The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-09

G.. McNutt. of Terre Haute, Fifth district /
member of the state committee; L. s. Jack |
son, OF Greenfield; Adam Heimberger, OF |
New Albany, and Joseph T. flaming. Sew
enth district member OF the state commit |
tee, were in close conference at the Grand !
Hotel yesterday afternoon and last night :
AS a consequence there was a general i'm /
preston about the hotel, substantiated by |
strong circumstantial evidence. that there |
was something doing in Democratic pol
itics. The parties to the conference all |
disclaimed any significance in the gather
ing, saying that they had met by chance
and were merely talking over some general
party matters. but it is believed that there
really was but one matter under discussion,
and that was the position Indiana should
take on the Democratic presidential ques
ton
These party leaders, almost to a man.
regard Judge Alton B. Parker, of New
York, as the most available and most de-
sirable candidate for President Hence it
is but natural TO conclude that they are
interested in lining UP their followers in
Indiana for the New York man. and that
they nope to send a delegation TO St. Louis
which II not definitely instructed for
Parker, will vote sOlidly for him from the
first ballot. Mr.. Taggart has made no
secret of his preference for Judge Parker.
but al the same time there has been no
evidence that he is attempting, or will at
tempt, to force instructions for Parker. Mr..
Taggart Is not so committed TO any of the
prospective presidential candidates that he
cannot cheerfully abide by the choice of
the St Louis convention, whatever that
may be, and, along with numerous other
party workers throughout this part of the
country, he inclines to the opinion that the
presidential fight should not be made so
Tar in advance of the convention. They
believe that factional alignments on the
presidency should be avoided, fearing that
bitterness might develop that would prove
disastrous TO the party when the real cam
paign is on
So it is that whatever is being done for
Parker in Indiana is being done most cir
cumspectly and very quietly. In fact, none
of the leaders will admit for a moment that
there is a movement to boom the New
Yorker in this State and every man at
yesterdays conferences denied strenuously
that any consideration had been given TO
the fence-building proposition.
Indiana Democrats want two things this
year-the chairman of the national COM
mittee and the candidate for Vice Presi-
dent. 1t is a safe proposition that this
was discussed at the conference for the
party leaders do not get together without
bringing up the subject. Besides, the men
who are slated for these positions, if Indi-
ana's claims are TO be recognized, were
both present Mr.. Taggart has his eyes on
the national chairmanship, while Mr.. Shive-
ly, OF South Bend, is the man most Indiana
Democrats believe should be the nominee
for Vice President. Ask the average In0i-
ana Democrat his ideal combination for the
coming campaign and he will put 1t Parker
for President, Shively for Vice President
and TaggarI for national chairman.
Whether the combination can be put
through is altogether a different question.
Tor there are Cleveland, Hearst and Bryan
TO be reckoned with, and neither of this trio
can see anything good in the Parker-Shive-
ly-Taggart suggestion.
Mr. Shively said that he came here yes
terday on legal business, and, like the
Others he just happened to drop into the
Grand, where the conference took place.
+ +
State Chairman O'Brien carefully avoided
topics of general political import when
asked about the meeting.
I'VE were merely talking over the suits
attacking the constitutionality of the ap-
portionment law" he said. 1.-The cases
will be argued in the Supreme Court before
very long. and we are more interested in
that matter than in anything else at pres
ent. The transcript of the Boone county
! case has been filed in the Supreme Court,
and the transcript of the Ripley coun-
| ~ case Will be filed tomorrow. Incl
| dentally We discussed the date of the state
convention. There seems to be a sentiment
in favor or late convention, and it prob
Chairman O'Rrien said there probably
would be no meeting Of the state commit
| tee before the LIST of April. Asked his opin-
| ion of Grover Cleveland as a presidential
| factor this year-a question that has been
! put TO many Indiana Democrats recently
| Mr.. o Brien smiled genially and replied:
Mr.. Cleveland? Well, / think he writes
very entertaining articles for the Saturday
| Evening Post"
| of or
merly the Third district member of the
Democratic state committee, who was one
of the leaders here yesterday has not been
| mixing actively in politics for the last two
months. for the reason that he has been
sick. This is the first trip he has made
| away from home since his recovery.
+
I'm not in touch with the more recent
developments in politics because have not
been able to get about and have not talked
politics with any one" he said. THE most
interesting thing in our part of the State is
| the fight for the congressional nomination
| between Mr. Zenor and Judge Cox. That
| has been one Of the hardest contests our
district has ever known. I'm not prepared
| to say which of the candidates will win,
| but L predict that if Judge Cox is not nom
| mated this year he will be two years hence
| He has made a remarkable campaign.
| understand that to win this time he must
carry Clark county. and that is looked
upon as Zenor stronghold, so he may be
defeated"
While the Democratic leaders were gath
| cred here yesterday it was reported that
John c. Eastman, of Chicago, the personal
representative of William r. Hearst was
in the city, and that he was here 70 look
after Hearsts interests as a presidential
! asprant. If he was in the city he carefully
avoided the haunts of the politicians and
| his work altogether under cover. Al
| Indianapolis man who knew Mr.. Eastman
| in Chicago is authority for the statement
that he was in the city. This man stated
that he met Eastman, but that the latter
| was apparently extremely DESTROYS of con.
cealng the fact that he was in Indian
apolis.
Speaking of Hearst-and that has grown
to be quite common topic-John w. Kern
of this city, said yesterday that the news
paper reports that w. ]. Bryan favor.
Hearst's nomination are responsible for the
growth of the Hearst boom.
Il believe these reports have done Mr.
Bryan an injustice" said MIR. Kern. "bu
however that may be the linking oil
Hearst's name with Bryan's is undoubted
ly a source OF strength to the former. Tha
is especially true in Indiana. The grea
mass of the Democrats in Indiana are fol