumed that
there will be a total absence of republican
funds. and If Indiana voters can be bought
and it is not to be denied that there Is
such a stock in trade in the Hoosier state
neither is it to be presumed that Mr.
Taggart will be the sole bidder. His task,
therefore, assumes even more stupenuoyuis
proportions. 1t is possible to state at this
time that National Chairman Taggart and
State Chairman O'Brien are depending on
two things alone to carry Indiana. Ihese
are:
The purchase of the floating vote and
the funds with which to Duy it; and
3 The accomplishment of this at the last
moment SO that the vote VIII stay
bought
The republican committee, on the other
hand, began It's work early. 1t was last
February when it took possession OF us
state headquarters and began Immediately
At no time in the campaign has 1t had any
tnternecine strife to deal with and at no
stage has it been obliged to devote Itself TO
the task of 'harmonlzlng II mas, on .ne
other hand, applied itself with unusual en-
thusiasm to the task of vote making. 1t mas
conducted campaign of education, ana, as
far as possible has made its fight In the
precincts.
Two Senatorial Seats.
Aside from the impetus furnished by the
national campaign, 1t has had, in addition,
the enthusiasm supplied by fight for two
senatorial seats. The election of sue
cessor to Senator Fairbanks In case the re,
publican national ticket is successful, ana
the reelection of Senator Beverage to sue
coed himself have furnished elements that
have brought the rank and file or the party
into the closest harmony and relationship.
If has been the means of making the fight
in Indiana a fight for precinct victory with
the theory always in mind that winning IN
the precincts will mean winning In the
state. ,,. A..
However, it must not be thought that
,rapeart has not devoted himself to pre-
cinct work. AS matter or 1act, ne mas
fought brave fight to control the legis-
lature no matter what happened 10 the
national ticket. His own senatorial am
billions furnish the motive, and he teo, has
followed the theory that winning In the
precincts is all that is necessary to carry
Rut Taggarts fight, resulting in little
GOOD to himself. has been of inestimable
SSoIna To the republicans 1t has, in truth,
been worth a campaign fund in itself 1t
ha - heen the means of stirring the repuDil-
can workers to exceptional ACTIVITY ana
misunderstanding them of the overconhdence
that might have proved fatal to all their
hopes and plans.
Bryan's Tour Forgotten.
Then. too Chairman Goodrich, co-operat-
ing with Harry S. New, waited until Tag
cart and his ueutenants had played their
Ia at ,mportant card in Indiana before they
showed their hand. Bryan came on his
whirlwind tour spoke to immense CROWDS,
who made a holiday of his coming, and
went away from his speeches convinced
that he was not sincere in his support OF
pa rker. but willing to follow out his injunc-
tion To vote for the national candidates, and
left the state. Today his tour Is half for
gotten That was the last card, except the
famous blank check" that Taggart held.
II was skillfully played, but when Bryans
banks was brought back to Indiana and, In
the last week Of the campaign, at the
nr0per psychological moment" as 1t were,
his six days tour of the state Is furnishing
NOT only an antidote for Bryan, but tonic
for the republican workers and the repub-
lican voters, which Is Of even more Import
ance.
Today, therefore, democratic enthusiasm
is conspicuous by its absence, while the re-
the unusual apathy that has marked the en-
tire course of the campaign and are labor
ing as they never labored before. The work
is bringing its own reward. Daily the DEM
ocratic reports received at state headQuar-
tiers become more pessimistic and those at