Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 272, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1910 — Democratic Job Hunters Besiege Those in Control of the Plums. [ARTICLE]

Democratic Job Hunters Besiege Those in Control of the Plums.

Tom Taggart, the democratic boss, rejuvenated by the declaration of the democratic platform to repeal the county local option law, and the acknowledged head of the democratic party of Indiana, is being besieged by' job hunters. The Indianapolis Star says that practically every successful democratic candidate was under obligations to Taggart for his election and that Taggart will figure in the distribution of the plums of victory.

It is probable that White and Jasper countieji will not figure very largely in the harvest of spoils. The democratic legislative candidate declared against the reueal of the law that has proved so troublesome to the brewers whom Taggart represents and there was no brewery money spent in this district. The district went republican and there will be no democrat in control to recommend the faithful for jobs. There will be a lot of fat things to distribute in the way of clerkships in the offices, doorkeeper to the senate and house of representatives, and it is stated that Governor Marshall, who is the recognized diplomat of the party, will insist that these be given out equally in the 13 districts, it is probable that the plums for the 10th will go to “wet” territory. Jasper county people did not recognize the extent of the “whiskey and beer” influence In the last election. Apparently temperance was not an Issue so far as these two counties were concerned. But in other places, where the democratic candidate was standing squarely on the platform for repeal, the brewers’ money flowed like water over Niagara Falls. That was the real cause of victory in most of the districts that went democratic. The candidates were selected quietly with a secret pledge to Tom Taggart to vote for repeal if elected. Then they were supplied with the money with which to procure votes and the worst prostitution of voters in recent years was the result. Sincere temperance democrats did not know that the men they were supporting were pledged to perform the decapitation of the most aggressive temperance movement ever enacted into law in the state. They did not know that Tom Taggart, two years ago so thoroughly despised, was in absolute control of the state campaign, and they voted with the belief that they were simply supporing John W. Kern for the United States senate. But now they can see that they were abetting the brewers’ demand for the return of saloons to “dry” territory, and the complete annihilation of legislation by which citizens can express in the privacy of an election booth their convictions on the temperance question.

Of course, as Taggart’s campaign proved so successful, he will have the giving out of the fat jobs, and if there are any Jasper county democrats looking for a job they must make a low obeisance to “Smiling Tom.” ■ —-S'... jTj