Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1907 — DEMOCRATIC MACHINE TAKING NO CHANCES ON LOSING ITS HOLD ON THE PARTY IN INDIANA [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC MACHINE TAKING NO CHANCES ON LOSING ITS HOLD ON THE PARTY IN INDIANA

[Special Correspondence.] Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. • —The preliminary arrangements for the reorganization of the Democratic state committee so that the ■ Taggart-Craw-ford Fairbanks machine will be able to run the party to suit its own plans are now being perfected; — The machine is well oiled and running smoothly and noiselessly. It la not deceiving anyone, however, but the masse? of Its party who have been led to believe that every thingJ is lovely, and that they will have a voice in saying what shall be done. It is difficult to see how they can be deluded so easily and completely, as a “hnrot-Child dreads the fire,” and the party has been “burnt” many times by the machine and Its henchmen. ’*• ' Some of the leaders of the Democratic party who are sore on the machine know what is being done, but they are powerless to stem the tide. Slaughter of Lambs. That good natured rotund politician at Lafayette, James Kirby Risk, has been marked for slaughter by the Taggart-Crawford Fairbanks push, whichltlUKHrir.Truf i would not be servile to IL Risk has shown signs of Independence that were very Irritating to members of the machinewhoartmot pleased when any members of their party oppose them. If Risk could absolutely guarantee the machine bosses that he would obey them implicitly whenever they wanted to come through with some of their schemes maybe he could be elected state chairman—otherwise he could not.

Right now Risk stands marked for the slaughter. So much for the ambitions of one faithful son of the party who would like to have a voice in its management. His fate will be shared by others who do not do the machine’s bidding. Machine Has Candidate. The Taggart-Crawford Fairbanks machine has gone so far lately as to offer the state chairmanship to one man. No consideration was had for Jhe_deslres or plans of the masses of the' party. It was simply another time when the bosses felt that it would, suit their interests to have one of their henchmen at the head of the organizatlon. - A similar situation existed six years ago when W. H. O’Brien of Lawrenceburg, the present chairman, was elected. The Taggart crowd wanted the scalp of Steve Fleming of Fort Wayne, and got it. Fleming and his friends still recall with indignation how they were double-crossed by machine men whose support they were told they would receive. At the eleventh hour they were defeated and O’Brien, the machine’s candidate, was elected. Now that O’Brien has outlived his usefulness to the machine as state -chairman he is to be placed on the shelf. The chairmanship has been offered by the machine to John Gilbert McNutt of Terre Haute, Fifth district TtotaMr— —— • McNutt is a Taggart-Crawford Fairbanks man. In fact hb is said to be one of the main attorneys for the Fairbanks brewery Interests. He has represented the brewery Interests during the legislative sessions here, and has always been one of the members of the committee to follow the beck and call of Taggart and Fairbanks. Machine Settles Things.

McNutt’s election is as good as settled unless he decides not to accept the place. He is regarded by the ma'~Chiue~men as the moot available man for the place, as he is said ,to be in complete sympathy with Taggart and his brewer ally. Their rule must be continued, no matter how hard the masses of the party object. If McNutt doesn’t take it, the place will be handed out to some other obedient servant of the machine. No representative of the masses of the party will be elected, that is settled. Bryan Merely Tolerated. The machine, according to reliable information, is merely tolerating the presidential candidacy of Bryari. They fear that his election would mean that their day as bdsses would end. It is known now on the inside that Bryan will be cheated out of the Indiana delegation if the machine can turn the trick. Taggart Unchanged. v The Indianapolis Star says: “The Rev. T. H. Kuhn of Richmond is the man who Is slated to lead the temperance hosts against the Taggart battlements. It is a fact known of all men that the Democratic state committee is now a political asset of T. Taggart, who permits it to be dominated absolutely by the brewery Influence. If there are any bills to be pushed through the legislature in the interest of the breweries, or if there are any bills obnoxious to the brewers to be killed oft, the Democratic state committee is called upon to help turn the trick. Mr. Taggart has shown no evidence of a change of heart and it is taken tar granted that If he succeeds in reorganizing the state committee next January, according to his own ideas and wishes, it will continue to be an instrument in the hands of the brewers."