Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 September 1908 — THE “BREWERY COMBINE” [ARTICLE]

THE “BREWERY COMBINE”

SluniMdnt Instance of the Force of the Liquor Octopus in the Fourth District. A LOYAL DEMOCRAT’S OPINION ' !*• When Joseph M. Cravens. Was Crowd* ed Out by the Taggart Crowd, in Furtherance of Machine's Scheme of Brewery Domination In This State, Individual Freedom Shrieked. Many Democratic newspapers of Indiana recently have been quoting lavfohly from the Indianapolis News, but foe following Is an editorial from the News that they will not find a place for. Joseph M. Cravens of Madison was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for congress from ths Fourth district. He is a man of great independence of character and is of such personal strength and popularity that he has been able to draw votes though from his Republican neighbors *t home to elect him to office when he has run in that Republican county. At this time he Is a member of the tower house of the legislature. Mr. Cravens refused, however, to be ruled by the Taggart crowd in control of the Democratic state organization, and When he sought the nomination of his party for congress, the state organization plainly told him that there was nothing for him. Seeing the futility •t his position and realizing that the Taggart crowd was too powerful in the Fourth district for him to hope to eontest the matter with them against him, Mr. Cravens withdrew from the race. In so doing he made a formal statement of his position. It was upon this statement by Mr. Cravens that the News made the following editorial oomment:

We hope that our Democratic friends lead with care the statement of Joseph M. Cravens of Madison, which was printed in the News yesterday. If they did, we are sure that they must have j folt humiliated to think that their party had fallen so low as to allow Itself to be controlled by the Taggart-Bell-Crawford Fairbanks-Albert Lieber conspiracy. It is openly charged that there was a deal between the combination and Congressman Dixon of the Fourth district, by which Dixon helped to turn the state committee over to the combine in return for the corntone’s support of Dixon for the rehomlnatlon. At any rate, the brewery ggowd does control the committee, and It is for Dixon’s renomination, having warned Cravens off the track. Here Is what Mr. Cravens says of the matfort —T———-.. ■ "A peculiar and unfortunate condition exists in this district and in the state of Indiana. The party machinery has been in the hands of one and the same set of men for many years, and the Democratic masses have lost confi deuce in them. It has been claimed, and never disproved, that they were closely allied with certain special interests, notably the .. liquor interests. I am making no , charges against these men, for I have the kindliest feelings for them personally, but I do know ’ that the Influence of jttte state, jqrganization within the. district, as well as every brewery and saloon Influence that reaches the district, are earnestly and unitedly opposed to my candidacy at this time, and have served notice on me that I shall not be nominated. • • • We cannot hope to carry the state of Indiana unless we take a bold and unmistakable stand upon certain questions. We must rid the party of even the least appearance of brewery domination.”

Incidentally It may ba remarked that though Mr. Cravens la for local option ho la clear of his opinion that "there Mould be no weakening of the present laws on the liquor question,” but that, “On the contrary, they should be made stronger, and if local option will interfere with them, do away with the local option idea.” Such, then, la the case submitted Mr. Cravens, an orthodox and loyal Democrat He could not run for conS>wm simply because the gang would feet permit it, and he felt that to make d fight would so weaken the party as !• make Its defeat In the Fourth district altogether probable. How far, We ask, Is this dictation to go? The Taggarts, Bells, Crawford Fairbankses and Albert Liebers have been twite used to telling us whom we Mould elect to the legislatures, what men we should choose as mayors and

Whom we should send to city councils. Now they are picking out congressional candidates for yra. Next they will demand to be heard In the matter of electing senators and presidents, and when they get these they will be able to control the appointment of judges. Really, we think our Democratic brethren ought to wake up to the peril that confronts their party, the supposed party of the people. Can a party that Is controlled by Taggart and his associates, controlled absolutely by the liquor Interests, controlled, Indeed, by any group of men, be really the party of the people? This Is the question that Is raised by Mr. Cravens’s experience and by that of every man who has antagonized the liquor crowd that has for years sought, and still seeks, to use the Democratic party simply as an agent to accomplish its selfish and corrupt purposes. These men have no interest whatever in the party except as they are able to make it work their will. The only issue in which they are interested Is the liquor issue, and on that they are opposed to the will of the people. Anything that these men —Taggart, Bell, Crawford Fairbanks

and Albert Lieber —advocate in the way of liquor legislation will be a mighty good thing for the people and the Democratic party to leave alone. "The party machinery in this state has,” as Mr. Cravens says, “been in the hands of one and the same set of men for many years, and the Democratic masses have lost confidence in them.” We should say that that is a mild and conservative statement of the case. The fight now on Is between the Democratic party and a little ring of sefish politicians and brewers and asloon men who want to use it to widen the market for liquor. It Is for the Democratic voters of Indiana to say who shall win.