The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-27
Then Convention Realized That Tom
Taggart's Hand Had Won for Marshal
LOCAL CANDIDATES RECEIVED NO CONSIDERATION
Hopes of Kuhn and Harris Nipped in
Bud by Taggarts Throttling Grasp

! demonstration at tnlS tllfle on Ine part
of Marshall men. with SIacK 50 far in
the lead unless they knew that the
speech of RalstOn was a signal for his
followers to flock TO the banner of
/ Marshall That Ralston's speech was
a signal for such action. was also evi-
denced blythe voting on the fifth bal
| lot. as all Ralston votes cast on the
fourth with but very few exceptions,
went to the diminutive little man from
Columbia City.
The convention remained in an up
voar for almost half an hour before
| Chairman Miers could again secure or
! der. The Slack forces. not to be out
done by the burst of enthusiasm on the
| part of Taggart men. yelled themselves
| hOarse.
When order was restored, the roll
call was once more started. Returns
from each county invariably brought
forth prolonged cheering from either
Slack or Marshall. Although Conn
! did not withdraw from the race. his
| few followers who persisted in voting
for him, kept silent. That they had
nothing to root tor was evident.
! The tide shifted. First Marshall
| lead and then Slack forged to the front.
| When RalstOn counties began to re
! port Marshall was given IA comforta-
| BILE lead, and this he maintained. When
| VigO county turned her entire deleGa-
tion to Marshall before the balloting
was completed, Marshall cinched the
| nomination. as there was absolutely no
chance of Slack overtaking him. When
! Nigo reported. the convention was
again turned into one seething. boiling
! mass of humanity. Marshall support
ers repeated the almost insane antics
which characterized their actions pre-
ViOus to the speech of Ralston.
Senator Slack, who was sitting on
the front of the stage near Mr.. Mar
shall, proposed to the latter that they
go outside the hall during the polling
Of the fifth ballot so the victor could
be escorted back to the stage by the
vanquished. Mr.. Marshall agreed, and
the two, arm in arm, and smiling CON
tidently arose and quit the cOnven-
tion.
True to his agreement. Slack re-en-
face was white with emotion as he
stepped to the front of the stage and
help clinch his rivals victory. His
voice was filed with emotion as he
moved that Marshall's nomination be
made unanimous. and as he thanked
the Democrats for the loyal and gen
erous support they had given him.
A genuine ovation awaited Marshall
when Chairman Miers announced that
he was not only the nominee but the
next Governor of Indiana. Marshall
declared that, while he was not un-
grateful for the nomination, he real
lied that he had not been the unani-
nous choice Of the delegates He de-
clared that it had been his fortune
through life to mingle the bitter with
the sweet, and that he had never won
a victory without feeling some sorrow
for the vanqushed foe In a very
brief way he declared that he stands
for the Democratic party, the consti-
tuition and the law, and that he will
not have anything to do with any man
save Democrat. He urged the Dem
Ocrats to bury all factional differenc-
ton and win a victory.
Conn Not a Factor.
The last ballot for Governor stood
as follows:
Marshall, 1874; Slack, 6304 Conn,
211a.
Conn never was a factor in the con
ventiOn. The Thirteenth District new
er stood by him solidly on any ballot.
Some of the counties broke away on
the second ballot. but St Joseph held
on until the time came to give Mar
shall a heavy vote. Then it made
things count for him.
Ralston had trouble from the start
with his district. Clinton. Montgom-
cry and Howard Counties would not
stand by him. and on the last ballot
many of the Ninth District delegates
voted for Slack
The candidacy of the Rev. T II.
Kuhn of this city, for the gubernato-
rial nomination. encountered an OBJ
stacle on the second ballot. after it had
been freely predicted during the early
morning hours that he would secure
the nomination on the third or fourth
oatLoI. rms obstacle was IN the per
sonase of Thomas Taggart who was
ably assisted by his cohorts. four of
whom were on the Wayne county dele
CATION; men who stated before going
into the convention that they would
not support the local preacher politi-
clan after the first ballot They kept
their word and wrecked Kuhn's chanc-
es, When these four Taggart men
voted for Ralston on the second ballot.
after Shelby county had voted solid.
having brought back an erring delegate
into the fold. surprise swept over the
convention. That's dirty work all
right" said one of the representatives
Continued on Page Two.)