davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
WROTE LETTER TO FORUM

JOSEPH A. SHOEMAKER had
- arrived in Tampa from Yer
mont some six months before the
city primary of last Sept. 3. He
had been a Socialist Party work.
er in Vermont.
A week or SO after the primary
he began appearing in the local
newspaper Offices, explaining that
he was executive secretary of a
new political party called the
Modern Democrats.
He talked a lot of vague and I'M
orthodox theories about govern
ment but expressed admiration for
President Roosevelt. His central
idea was that the millennium could
be brought about overnight if
Congress would pass an income
tax law levying 100 per cent on
all incomes above $4,000 year.
One day Shoemaker announced
that the Modern Democrats would
run an independent candidate in
the November general election
against Mayor Cnancey. The can
didate selected was Miller A. Ste
phens. Few persons in Tampa
had ever heard of Mr.. Stephens,
although he was a native of the
city.
The modern Democrats held a
few curbStone meetings at which
speechse were made by Shoemaker
Eugene F. Poulnot and Sam D.
Rogerst-he three future fogging
victims attacking municipal, con-
ditions under the Chancey regime
Shoemaker wrote a series of let
tiers to the public forum column
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
BATTLED FOR CONTROL

TN the late twenties the Whitak-
i ers became ambitious to Gre
ate a political organization of
their own. They set out to cap
ture the city administration and,
with the avowed purpose of OBJ
tanning honest elections, Senator
Pat Whitaker had the Legislature
pass a law in 1881 constituting a
Tampa City Election Board which
would control all election ma
chinery in the mayoralty cam
paign later that year.
1t was the first and only board
of the kind in the state.
The Whitaker candidate for
mayor was Pat Whitaker's BROTH
er-in-law, Robert E. Lee Chan
cey, who had served several terms
with reasonable satisfaction to
the public as county solicitor.
Chancey was opposed by an
older faction which had long
dominated both city and county
affairs. There was an outcry
from this faction against the new
City Election Board on the
ground that it was a self-perpet-
uating body whose members had
been named specifically in the
act Whitaker had passed and that
they were a law unto themselves.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
TENSION MARKS PRIMARY

THE primary was marked by
l. high tension at the polls and
smuggling in some of the hot" pre-
cincts, where crews of repeaters
were reported in evidence. This
time the county commission
counted the returns.
When it was announced that
Tillman had won, the Whitaker
faction declared the election had
been stolen. But Senator Whit
aker gulped the bitter Medicine
and bided his time.
Mayor Chancev bounced last
spring that he aid stand for re-
election. T.-c county political or
ganization backed D. B. Mckay,
newspaper publisher, who had
been Mayor for several terms and
resigned in 1881 to devote himself
to business interests.
The campaign began in late
July, with many charges and
counterchargeS. The primary,
under the control once more of the
Whitaker created city election
board, was to be held Sept. 8.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

Registration took place in early
August. The city election board
announced that some $4,000 citi-
zens were entitled to vote. A
howl of protest arose from the
Mckay camp, and Tampa's two
newspapers pointed out the alb
surdity of the figures, declaring
that it indicated purpose to steal
the election.
The registration of voters in
the 1881 mayoralty campaign was
only $4,000. An increase of 10000
in our years was out of all rea-
son.
Civic bodies became aroused.
The Presidents Round Table, con-
sisting of the heads of various
civic organizations, proposed a
slate of five men, not prominently
identified with factional politics,
for election to the city election
board. (Senator Tillman had put
through the 1885 Legislature law
requiring board members to sub
NIT themselves to a vote of the
people, instead of perpetuating
themselves by their own author
ity as under the original Whitaker
Act).
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
CHANCEY NOMINATED

A S a result of the intimidation
N and terrorism only small
proportion of the electorate went
to the polls at all. There were
MANY clashes and many arrests.
Each faction accused the other OF
violating the election laws. The
jails were kept busy receiving
prisoners, who were promptly
bailed out.
The Tampa Times commented
the next day:
In the long and disgraceful his
tory of fraudulent elections in
Tampa, none probably surpassed
this one in mismanagemenr if not
deliberate illegal tampering with
the machinery of the election"
After canvasSing the vote the
election board announced that
Mayor Chancey had been nom
mated by 1925 votes against 5084
for ex-Mayor Mckay.
Since 2129 special policemen and
deputies and other guards were
on duty that day, simple division
shows that there was one claw
enforcer" for each seven votes
cast.
The defeated faction talked of
going to court. and appeals were
made to Gov. Sholtz and Atty.
Gen. Lands for intervention, but
nothing came of it. County Solic-
itor Hardee-an opponent of the
Whitaker faction-prosecuted
number of precinct officials ac-
cused of fraudulent practices.
They were defended by the re-
doubtable Pat Whitaker, who ap-
pealed their convictions to the
State Supreme Court and had
them all released on a technical
ity.
The one bright spot in the elec-
ton was the fact that four of the
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

Tillman, lawyer and son of
the famous United States
Senator "Pitchfork" Ben
Tillman of South Carolina.
Pat Whitaker is an aggressive
and persuasive speaker. He and
his brother came to Tampa from
Georgia as young men and Pat
was taken up by the then political
powers as an attractive political
personality.
State Senators until recently
had unusual authority in the Leg
islature at Tallahassee. BY SEN
atorial courtesy they could pass
almost any bill they wished af-
fecting their own districts.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

SKlrCS OF the CITY. americans CONF
ing to Germany, however, are sub
ject to the German laws, and
these laws to not permit political
assemblies comparable to the Nazi
meetings in New York And, of
course, it would be absurd for any
American group in this country to
think of organizing a shoot" on
the order of the Nazi outings at
home.
The explanation is that the
Germans in America are subject
to American law, while Americans
in Germany must live within the
restrictions imposed by the Nazi
regime Most A,,,or;ooo- ,,xj1
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
Townsendites Ask
Much Of Candidate
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER

VXTASHINGTON, Feb. 22-Considering WHAT
w mild -mannered pair DR.. Townsend ana MS CO.
founder and sales manager Robert E. Clements,
seen, To be thew know how to make blackjack.
Townsend adquarters here has just prepared
printed QUESTIONABLE candidates for Congress ana
the Senate who are seeking the lndorsement OF the
Townsend clubs
Upon examination, the QUESTIONABLE turns out
to be a blank check by which the signing candidate
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

for public Office torthWlth sur
renders up his life, liberty and
the pursuit of his public duty to
the men behind the Townsend
plan.
Here are some of the pledges
the candidate for United States
Senator or member of the House
of Representatives, who seeks the
support of the Townsend move
ment is asked to sign:
l. IF Endorsed by the Town
send organization, will you make
a pledge to support and vote for
national legislation sponsored
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

pie are going 10 assume t1aI Ine
decision was actually influenced
by the rapidly mounting protest
of various public leaders against
what they conceived to be a
usurpation of power by the court.
I believe this conception of the
professors was correct, and am
of the opinion that criticism did
temper the judgment of the court.
But, of course, that is surmiSe.
No inquiring reporter sat within
the brain of Brandeis or inside
the mind of McReynolds while
the discussion was on. Indeed,
thera ie a rIIroor that McRevI1OldS
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

and county officials. including a
Governor, are to be nominated.
But when the Tampa news
papers daily reflected in news
columns and editorials the wide
spread and CROWN gpublic indig-
nation, such talk ceased.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

of the Tribune outlining his
plan" for the salvation of the
country. His outgivings were not
actually communistic or sub
versive of the American form of
government, but they were more
or less crack Drained"
Little attention was paid to them
by the rank and file of Tampa
voters, but the temerity of this
newcomer in daring to chal-
lenge the city machine apparently
did not escape notice among some
of the officeholderS.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
FAIR Enough
BY
MUSHROOM PEGLER

MUNICH, Feb. 22-Much personal inconviencs
1'A would be avoided if Americans coming to Ger
many realized that they can not insist the
privileges here which Germans enjoy in the United
States.
In New York, for example, there is aggressive
Nazi group which hold political meetings hostile to
a large element of nat.ve-born American citizens
and sometimes conducts rifle practice on the out
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

Heywood Broun himself can not get in. He has
locked himself out and the key is missing.
McReynolds has voted NO on every New Deal
case which has come before him. He has an I'M
broken string of eight negatives, and he has become
by his appointment, psychoanalyst to the House
and Senate.
The subconscious mind of Mr.. Justice McReynolds
ought to be very interesting territory. seem to
envisage 1t a bleak and rocky terrain not unlike
those mountainous regions of Ethiopia through
which the Italians are making such slow progress.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
Saves Much Trouble

'HIS was adopted at time when many Central
Americans going to the United States to
study in the universities acquiring citizenship in
the meantime and then returning to their homes to
take part in political intrigues 1t is useful law
now, because otherwise the American government
would be meeting constant calls to assist nominal
Americans in trouble with various European govern
ments.
In a recent case which Mr.. Hathaway handled
the defendant, born German but naturalized
American, had lived in Germany for Is years and
had not even troubled to present himself to the
consulate Nevertheless, when he got into trouble
he yelled for help and the Germans for reason,
let him wriggle away. After he had left Germany,
Mr. Hathaway received word that the mans Amer
lean citizenship had been written off in 1921, but
he was on his way by that time and the Nazis may
have regarded his escape good radiance
Of course, there is an important question of man.
nerS involved. Nazis residing in American cities who
hold meetings to harass native-born Americans may
be acting within their rights but they hardly be
called good guests. On the other hand, Americans
have no choice They must keep out of political
movements and arguments else.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
II Seems hM
BY
BR0UN

THE IVA decision will naturally have very con-
l. siderable political consequences. think one
of its immediate effects is unfortunate. The Con-
stitution is out of the current campaign. BY ma
jority of to the Supreme Court has granted itself
a reprieve from criticism.
say this is unfortunate because one of the most
promising opportunities modern American history
has offered for debating our basic law has now gone
over the sluiceways Naturally, great many peo-
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
Al Embarrasses Judges

DUT if the strategic retreat of the Supreme Court
- to previously prepared positions is to be treated
from psychological angle some consideration must
be paid to a man no longer in public life. I think
ALT E. Smythe saved IVA. That doesn't look right.
Of course the man to whom I am referring is
Alfred E. Smith.
MIR. Smiths defense of recent rulings turned out
to be the most Furnishing blow against the prestige
of the court which has been delivered. Even the
Justices felt little embarrassed when Alfred pulled
the line about their all being directly inspired by
God
Indeed member of the bench told newspaper
man an ancedote concerning his own experiences
with the speech. my wife and 1 listened to the
Liberty League speech over the radio at the mouse
of friend" he sad Just we were getting out
of the taxi the way home my wife remarked,
That was a wonderful speech Ex-Governor smith
made The taxi driver turned around and said: l
thought it was terrible speech Tell me enc
thing he said'"
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

stand this but few to to think that their pass
ports guarantee them all the rights which are
theirs at home and surprised hurt when they
hnd themselves in trouble with the political police
There was case in the Peoples Court in Munich
which is OF interest in this connection The defend
ant was Karl Nisselback, aged So, who was born in
Bavaria and naturalized in Brooklyn but returned
here to go into the export and import trade.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
A Case in Point

LIE was arrested last May and his difficulty might
= have remained secret for some time but for
the fact that his wife, also of German birth reported
Immediately to Mr.. Hathaway American consul
Nlsselback was alleged to have conspred with
Otto Strasser, political exile living in Prague The
latter was once political colleague of Adolf Hitler
but broke with him and ran away. Nisselback also
charged with importing copies of Strassers revolu-
tonary publications. Found guilty he was sentenced
to two years imprisonment thus demonstrating that
an American In Germany can not claim the same
lndulgent treatment that a Nazi residing in New
York receives.
1t is the German who has been naturalized as an
American and then returns to Germany who gives
most of the trouble The explanation obviously. is
that such people unable to suppress their inter-
est IN German political controversies and either
sound off too vehemently find themselves tempted
to take Sides
Nowadays if a naturalized American returns to
his fatherand for than two years he must con-
vince the nearest consul that he still loyal Amer
lean in order to retain his passport.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
Taxi Drirer UnimpreSSed

A ND it was actually AIS overzealous defense OF
IN the Supreme Court which set taxi drivers TO
talking and coal miners and coumnists and people
on street corners and in smoking cars. Mr. smith
speech put the Constitution and the Supreme Court
into politics. The court doesn't like to be IN poll
tics 1t quickly moved out.
OF course it didn't pass on all the aspects OF
IVA The man who jumped from the top OF the
Empire State Building said, he passed the sXtetn
story: WELL evcrything's all right up I'LL now.
That's about all the court said. 1t was a we-can-
talk this over later kind of decision.
But that's what has happened to the constitu-
tional issue Roosevelt luck has held. The Presl-
Sont will not be compelled to run on any kind of
revision plank and 1 know at least one hard-Workng
coumnist who will have to find new subject TO
write upon The nine old men have gone down III
their deep dugouts.
Copyright. 1885,
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
By DAVID e. SMILEY
Editor of The Tampa Daily Times

DAVID
o Tampa
TAMPA, Fla, Feb. 22.-Tampa has dual form of gov
eminent, the city the hand and Hillsborough
County the other
The City Police Department, under the mayor is
charged with enforcing the state criminal laws and the
local police ordinances passed by councmanic chamber
of II, the City Board of Representatives.
The county commissioners, five in NUMBER conduct
county administrative affairs and the sheriff has county
wide Jurisdiction of course including the territory covered
by the city police.
Rivalry between groups of gambling bosses led natu
rally to recurring contests for control of the two branches
of government.
For the last four years the city has been
controlled by the Whitaker faction the two leading figures
in which are Pat and Tom Whitaker attorneys with
large criminal law practice. Pat Whitaker state Sena-
eight years until he defeated in 1884 by Henry
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22
FLOGGED TO DEATH-FOR POLITICS


THIS the third of
Of Tampas brutal hoggings and
The Washington times., 1936-07-28

in their spirits there is a rising
reStleSSneSS and rebellion against
the very things which once
seemed so Sweetly comforting. ..
against the very "unselfiSh devo-
ton" which the world so ad-
mireS.
Els it really 'unSelfish devo-
tion'?"-there'S the dark and
dangerous doubt which is taking
shape within Martha Gray's
dutiful son and daughter. They're
grown now, Is and %, and work
ing. Jim's head Of a shipping
department: James buyer in the
house dresses department. Smart
youngsters, doing more than well
for their years. Everyone env1eS
them their lovely home life.
MOTHER SHACKLES
CHILDREN
But is it really a lovely home
life?
Is it so noble" for a mother
to fuss over a man Of 25, q
woman Of %, as she fused over
helpless babies - binding them
with kisses, browbeating them
with tears?
Should a family or the world at
large admire woman who has mo
interest outside her home" who
elves only in her children" and
cannot live without them" who
uses every emotional device to pre-
vent them from leaving her, max
ing homes or following adventures
Of their own?
Is such a mother really un-
selfish and devoted? She Is not!
A truly unSelfiSh mother sends her
children forth. to a larger life . =.
releases them by making a life for
herself, independent of theirs.
A woman who olives only in her
children" after their childhood has
passed. and who shackles them by
her helplesSness, is no true mother.
SHE is A CANNIBAL.
Such a creature feeds upon hui
man life as surely as any man
eating savage. Under the pretext
of loving her young, she devours
them-destroyS that which once
she created.
copyright, 1895. by King Features
Syndicate Ino.)
The Washington times., 1936-07-28
TOday's BOOndOggle

Indicative of the foresight" with which PWA officials
pared the present drought the situation in Las Anlmas
county Col
With over 100000 devoted to agriculture Las Ami
county land farms than other county Of
the State This Garden of Eden, however, since the
county lies arid reaches of southern Colorado which
are frequently subjected drought the most recent of which,
according Weather Bureau occurred in the early spring
of this year.
In ALL the WPA has announced presidential approval OF
worth of work relief projects for this county and
among these INSTRUMENTATION project that
been selected for operation The only active item in the
entire list that is even remotely connected with conservation
is foodcontro project Trinidad and this the Govern
ment will spend the munifcent sum of $4,15L
York SUM
The Washington times., 1936-07-28

particularly in Edwin c. Hill
teresting In view Of China's pres
emit distress, with civil war, actual
or impending, and the shadow of
Japan's ASiatic outreach over the
land. One would expect her to
be looking to her forts rather
than her affairs.
HovanniS, wise old medieval
monk, wrote that it was well
that even pagen nations should
keep their temples in repair. He
said this was the measure Of a
nations strength and boldness
Of the spirit" and that a national
spirit, thus nurtured, would in
time prevail against all evil.
Our age, doubtless, would note
that many beautiful temples have
become dust, or suffered to stand
only by the grace of a foreign
tyrant, and that the wise nation
Of today would think more Of
its guns than its temples.
There is a historic argument
here which never has been settled.
Always, in all countries, there has
been contention between the pal
ace and the temple-between SOW
ereignty and faith, the flesh and
the spirit.
Religions have degenerated into
SuperStitionS, governments, have
become cruel and corrupt, and
sometimes the desert sands have
buried them all, but the ancient
segregation Of men of will and men
of faith is unchanged.
THEY ARE SYMBOLS
Temples, invariably, are orr
ented to the deeps Of the universe;
palaces, never. Cosmic are the
temples; mundane the palaces.
One symbolizes mans faltering
outreach for the eternal, the other
his seizure and maintenance Of
temporal power.
The Temple Of Heaven Is orr
ented to the shortest day Of win
ter. The pyramids were built in
conSonance with the heavens, as
was the Egyptian Temple Of Kar-
max, the overwhelmingly beautiful
Tai Mahal of India, the Parthe-
non, the Angkor-Vat Of French
Indo-C China, the Aztec temples and
the Mayan temples Of Mexico.
Thus man embodied in stone
and teak and marble and precious
gems his first knowledge of the
heavens, his first orientation Of
the human mind and spirit with
the stars.
Lao-Tsze, prophet and poet, be-
fore the days Of Confucius, re-
marked that "only the stars en-