The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-31
THE DRIFT OF POLITICS

The conservative wing, the Parkerites. or
the reorganizers. or whatever they should
be termed, made their first open move in
their campaign against Hearst when the
Democratic state committee. which they
control absolutely, decided that there should
be two Democratic state conventions this
year in Indiana and that the state ticket
should not be selected until after the ma
tional convention at St Louis. Chairman
OBrien, Mr. Taggart and their friends de-
clare in this that Hearst shall be the one
and only issue in the fight and that there
shall be no deals whereby Hearst might
trade his support 10 candidates Tor state
OFFICES in return for their support for his
STATE OF delegates 10 the national cOnVen-
ton Furthermore. they did not make the
mistake of calling a snap convention, which,
While IT might have aided them materially,
would unquestionably have given the Hearst
people strong argument TO use in their
campaign. The managers of Hearsts cam
paign nave set up the claim that the
reorganizers were afraid of Hearst The
Indiana reorganizers have shown that
they are not afraid Of the cheek and check
book candidate. and that, on the contrary.
they believe that ii they give Hearst plenty
OF time he Will put himself out OF the run
ming. They proceed on the theory that
Hearst will hang himself If given enough
rope.
The reorganizers concede that Hearst will
develop some strength in Indiana and that
ne VIII nave ueleSateS In the state cOnFen-
tlon Iney admlt-at least some or them
do-that he may capture three or four dele
gates to the national convention, but they
rely on the unit rule TO euchre Hearst out of
any votes from this State next July at St
Louis. The more optimistic of the reor-
ganizers say that Hearst will never be able
TO command sufficient followers in any one
district 10 capture the delegates from the
district TO the national convention They
say that Hearst may get two or three coun-
ties in several of the districts but that the
ties against him when the caucuses are held
on the eve of the state convention.
Mr.. Taggart, in his usual adroit manner.
will not admit that the state organization
is being used against Hearst or that he and
his friends working in the interests of
Judge Parker
that the delegates TO st. Louis will repre-
sent the sentiment of a majority of the
Democrats of Indiana" said Mr.. Taggart
last evening. eff had wanted to euchre
Mr.. Hearst the convention would have
been called for the middle of April instead
Of the middle of May. Instead Mr.. Hearst'ss
friends Will have plenty of time to do all
they can do in Indiana in the interest of
their candidate"
The members of the Democratic state
committee here for the meeting yesterday
were: Second district, Gilbert H. Hendren;
Third. Thomas Hanlon; Fourth, George
Peasants; Fifth, j. G.. McNutt: Sixth, ].
D. Mcgee; Eighth. J. A NJ. Adair; Ninth,
A b. Lvengood: Tenth. j. b. Faulkner;
Eleventh, j. Fred France; Twelfth, A. a.
Adams; Thirteenth, James Fletcher. Z.
P. Richardson, of the First district. sent
word that he was bloodhound and could
not reach the city. j. I. Tanning. of the
Seventh, is out of the city, but he was rep
Tod NV ~ Fhai II
Clarke.
In the afternoon the members of the
committee and well-known Democrats from
all parts of the State held an informal
love-feast at the Grand. There were be-
tween sixty ana seventy present, and IL
was somewhat significant that there was
not a Hearst advocate in the crowd. Parker
and Mcclellan men made up the gathering,
and there was little or no rivalry between
the followers of either of the New Workers
who are considered presidential posi-
bilites, so that the meeting was as much
| of love-feast as any gathering of that
number of Indiana Democrats could be-
| The supporters Of Parker say they can
| easily become reconciled to the nomination
| of Mcclellan, and vice versa. The recent
announcement Of Senator German that he
| favors the nomination of Parker mas placed
practically all the German Democrats in
| Indiana in the Parker camp.
| Prominent among those at the lOve-feast
were Ben F.. Shively, of South Bend; Judge
| j. NJ Hinch, of Fort Wayne; Judge E. w.
Felt. of Greenfield; Aaron Waltz, of Hart
| ford City; Hugh Wickens. of Greenshurg;
c. w. Welman, of Muncie Hugh Dough
erty, of Button; u. S. Jackson, of Green
field; w. ]. ONeill. of Mishawaka. and A.
c.. Smith, NJ. A. Ryan, City Controller j.
P. Dunn and City Clerk Fogarty of this
city.
| lowing in his party, has not yet declared
his position on the presidential question,
| but a statement from him, similar to those
issued by John w. Kern and S. NJ Ralston,
| is expected within the near future. II
will come at the opportune time, 1t is UNI
to Hearstophobia When asked his posi-
ton on the presidential question Mr.
| Shively confined himself TO declaration
| that he was not for Hearst
| 81 am not prepared to say as yet whom L
| favor for the presidential nomination." he
| said, "but l do not favor Hearst. That Is
Mr.. Shively is another of the leaders
| cited by the Hearst managers when they
| first started their campaign in this State
| as men they counted upon TO support their
candidate John w. Kern and S: Nj. Rails
ton were two others and they have both
| issued statements that offered no encour-
| agement to Hearst.
The reorganizers refer with something
| akin to derision to the Hearst campaign
in this State and ask:
Name us a single leader, man of stand
ing and influence in the party, who Is with
| Hearst?'
| The Hearst people return this answer
hot from the bat:
'What do leaders amount to without a
following? We have the people with US and
| we'll make new leaders.
| Much has been heard of the large follow
ing Hearst commands in the ranks of or
| ganized labor and that the labor unions,
as organizations, would work in the inter-
ests of his candidacy. o. p. Smith, of Lo-
| gansport, state organizer of the American
| Federation Of Labor, has given out state
| ment in which ne declares that he Is not
| supporting Hearst and will not support
him.
II have no intention of taking any part
| in the coming campaign, he says Il am
| engaged in labor work and intend TO CON
fine my efforts to that field. | VIII not sup
| port Hearst nor any other candidate. When
the time comes / will cast my ballot and
that will be the extent OF my political
work"
| Mr. Smith has intimated in addition that
he does not consider il within the prov
ince of labor unions 10 take hand, as
organiza tions. in politics.
Joseph l. Irwin, the well-known banker
of Columbus, was a member of the first
Republican state convention in Indiana in
1856 A dispatch to the Journal from CO.
lumbus says:
Joseph /. Irwin, of this city. is one OF
| the survivors of the first Republican state
convention held in this State and is en-
titled to one of the invitations being sent
out by State Chairman James p. Good