The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-07-30

Twenty-seven years ago when the
girls in the lunch counter at the Indi-
,dianapolis railroad station said "Draw
one!' the faucet in the coffee urn was
turned by red-cheeked, blue-eyed
broad-shouldered young Irishman.
Last Tuesday that same Irishman,
still red-cheeked, was made chairman
of the Democratic national committee
and placed in charge of the Parker
and Davis campaign.
His name is Thomas Taggart In
the years between 1877 and the pres
ent time he has been county auditor of
Marion county, Indiana, twice, mayor
of Indianapolis three times, chairman
of the Democratic state committee and
a member of the Democratic national
committee. He has grown in a busi-
ness way, too. He grew from the lunch
counter in the station to restaurant
of his own, then to the proprietorship
of small hotel, then to larger hotel,
and finally to the ownership of the
Grand Hotel in Indianapolis and a
chief interest in the resort at French
Lick Springs, Ind.
sandwiches and handed out pie at the
lunch counter he was smiling, good
natured lad, full of energy and with
a faculty of making everybody his
friend. He has not changed. His smile
is just as CHEEKY, his eyes twinkle just
as brightly and he seems to grow more
energetic as he gets older. He is the
srblimated type of tinker" He
knows everybody in Indiana, knows
about everybody worth knowing in
New York and has great acquaint-
ance among politicians and statesmen
in all parts of the country. He has
been active in politics in Indiana,
where every man is politician, since
he walked there and got his lunch
counter job in 1877. He has won many
fights from the Republicans and has
been interested in large way in ma
tional Democratic politics since he be-
game member Of the Democratic ma
tional committee in 1892.
Taggart is just what he is said to be
"a politician. He believes in getting
results. He does not theorize. He
does not plan complicated campaigns.
He gets out and gets votes. He can
see an advantage as quickly as any
one and good deal quicker than
many. If he is placed in charge of
the Parker campaign he will have an
active canvass started in ten days. He
is familiar with the methods Of both
Democratic and Republican national
all the states He makes no preten-
sions about his own status. He says
the way to win campaign is to win
it; and he proceeds on that theory,
without bothering about the ethics Of
the game.
Taggart has had an ambition to be
chairman of the Democratic national
committee since 1900. There was much
dissatisfaction among Democrats with
ex-senator James X. Jones, who man.
aged the Bryan campaign in 1896, and
Taggart said he would like to try his
hand at it. Mr.. Bryan sent word that
Jones must be reelected. He said it
would not be fair to take him from the
Craftsmanship because he lost in 1896.
Taggart acquiesced cheerfully. He
does everything cheerfully. He did
what he could to help Bryan in Indi-
ana. Then when the present campaign
came on he frankly stated his ambi-
tions again.
Usually the national craftsmanship is
supposed to seek the man. Taggart
thought that folly. He could not see
why man who thought himself fitted
to run a national contest should not
say so. He realizes fully that it will
be great thing to win with Parker,
and he said last winter before the
nominee was settled that he believed
the Democrats would have good
chance this time against President
Roosevelt, and he would be glad to get
the craftsmanship.