Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-21

THOMAS IAfGAhI nOnOred with the Scna-
torial toga. Behold the miracle man."
Last June the former chairman of the
Democratic party, who for decade has made
Senators, congressman, Governors and vir-
tually every officer of Indiana was accused
by a Grand Jury of felony, and AZ other
election crimes lie was arrested and then
released under $4,000 bail. In October the
case against Taggart was dismissed. The
action may be taken as generating him from
personal participation in the election crimes
at indianapolis but not as lifting the Taggart
machine from disrepute to an honored place
in public estimation.
At Terre Haute the United States Govern
ment placed under arrest ia machine hench-
men, and later sent more than 100 convicted OF
conspiracy to serve sentences at Fort Leaven-
worth. Indianapolis saw the same political
game played in the same way in TeTe
Haute. Slush funds and stuffed ballot boxes
We're the order of the day. Machine politics
was exhibited at it's worst Yet out of it all
has United States Senatorship for the
State boss
Man With Smile
Oh, well, it's possible to see something
romantic in the career of this distinguished
Indiana politician. Our great American
romance is the romance of success. 1t even
makes a man somehow likable. All, here we
have it, AS one enthusiastic biographer
has said:
"The power of personality never was better
illustrated than in the career of Thomas Tag
gart, the Indiana-and national-politcal lead
er. Irish by birth, Taggart must have car
essed the blarney stone from the earliest days
of his infancy 10 the day of his departure for
American shores. This is not to say that he
is an orator. He is nothing of the sort. On
the contrary, he is no speech-maker at all.
But when it comes to saying quickly in pri-
vate conversation or in passing greeting, the
right thing in the right way at the right
moment. Taggart is without superior in
the whole country. Not even his bitterest
enemy will find the slightest fault with Tag
CARTS ever.brilliant, ever-pleasant smile. That
was the gift with which he began life That
was his talent and his capital CHEEKY smile,
a firm friendly handclasp, ready sympathy
these went with il. And the combination ele-
waited Thomas Taggart from clerks position
behind a depot lunch counter and a salary of
eight dollars a week TO the highest position
of political bossism in State and nation and
to the miuionaire's status in point of fortune"
Thomas Taggart was born in Ireland in
1856 When youth he came to this country
and settled in &enia o. Later he moved
10 Richmond, and then to Garrett, Ind.
indianapolis first saw him in 1871 The lads
first position was that of waiter at a rail-
road lunch counter. History has it that his
genial disposition, his wit, thrift and in
defatigable energy soon lifted him from the
ranks OF the servers into those OF the pro-
prietors The future boss Of the Middle
West became owner of third-rate establish
ment which he metamorphosed into first
class restaurant He always had the ability
TO make money and 10 keep it. His res
taurant enlarged into hotel, and before the
. people of Indianapolis knew il this Irish inn
migrant was part owner and then proprietor
Of the Grand Hotel.
Even IN the lunch-counter days Taggart
had a leaning toward politics. He had
peculiar facility for lining up ana taking
care OF 4the boys" Like az true politicians,
he stuck 70 his friends. This trait was ex
emplihed last summer, following his arrest
He Immediately secured mas own Release, puI
refused to leave the city until he had arranged
nearly 100000 bail for the boys" As he ex-
pressed II. He FIRST ran for ONCE as County
Auditor Ia the early sos For years Marion
County had been Republican Taggart. the
asailias Irlshman, earIiedSit b lseQ. n 1858
ba beeame County chaisman. and showed his