Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-20

''To W. II. NJ:
"corne back and all win be forgiven.
| m. W."
What ID known - the Weller faction Of tha
central democratic committee held meeting
last night at their headquarters, No 1A27 Penn
sylvania avenue.
At this meeting bombshen was fred which
will be supposed to explode with loud noise in
the camp Of the Manogue faction-or the
seceders, a. the Welleritss call them.
! Then, when the smoke shall have cleared away,
ii il thought that the seceders, one by one,
viii decide to come back inside the breastworks
from whence they have wandered. II they do
it will be the old story over again Of the return
Of the ptodigal son. 1t is said that the com.
mittee will hold out its arms to the returned
ones, fold them warmly to its sheltering breast
and afterward go down to some appropriate
place and kill some fatted calves.
Next Thursday evening at O'Clock is the
time fixed for the carrying out Of the prodigai
! son act, and 1t is hoped there will be full at
tendance Of prodigals.
TWELVE MEMBERS PRESENT.
| At the meeting last night twelve members, q
| majority Of the committee, we're present.
They consisted OF Chairman Weller, Secretary
Costello, Treasurer Burns, William Holmead, J.
McKenns, DIR. ]. Whit. Hammett, F. p. Madi-
| gan, R. Z. Doyle, ". L. Wells, Edward Lynch
| and d. A. Mcdowell. John Boyle was repre-
| sented by proxy presented by Mr.. Costello.
| faction was present
Chairman Weller read two letters to the COM
mittee which were listened to with apparently
| q great deal of interest. The first one was ad-
dressed to Mr.. W. F. Harrity. chairman Of the
! national democratic committee and had been
mailed to Mr.. -Hsrrity on August by Mr..
| Weller. 1t was rs follows:
LETTER TO CHAIRMAN HARRrrY
"DEAR SIR: / presume you are aware of the
unfortunate dissension in the central demo-
! cratic committee Of the District of Columbia
prevailing since its organization on May g.
| when l was duly elected chairman by twelve
votes of the twenty-five districts, but which
action was repudiated by the minority repre-
senting the other ten Districts, who seccd ed
and elected VIM. II. Manogue as their chairman,
since which time this distric. has been RECALLED
with the disgrncefnl aspect of rump central
committee in opposition to the regular body.
II have made numerousattempts to reconcile
both parties and expected finally to meet with
J the desired success, but the insstiate ambition
of the young man Manogue, who, in order to
] defeat all my efforts in that direction, has now
introduced a new factor to sustain his own ille-
gal position by the claim that he has receiy ed
your support and is acting under your advice,
| viz, inclosed clipping.
| Il cannot believe for q single moment that
you have permitted the use Of your name. or
| that you could reach any such conclusion with
| out having called for an explanation from me
| or from others who are familiar with the scan
daleus condition of affairs in this District If q
minority be sustained in its rebellion then there
must be an end to democracy. The talk of
| anti-Cievelandism is simply rot. What my
| views were prior to the convention concern only
myself. Since the nomination I yield to none
in my loyalty to Grover Cleveland, nor will
| lag behind whenever the cause demands my
services. respectfully refer you to Senator
| German, who understands our local situation,
or to any other well-informed, fair-minded
democrat.
| II have no objection whatever to submitting
| committee II you deem that necessary, but
meanwhile / would be pleased to know by what
authority your name was used by Mr.. Manogue."
MR. HARRrrY's REPLY.
Mr.. Weller explained that this letter had
been sent by the authority given by the COM
mittee at a previous meeting which was the re-
suit Of statement made by Mr.. Manogue in a
newspaper interview to the effect virtually that
Chairman Harrity had recognized the action OF
Mr.. Manogue and his followers. Chairman
Harrity had replied to that letter as follows:
~ am in receipt Of yours Of August with
inclosed newspaper clipping. beg to say in
reply thereto that have given no advice what
ever in connection with the differences that may
exist in the central democratic committee Of the
| DAstiiCt VI SoluHluEt NC usS OI my name In
connection with the controversy is without any
authority whatever. VIM. T. HARRIrY."
THE CORRESPONDENTS WITH Mr. NORRIS.
This matter being passed over without further
comment, Mr.. Weller said that in order to as
certain the authority that the committee had
over its members in the way OF compelling at
tendance and payment Of dues he had written
to Mr. Norris, who represents the District of
Columbia on the national democratic com
mittee, to procure from him an opinion from
the national committee on this subject He
had been advised by Senator German that Mr.
Norris was the legal and valid committeeman
from this District. Thereupon Mr.. Norris had
replied by letter. the terms Of which were pub
lished in yesterdays STAR. The members pres
ent were familiar with the letter and it was NOT
read, but Mr.. Weller said that the published
account Of yesterday had omitted q clause Of
the letter. 1t was in that portion Of the COM
munication wherein Mr.. Norris refers to the
riyal organizations Of the central committee.
The omitted section, Mr.. Weller said. was az
follows:
"A discussion Of this question would involve
statement Of circumstances which would ex-
coed the limits of this communication. NV
own judgment is satisfied upon this point from
evidence recently laid before me, which have
reason to believe Is true and accurate in all
material respects. While / do not conceive il
possible that there can be two opinions upon
this question, it il manifest that il would be
premature to state the conclusion without also
setting forth the premises from which it logic
ally follows. This l must refer to at another
time and place."
ME-. BROWNS KESsrNaToN SPEECH DIsAvowED.
Mr.. Weller said he had an explanation to
make to the committee. He said that at q re-
cent meeting of Farragut Post he had taken
occasion, in the name of the central COMMITTEES
and Of the democrats Of the District, to disavow
the sentiments uttered by Mr. Brown, mem.
Der Of the committee at the recent ratification
meeting held at Kensington, Nd. Mr.. Weller
, had informed his hearers that Mr.. Brown wa
present at that meeting in his individual capac.
, ity, not as a member of the committee and
that he did not voice the sentiments Of the Gen.
, trail committee. Having made this exoneratior
Of the central COMMITTEES, although without the
committees authority, Mr.. Weller now wished
! to explain why he had used the committeet
name.
DR.. Hammett moved that the committee in.
dorse Mr.. Weller's action in this matter
general murmur Of approval went around until
Mr.. Madigan took the floor to suggest the pro
priety Of withholding further action in this cas<
for the present, or perhaps until the committee
, was ready to take up Mr.. Browns case for con
, sideration. He said that it might not be wis
for the committee to make record in this mat
ter Just at this time. One or two others also
expressed favor at Mr.. Mndigans views, unit