Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 257, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1910 — TAGGART AND SCHOOLS. [ARTICLE]

TAGGART AND SCHOOLS.

Thomas Taggart, director general of Indiana 1 Democrats who submit to such leadership, assumed a new- role when he rushed home from Hyannisport, Mass., to select a new candidate for superintnedent of public instruction to go on the Democratic state ticket in the place of Dr. Robert J. Aley, resigned. So far as known, there was no Macedonian cry from Indiana educators for the help of Thomos Taggart in this educational crisis. The 500,000 Indiana school children most directly concerned sent up no petition to Mr. Taggart for his - guidance. There was no appeal from the great body of school patrons for the ad-vice or activity' of Thomas Taggart. No one seems to know who appointed Mr. Taggart to be the philosopher, friend, mentor and Moses for the Indiana public schools. Yet Mr. Taggart was on the scene. And Mr. Taggart was unqualifiedly in favor of Charley Greathouse as the man for the Aley vacancy. So Greathouse went on the ticket. The withdrawal of Dr. Aley weakened the Democratic state ticket very seriously. Dr. Aley has been looked on as„a vote-getter of no mean ability. His record in office has been praised. His wortn was recognized in Indiana long before the University of Maine offered him its presidency at a fat salary. It is true Mr. Taggart and the Taggart committee did not concede Dr. Aley’s worth. It Is true Mr. Taggart refused to permit Dr. Aley’s official record to be indorsed by the Democratic state convention. But that does not detract, but rather adds to the popularity of the withdrawing candidate. The question of the day is whether Mr. Taggart has handled the Aley vacancy problem in such a way as to weaken or repair the ticket. Will Charley Greathouse be able to rally the Independent educators among whom Dr. Aley had become wellknown and admired? Or will Taggartism and the boss method of forcing Greathouse on the ticket serve to disgust Dr. Aley’s friends and drive them away from the Democratic ticket? Governor Marshall was out of the city when i*ir. Taggart’s committee put Charley Greathouse on the state ticket. As governor and logical leader of the party in the state, Governor Marshall expected and desired to be consulted on this important matter. He had in mind for Aley’s place Prof. George H. Tapy of Wabash college He asked for time. Mr. Taggart refused to give him a day, or an hour. The Greathouse deal was rushed through. The governor was ignored once more. It had been understood that Dr. Aley would stand with Governor Marshall and delay his resignation until the Democratic governor could reach Indianapolis from Petoskey, Mich. For some unknown reason Dr. Aley yielded to the Taggart pressure and the resignation went to the state committee two days before the governor expected it to be presented. Will the Democratic zovernor accept the snap judgment and hurry-up action of the Taggart men in the Greathouse matter? Or will he, like Dr. Aley, wash his hands of Taggartism and, like Dr. AJey, admit that he is completely digested with Taggart politics?—Lafayette Journal. ,