The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-10-18
TAGGART
WILL NOT
RETIRE YET
TIMES BUREAU
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.

AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
Indianapolis, Ind Oct. 16.-Numer- |
Gus conferences which have been held |
in this city during the last few days |
indicate that Thomas Taggart has
changed his mind about retiring from
active politics in Indiana. if indeed. |
he ever made the statement that he
would retire. 1t was published in some
of the papers a few weeks ago that
Taggart had stated that he would re-
tire from the game in order to devote
all of his time to his vast business in
terests.
Just on what authority this publica-
ton was made is not known. 1t first
appeared in a Cincinnati paper and
was followed by publications of the
story in several Indiana papers, with
discussion of its effect, and the pre-
diction that it would turn out to be
untrue. 1t was thought to be rather
strange for Taggart to make such a
statement just a. a time when Govern
or Marshall and several other leaders
of the new thoaght" in the party
were laying plans to take the control
of the democratic state organization
away from Taggart and his followers
There is no secrecy about the fact that
are actively at work on a plan that
will dump Taggart if 1t ever works
out. They believe the party has been
in the hands of the Taggart bunch for
too long a time already. and that it is
about time for the democrats to take
a turn at running their own party. The
Taggart crowd has used the party dur
ing the last few years almost entire
" in the interest of the brewers of the
state, and a large element within the
ranks is of the opinion that this is
bad policy and that it should not con-
tinue.
Under the Taggart leadership the
democratic party made its fights
against the enactment of laws to reg
uate the liquor traffic in the state In
/ the legislature of 1907 it was the Tag
CART element which made the fight
against the passage of the thousand
dollar license bill, which would have
been a good regulative measure. The
brewers, who were behind Taggart in
the fight. were lighting against the
enactment of any kind of a regulative
statute at that time. They felt so Sc
cure in their position that they poohed
the idea of the legislature trying to
pass a law which they did not like
Under the able leadership of Taggart
and his followers, the brewers were
able to defeat the thousand dollar IL
cense bill. the democratic party being
used for this purpose.
This got the party in bad, and did
more than any other one thing toward
bringing on the passage of the county
local option law, a law which is ten
times more destructive of the liquor
traffic than the thousand dollar license
bill would have been. The defeat of
the first bill caused the temperance
people of the state to put on their
fighting harness and go after the traf-
fc right 1t also put Governor Hanly
on his mettle and did much toward
causing him to call the special session
Of the legislature which he compelled
to pass the local option bill. This
was one of the effects of Taggart rule
In the party. for which Taggart and
the brewers he been receiving the
blame. Ever size the Legislature OF
1907 the democratic party has been re-
ferred to in the papers and by public
speakers as the brewers party in In
diana, although it is known that there
Is a very large element in the party
even closely approaching a majority
Of its members. which does not agree
with that policy.
The brewers nave been kicking them
selves ever since the fact became
known that an effort would be made tC
pass the county option law. They saw
then that they had made a bad mistake
In opposing the thousand dollar license
BILL and they could only console them
t selves with the thought that they hat
) done the best they could under tn,
Taggart leadership.
This was the situation in the part,
when Governor Marshall undertook tn,
task of bringing about a reorganiza
ton which. as is pointed out by hi
followers, would again put the part.
l in the hands of the members themselve
t and remove 1t from the control of Tag
CART and the brewers.
! It will be remembered that q few