Evening star., 1924-06-21
TAGGART DECLARES
THERE IS NO BOSS
Believes Democratic Party Ruled
Entirely by Popular
Mandate.
FOR RALSTON FROM FIRST
Hoosier Denies Frame-Ups at
French Lick Springs.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL

NEW YORK, June 21.-Thomas
Taggart of Indiana is busy these
days trying to impress upon his in
terviewers and all and sundry that
he is not a boss" in any sense of
the word and that the Democratic
party is not bossed. Mr.. Taggart
pooh poohs the talk Of a big Four
in the democracy and says he is
having no truck" with any blocs
restraint of presidential booms. Mr.
Taggart knows of only one candi-
date in the race-Senator Samuel
Ralston, a Hoosier Grover Cleveland.
He likes Al Smith: he likes lot of
people, but he vows and declares he
Is not in the "bossing' business and
never was there.
All the talk about the visits that
George Brennan of Illinois and the
late Charles T.. Murphy of Tammany
Hall used to make to him at French
Lick Springs was pure DUNK. ac-
cording to MIR. Taggart This tr1um-
virata did not meet together to settle
not meet to turn thumbs down on
certain candidates. The last visit
Mr. Murphy made to French Lick
was said to have been for the pur-
pose OF voting McAdoo as candidate.
That was all wrong. says. Mr.. Tag
CART All the triumvirate did was to
play golf, take the baths and lounge
around in the evening enjoying lire
and indulging in social pastimes.
The big Four" Of today is popu-
Tageart. Brennan. Guffey of Pitts
burgh and AL Smith OF New YORK as
the successor of the late Tamnany
chieftain in Democratic leadership of
his home state.
For RalstOn From First.
There is no doubt there exists
strong community of interest" be-
tween these four gentlemen. but Mr..
Taggart is consistent in saying that
from the first he has been for Sena-
tor Ralston, regardless of what the
other sides of the Big -Four may
think. and he believes that among the
dark horse element MIR. Ralston has
leading position.
The latest official bulletin from
headquarters of the dry" force sent
here from Washington TO mop up
during the convention period an
nounces that. contrary to general
opinion in the great American hinter-
land, New York really is not now
and never has been since prohibition
became law a really wet city.
1T is just damp in spots. explains
the regional director.
Kind to BootlegEers.
Nevertheless and notwithstanding
fate has been kind to the bootleggers
these last few nights preceding the
convention. Heavy fogS have fallen
with the evening shadows, and in the
sheltered seclusion of the gray mlsts
the swift motor craft of the whisky
merchants have been playing ducks
and brakes with their natural enc
have taken place in the fog blanket,
but for the most part the liquor run
ners have safely reached their desti-
nations with the forbidden cargoes.
Thus far the bootleggers have kept
their agreement not to raise rates on
the demands. They said they would
abide by the decisions of the hotel
only normal fees. If the convention
should prove to be a long-drawn-out
affair, however, there may be a
change, for it is ax,omatic that all
rules fail in dry" weather.
Two SwindIers Caught.
The police have arrested two swim
dlers charged with trying to sell bits
of glass as diamonds. 1t is denied
that any Of the visiting Democrats
were the victims of the game.
Here's an evidence of what the New
Workers. themselves think of the con-
vention, the New York City delegates
are deserving their outlying homes
and taking quarters at a hotel right
in the middle of what may be called
want to miss anything by going home
O. nights.
The AL Smith forces scored an early
scoop on their rivals of the McAdoo