The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-06-28
TAGGART TAKES
CARE RALSTON'S
DUSkY MOUNT
Waldorf Astoria Is Gathering
Spot for Democratic
Dark Horses.
By FRANK TAYLOR,

NEW YORK, June 28.-The sta
bles where they groom and fodder
the Democratic dark horses are all
in one hotel. The Waldorf Astoria.
All it takes to open dark horse
stable is a pitcher of ice water and
a cardboard placard on which to
print the candidates name. 1t also
helps if you have a couple of fellows
looking for public Office who are will
ing to act as stable boys. The Wal
dorf furnishes silver pitchers of ice
water free of charge, and refills them
every hour or so day and night,
which may account for the congrega-
ton of dark horses in its halls.
There are all sorts of dark horse
stables, just as there are all sorts
of dark horses. Senator Walsh of
Montana, for instance, is one of to-
days favorites, but he hasn't any
stable. His trainers groom and linn
Der his candidacy right down in Pea
cock alley, the main lobby of the
hotel.
Plenty of Glass
At one end Of the alley the Davis
people have headquarters. Nearby
is the Cox stable, while adjoining
them the Glass room. The thing
that attracts folks to the glass room
is a revolving sphere of looking
glasses, which casts a wierd pro-
cession of colored lights about the
place.
Upstairs is the Richie stable, the
Silzer stable and numerous others.
On the third floor Tom Taggart, boss
of Indiana, has fitted up the Ralston
stable. You'd never know it to look
at it though. Ralston is in Indian
apolis listening to the cheering by
radio. and cautious Taggart. fearing
lest his horse become too light, re-
fuses to permit a single pasteboard
in the hotel bearing Ralston's name.
Some of the dark horses are there
in person, to. be looked over and
sized up by the inquisitive delegate,
others are more modest The least
modest of all are the two leading
candidates, McAdoo and Smith, who
are on the job in person, each run
ming his show and predicting his
own victory.
Must Be Dark Horse
The feeling prevails here that
neither of the leading candidates can
be nominated. Everybody says it
must be one of the dark horses. Most
folks say that the darker the horse
the better his chances. That is be-
cause the convention has developed
such bitter feeling among factions
that only an unknown quantity can
unite the party.
This class of factions raises an in
teresting sidelight on the Demo-
cratic party. It isn't one party. but
an amalgamation of disconnected
groups. There are at leastNa dozen
distinct factions within the Demo-
cratic party. They pull together in
one party only for the purpose of
competing with the Republican party
for power.
One group of Democrats is main
ly interested in the League of Ma
tons. Another talks of an anti-Klan
plank and nothing else. A third
group thinks the wet question is the
only one thai counts. The South is
Democratic because of the negro
question. A group from the Middle
West is teamed up about agricul-
ture. These minorities make the
matter of unity in the party diff
flculty.
G.. O. p. United
This same condition did not pre-
vail at the Republican convention.
There was just one minority at
Cleveland. the La Toilette Progress
sives from Wisconsin. The Re
publican party has long been made
by its long years in power the party
that stands fairly unitedly for the
status quo. At least its leaders were
united for that in Cleveland.
The Democrats on the other hand
are those who protest. They are
Protesting for different reasons.
= Most of them local. McAdoo leaders
are attempting to have this protest
be broad. The general protest of the
liberals of the land. But they are
not talking politics which the Demo
Gratis of New York, or of Illinois or
Of the South, car understand. That
is the real reason for the lack of
harmony in New Aork