The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-12
Policy of the State Convention
Foreshadowed in District Cau-
cuses Held Last Night.
ABSOLUTELY POWERLESS
Hearst People as Helpless as if
They Had No Delegates-Will
Be Given a Hearing.
WILD SCENES IN CAUCUS
Hearst People Shut Out, but
Raised Storm and Fought
Like Madmen.

With the relentless. resistless power of
the machine, the most absolute machine
ever known in Indiana politics. the Parker
forces will dominate the Democratic state
convention to-day and send a delegation of
thirty men TO the national convention who
will be bound by the unit rule and instruct
ed TO vote for Judge Alton 3. Parker for
the presidential nomination.
The Hearst people are as helpless If
they did not have a delegate in the con-
vention They will be accorded hearing.
and viii be permitted to make all the noise
they please, but so far as having voice
in the proceedings and the transaction OF
the business of the convention they will
be bound hand and foot and gagged.
The determination of the Parker leaders
TO exercise TO the extreme limit the power
which they possess through the machinery
of the state organization was shown in
the several district caucuses. except in
such instances where there were no Hearst
men to contest for their seats. Admis-
sion was by ticket only. The distribution
of tickets was in the hands of the district
chairmen. all of whom Parker adher-
ents, consequently the contesting Hearst
delegates stood as little show of gaining
admission TO the caucuses as they will
stand OF getting recognition in the con-
vention to-day.
HEARST DELEGATES BOLT.
As a result of this policy of the state
organization the Hearst people have al
ready started their movement to bolt to-
days convention and hold a rump conven-
tion that will send complete set OF Hearst
delegates to St Louis Rump caucuses
were held last night in the Tenth and Sec
regular caucuses, and ii was reported late
at night that the Hearst delegates from
all the other districts had got together
and elected Hearst states of delegates and
convention officers. which will be submit
ted TO the convention to-day.
When the convention turns the Hearst
people down their district claims. as it
surely will. ii is thought by some that the
followers of the publisher candidate for
President will walk out and organize their
rump convention.
Notwithstanding the threats of boiling
made on all sides by enraged Hearstites last
night. j. Oscar Henderson, who has been at
the head of the Hearst burueau. declared
there would be no rump convention. He
said he would not stand for such pro-
At the same time Mr.. Henderson was
making this declaration the followers of
Hearst Were holding mass convention in
the assembly hall OF the Clayp0o at which
they received reports from the rump eau
scuses and heard speeches declaring that the
Hearstites should not submit to the gag
policy adopted by the Parkerites. At this
mass convention IL reported that the
Hearst delegates in the First Second, Sixth,
Seventh. Ninth. Tenth and Thirteenth dis
tricts had held rump caucuses and selected
entire states for the convention officers and
national delegates. These reports were re-
ceived with enthusiastic demonstrations.
haT fi3af1r Ea1f 70
indorse Senator Lew V. Ulrey, of Fort
Wayne. and Judge James McCabe. of Will
Transport, as Hearst candidates for dele
gates at large. Charles F. s. Neal, of Leb-
anon, was appointed chairman of a steering
committee that will take charge of the
Hearst fight on the floor of the convention.
FOUGHT LIKE MADMEN.
The scenes attending several of the eau
cuses last night were riotous beyond de-
scription- Infamed with the bitterness of
the most intense partisanship. men fought
raved and cursed like madmen. This was
especially true at the Tenth district caucus
and at the Second. The Hearst delegates
who did not have tickets attempted to
force their way into the halls where the
meetings were held In few instances
they were successful. A sufficient number
of Hearst people gained admittance to both
the Tenth and Second district caucuses to
start and maintain a veritabe pademonium
As SOOn dS the fdTkef people opened pro-
ctedings Regular and orderly transaction
OF the business at hand was utterly out
OF the question. Parker men were put In
as chairman and then the Parker states OF
delegates and convention officers were
read. No one heard the names read, and
the votes taken were mere mockeries on
parliamentary procedure. but il was appar-
ent that the Parker people were in the ma
jority and on that showing the district or
sanizations declared the Parker states
elected and so reported TO state headquar-
tiers.
The Hearst people then took possession
and held their rump caucuses. They were
able To proceed with less confusion. FOL
the Parker people left the hall and die
not attempt TO prolong the agony.
PARKER MAN GOES TO HEARST.
The feature of the fight in the Tenth
was the detection of former. State Senator
Johannes Kopelke. of Crown Point. VIII,
went over to the Hearst people because
he declared. of the injustice of the Parke
machine domination. With Parker badg,
on his coat he was put on table in tn,
center OF the room and from the impro
vised stage made passionate speech il
which he denounced Samuel T. Murdock
OF Lafayette. and the other Parker leader
who had directed the machine proceedings
As a climax he declared that III the Park
er people proceeded by similar methods i,
the state convention to-day he would no
support the Democratic ticket at the poll
IN November. Ills sentiments were cneeret
TO the echo by. the excited Heaistites.
SEVENTH DISTRICT BOLT.
One of the most interesting of the ruml
caucuses, and one that was kept secre
from the Parker people until late hour
was that of Seventh district delegates II
the primaries in this district every delegat
elected was on Parker slate. but Hearst
emissaries had labore6 long and hard dur
ing the last week. with the result that the,
wo2 thirty-eight OF the delegates
These delegates kept quiet during the regu
lar caucus in the Marion County Democrat
&c Club rooms. but after that was over the
marched over 10 the Lorraine Hotel wher
In Room 21s they organized a caucus o
their own. with John Barmfuhrer, of tn
Tenth ward. as chairman and Thoma
Long of the Ninth. as secretary Th
chairman made a long speech I'm which h
denounced snap primaries and Taggar
methods. Then he declared that In tn
regular caucus the only thing done I'm pur
suance OF the call of the state chairrna
had been the selection OF member of tn
committee on credentials and a contingen
eIector. He said IL was up To the Hears
delegates TO elect the delegates and alter
mates 10 the national convention and tn
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5. COL. A.