Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1908 — TOM TAGGART IS AN ISSUE [ARTICLE]

TOM TAGGART IS AN ISSUE

NOTWITHSTANDING VEHEMENT DENIALS OF HIS FRIENDS. - -- ' f - ~T > r “"V - ; \ "■' - An Editor’s Answer to the Democratic Charge That Tqm’s Critics Are “Congenital Idiots.”

Martinsville Republican. Tom Taggart. He’s an issue in this campaign. Why? Because hes an issue within the cratic party, in the nation and in the state of'lndiana. Because he’s’ an issue within the democratic party of Indiana and the nation, a large number of the better democrats seeking to relieve their party from the odium of his control and being prevented from doing so by virtue of the machine in which he is in control. Because de dictated the democratic floor leader of the ; last Indiana senate and seeks to do the same again, to prevent (as then) any legislation tending to control the imirioral influences that are working to control legislation. The democratic party feels the burden and concedes this issue by the defense of Taggart. Otherwise they would disavow party responsibility for his acts. The democratic press and the democratic politicians have been trying to enter and sustain for him a general denial of his responsibility for the greatest disgrace of Indiana—the gambling rooms at French Lick. They plead that he is but the president of the hotel company that owns the hotel with which his name is connected on all occasions; that the gambling rooms were opened after the by one A 1 Brown and have no connection with Taggart’s hotel; that Taggart has no more to do with the gambling there than has the Old Man

Hanl-y, but for the suggestion of Tom Taggart that he do so ? Poes any person think that Tom Taggart would have prompted such a course for the hope of lining, up all elements in Indiana not especially pleased with Gov. Hanly’s course in ( Hie , to suppress gambling at French Lick? Does any person doubt that Taggart’s effort to nominate Ralston fori governor was to repay him for the es- : fort made in that Greenfield speech, now rendered ridiculous by events subsequent to its utterance? The people are equally that the transfers pf the Ralston : support in convention to Marshall was; in pursuance of the same policy, because Senator Slack was slated by : Taggart for defeat, at all hazzards— 1 and Jhis primarily for the reason that ! Slack would not do all the Taggart bidding; secondarily, because Slack supported many of Gov. Hanly's recommendation for legislation. In the democratic state convention hundreds of democrats shouted to put Taggart off the floor of the convention. They were disgusted and angered at his officiousness, and the fact that he was permitted to remain cn the floor when others were ejected. In the district meetings, prior to the convention, the Taggart machine w#iß driven over all opposition, without We least regard to decency,"either individual or political. In spite of all these ouratges against the majority of his party (no doubt remains but that the majority of the delegates were anti-Taggart) his brand has been placed upon the nominee for governor; his candidate for chairman of the state committee; his standing in the party and before the people is being defended by thfe democratic state organization; his conduct of the French Lick hotel and | gambling rooms is being defended i —and the press bureau department with the hope of deceiving the people —and the press bureau depaitment of the committee’s campaign organization is being used to do it. It does not matter what iis the belief of the bulk of the democrats of Indiana, Taggart is in control of the party. What he has been able to do with a minority of the delegates, plus the organization officers, shows how helpless the majority of his party are against him. What he will be able to do in the next session of the legislature is shown conclusively by what he has done in the past—up to the present : moment. -y■ better than the spirit that prompts it; Taggart is the prompting spirit of Indiana’s organized democracy, as well as of French Lick’s organized gambling. Taggart and what he represents is the issue in Indiana in this campaign and no account of technical quibbling by the democratic organization can convince thinking people that he does not determine, absolutely, whether there shall be any gambling at French Lick and what the democratic party shall stand for.

of the Sea. Who believes that? Everybody knows that these gam- ! bling rooms were opened ofter the ! state sought to stop the gambling at French Lick. That the gambling rooms used prior to that time were connected with the j hotel building by a corridor leading! direct from one to another. That the hotel company, of which the democratic idol is the president, leased these rooms to those who conducted the gambling business. That the defense by the hotel company, against the attack of the state to stop this gambling, was the defense of the gambling institution, as well as of the charter of the hotel company. Hundreds of Indiana newspaper men have been at French Lick, have seen these things and know that these statements are true. Thousands of citizens of Indiana have read accounts of these doings at gne&eh Liek- ~a»4 -have-- ample -eig- * eirmstantta! evidence W kuuw "that' such are the conditions at French Lick. Hundred of church congregations hve heard this subject treated from the pulpit, in some instances the sermons being based upon newspaper reports—in other instances upon personal observation of the pastors addressing themselves to the subject. Even more: Does any person believe that Sam Ralston, of Lebanon, would have committed the pitiable error he made in his Greenfield speech, scoring Gov.