The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-11

l. Iaggarts brilliant coup In Following
the snap primaries with a snap caucus to
select the delegates from this district to
the Democratic national convention and
instruct them for Judge Parker has fur
nished the sensation of the Parker-Hearst
campaign. 1t is almost the sole topic of
conversation among the politicians of both
parties and the newspapers in other cities
which received telegraphic reports of it
played it up the big political news
event of the day.
Comments the maneuvers depend
largely upon the affiliations of the COM
mentor To the friends of the Parker
movement IL appeals as one or the greatest
deals made by the veteran of in
Vulnerable deals and turns, and as the one
thing that would put quietus on the
Hearst movement in Indiana and guarantee
that the State will be lined UP solid for the
New York jurist. To the-Hearst people it
comes as further evidence OF the un-
qualified iniquity of BOSS Taggart and as
an indication that the Parker people are so
frightened at the growth of Hearst senti-
ment in Indiana that they will stop at
nothing to attain their ends immediately
To the independent observer, who has re-
garded the Hearst-Parker fight as match
between money and political acumen ana
generalship Mr.. Taggart's coup appeals as
proof positive that he is in absolute con-
troll of the machine in this distict. that II is
in better running order than ever before,
of Indianapolis, and that he has his oppo-
nents outgeneraled at every stage of the
game
No better evidence is needed that Mr..
Taggart handled the affair admirably, from
the standpoint of the end in view, than the
fact that he was able to bring lis delegates
and a number of his other lieutenants to-
gether for meeting in the heart of the city
at 1880 o'clock in the evening and keep the
whole affair so secret that only the repre-
sentative of his own newspaper, repre-
sentative of the Journal and the men who
were there were able to learn of IL until
the account of the proceedings appeared
in the Sunday Journal and Sentinel The
success that attended the deal showed also
that none of the lis delegates elected on
the Parker states was friendly toward
Hearst, as claimed by the local Hearst man
ayers, the Hearst people would have
been informed of the meeting before II was
held. Mr.. Taggart unquestionably carried
the primaries for Parker and elected a set
of delegates with whom he could do abso-
lutely he willed. AS TO the fairness OF
the proceedings-that is another question,
which the Hearst people are not ioath TO
answer.
Hearst's Chicago American of yesterday
spoke officially for Hearst in regard 10 the
matter, giving four columns of the story
under the faring head: 'Taggarts I'm
scrupulous Tactics Are Deep Disgrace to
Indiana Democracy; Boss OF Marion
County Completes Campaign of Fraud by
Forcing Secret Convention to Do His Bid
ding" The article is Illustrated ny cut
of Mr. Taggart with the caption, Thomas
Taggart-The New Tweed. Inc story
| opens as follows under an Indianapolis
| date line:
| CART called a dark lantern convention OF MS
| Janizares tonight and. assuming the cnalr,
put through an Endorsement OF hlhS Ia DIS
cratic national committee.
THE Marion county delegates. whose
election was procured in such di s ama
| .'Black Hole of Indiana Politics, when
has often been applied to 1ndianapols'
| were, under the lash OF Boss 1aggari. com
| PEELED to select representatives to the ma
| tional convention in st. Louis who will vote
| for Judge Parker.
| 1.-The conclave was held in secrecy un-
| precedented in the annals of either party IN
| Indiana and the quick summons thereto
| was entirely unlocked for even by Boss
| Taggart's henchmen.'
| slight injustice is done Mr.. Taggart in
the opening paragraph of the story, as ne
| did not force the convention to put through
an Endorsement of himself as candidate fol-
| chairman of the Democratic national com
mittee. He was Endorsed only as a candi-
date for reelection as national committee
| Tom Taggart has outdone all his maloo-
| orous accomplishments of the past, III
| which he hesitated at nothing 10 accom-
| plish his selfish and sordid ends through
| methods the equal of which were not seen
| in any section of the country at any dark
| stage of its political history.
1.-The past methods adopted by Taggar'
have out-Tammanied Tammany. Even un,
| der the unspeakable regime OF BOSS
| Tweed the vilest carpetbagger OF the days
| of reconstruction, the hnesse OF politlca
treachery. defilement of the ballot and pol,
| luton of the voters were tame as compared
| to that which has been developed In In.
| diana. Taggart belongs, let 1T be salc
| with thanksgiving, to a sort OF polltica
| class that is slowly becoming extinct, a:
| decent and respectable citizens are awak
| ening to their own interests and interesting
themselves personally in politics.
Following are additional choice exceprt
from the Ar ercans story, which were
printed in black-faced type:
Nothing in the dark political history o.
Indiana. a history which Taggart has beer
busy for many years in making, has CONF
within hail of the boldness and rankness o
the unlawful and disreputable acts which
| the machine henchmen executed az tnes
primaries in their efforts to defeat Hearst.
| 'Taggart was forced 10 sell his organlEa
| ton TO the highest bidder or lose all chanc
| of perpetuating his power in Indiana WIZ
the assistance of political patronage Whel
| Taggart Joe Tanning. his first lieutenant
| and w. II. O'Brien, by the grace or i =
| CART chairman of the Democratic stat
| central committee, returned from New
| York whittier they had gone TO sell tn
State Of Indiana to Hill. the machinery Q
the Taggart organization was at once pu
| i'm motion to check the rapidly growing
| Hearst movement in the State.
| surlo raoor1 NJ the daN in the ward