Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1904 — Some Comments on the Tom Taggart Demonstration. [ARTICLE]

Some Comments on the Tom Taggart Demonstration.

Congressman G. 13. Landis writing in the Delphi Journal as tbe Man on *he*Cornor. has the following ' Thatjwas a* greatjjderoonstratio* livtnJtolThrmaa Tnggait ot“lndian» •polis on }Taeid*y was interesting because it was novel. It was the first time within my knowledge or reeolection when a *' campaign 1 ’ had been made for the position of chairman of a great Nat. tonal party, It was ‘n the magnitude of the demonstration, a genuine tribute to Taggart, by the men vhc had worked with him in politios. The orowd was representative of the nen of all olas;ea who “work” in politics, either for honor, pastime iple&Bare or profit. But there was -ittle that was representative of that larger chus of men who are satisfied with controlling one vote saoh, and that the ballot they mark. So Tar as the demonstration was personal fc the genial “Smiling Tom” it must have been gratifying. And it has seemed to me that the ■workers in Tom’s party have been more interested in naming the man who should manage the campaign than they were in naming the man into whose hands the peace and the' •welfare of the Nation should be given if that campaign should win, or what the Xaionai policy of the party ■should be if entrusted with power. ’This condition is new in American politics; is it good, is it safe, is it wholesome? lam afiaid that tome of tbe Champions of “Smiling Tom’’ have remembered only his success, for. . getting that the greatest defeat his yearly ever suffered in th? state, when in U 94 it gave a Republican plurality of 44,000, it was under Taggart’s leadership as chairman and that he has been aotivelv identified with the oommittee in every campaign since with an unbroken' record of defeats.