The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-22
7. TAGGART
IS KEEPING
OUT OF RACE
Says He Is Not Taking Any
Hand in the United States
Senatorial Contest-But Is
He2
ENMITY TO ERT SLACK
MAY MEAN HIS SILENCE
Believed If Sly Thomas Show
ed Interest in the Contest,
Anti-Taggart Men Would
Cobine Against Him.
Palladium Bureau,
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 22.

indianapolis, Dec. 22.-Thomas Tag
CART says and repeats it that he is not
taking any hand in the contest for
United States senator He has been
accused so many times of dipping his
oar into the troubled waters of the
fight. that it is hard to understand
how Taggart can keep his temper and
put up with it, but he says emphati-
cally that he is not in the muss and
does not intend to get in it.
And there are a good many people
who believe Taggart is telling the
truth about it. The fact is that there
is not now a single ripple on the sur
face to show where Taggart is doing
anything. If he is working at all it is
SO deep under the surface that no one
can see it. There are many who be.
lieye that there is method in his
keeping out of the fight. They say
that this course on his part will do
harm to the chance of l.. Ert Slack,
whom Taggart does not like and who
does not like Taggart. They say that
Slack has all along been counting on
Taggart getting into the fight and that
II he did it would cement all the an.
ti-Taggart forces into solid mass
against, the candidate he favored. But
now that Taggart is apparently keep
ing hands off it leaves the anti-Tag
CART forces divided and privileged to
do as it pleases individually. If the
antis were to get together on any one
candidate it would probably be on
Slack, for he comes nearest of all the
candidates to being an anti-Taggart
man.
Slack People Worried.
The fact that Taggart is keeping
out of it is evidently causing the
Slack people some worry, for they can
see plainly that their candidate would
be in better position if he We're to
get in. They are insisting, however
and not without reason. that he is the
second man in the race just now, with
a good prospect of remaining there
But Kern is in the lead and there is
not much reason for anyone to believe
that anyone else will overtake him
Shively is showing strength in the
last few days. He will come to bat
with the solid support of his district
the Thirteenth, and when the break
comes. If he is still in the race at the
time, he will profit by the breakup.
Several members of the democratic
state committee held a meeting here
last night with the democratic candi
dates who were defeated for state of
fices by small majorities. to consid
er the matter of the contest that is
being made to wrest the places from
the republicans. They decided to &C
right ahead with their plan and wir
If they can. Arrangements were made
to finance the contest, so that there
will be no lack of money with which
to carry it on.
Contest Still On.
Burt New, democratic candidate fol
reporter of the supreme court, at the
meeting of the democratic state com
mittee today decided to renew hi:
contest, finances being furnished b!
the committee. Walter Lott, of Nun
Gle. who ran against James Bingham
for attorney general has been heart
from. He said yesterday that he pro
posed to stay in the fight to the end
1t Is safe to say, however, that by tn,
time the republican senate committee.
get through with the contest the dem
ocratic contestants will not have ;
place left to hang their hats.
Jackson's Statement.
Stokes Jackson, democratic stat,
chairman, came out yesterday with ;
prepared statement on the contest. il
which he says some harsh and crue
things about the republican party al
a whole. He says in part:
Il am now more than ever convinc
ed that every democratic state can
didate has been legally elected, ant
we do not propose that the republican
candidates declared elected by fraudu
lent votes shall hold the offices t,
legal and qualified voters of Indiana.
1t is not only question of seatin,
the democratic candidates. but it Il
also public duty to expose the frauds
of the republican party and show t,
the people that the will of the lega
voters has been overriden by sharl
and corrupt practices of the republi
cans.
"Thedemocratic party has always
stood for honest elections and We pro
pose to take the necessary steps to as
(Continued on Page Ten.)