The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-09
SAT UPON IN A MILD WAY
SILVERITES CALL UPON THE EN-
ECUTIvE COMMITTEE OF THE
NATIONAL COMMITTEE.
NANTED!MUCH, BUT GOT NOTHING.
They Were Politely Informed That II
Was Too Early to Discuss Tempo
rary Organization-They Left
Dissatisfied, But Deter
mined to Rule.

mined to Rule.
Chicago, July 1.-The executive com
mittee of the Democratic national com
| mittee convened at the Palmer Hous,
promptly at ~ today with Chairman
Harrity and Messrs. Wall, Sherry
Prather and Wallace present, Mr.. Gable
being the only absentee. The committee
went Immediately into executive session
with Gordon of guards at the various
doors. The silver committee, consist
ing of Senators Jones, Daniel, Turpit
and Governors Stone and Altgeld, were
promptly admitted and were closetet
with the executive committee for some
time. The question of the temporary or
ganization was under discussion. Th,
two committees were together for an
hour and half. when the silver men
withdrew, leaving the national commit
teemen to continue their conference. The
proceedings were informal in character
and while there was no acrimony dis
played on either side, the convention was
very earnest in character. There were
no formal speeches, but the conference
partook of the character of general
convocation-"quite as if we were sitting
around a log fire in the country" said
one of the participants after it had
closed
The silver men first asked that il
should be definitely understood that they
dld not come as representatives of the
silver committee, but as delegates rep
resenting the majority view of the con
vention They expressed desire to
have an understanding upon the various
questions of temporary organization,
chairman, seats for delegates and altern-
ates, procedure in regard to contesting
delegates and the arrangement of tenn
porary roll call. The principal part of
the conference was devoted to the Sc
lection of temporary chairman. and
upon this point no understanding was
reached.
Chairman Harrity stated that he had
had no opportunity for conference with
other members of the national commit.
tee and he did not feel prepared to indi.
cate the policy of the committee. He
said ne would be pleased to confer with
the silver men again and asked them to
meet the committee next Monday. if not
before by which time he hoped to be
able to speak authoritatively. He said
he had no candidate, but declined to say
whether the committee would be disposed
to act upon their own responsibility or
accept the advice of the silver men. The
silver men were not pleased with the
statement, but there was nothing for
them to do but accept the situation as il
presented itself. This they did but not
without making their position very clear
All the visitors talked and all agreed in
making it clear that they would expect
to be consulted and also that in case of
failure to consult them and the selection
of presiding officer whose views were
not in harmony with those of the MAORI.
ty they would be heard from in the con.
vention. This was spoken in courteous
language, but it was put so plainly that
the members of the executive committee
did not fail to comprehend its full I'm
port. The silver men also stated that
they would be satisfied with and would
accept any man designated by the ma
ti0nal committee, provided he was n man
of recognized standing in the party, and
that he was a man whose views were
understood everywhere to be in accord
with their own on the financial question.
In that event they would not insist upon
naming the individual. as they were in.
different in that score. They were only
concerned that the convention should be
recognized from the beginning as a sill.
YER convention and they felt confident
that many would draw their conclusions
as to the character of the convention
from the standing of the temporary
chairman in the silver ranks.
Mr.. Harrity and his associates listened
patiently to all this, but gave no sign
of any inclination to yield to the request.
nor, indeed, any as to what course they
would pursue further than that outlined
in Mr.. Harrity's preliminary statement.
All the members of the executive COM
mittce expressed desire to preserve the
utmost harmony in the convention and
among individuals. In this expression
they were heartily joined by the silver
men with the mental reservation that
the rule of the majority should be made
manifest from the beginning. Nothing
was said on either side to Indicate a pref
erence as to individuals for the chair
man ship.
Chairman Harrity's exact position was
that the full national committee would
have to pass upon the temporary chair
manship and that he had no means of
knowing how the members of the COM
mittee would regard the subject He
ventured the opinion that they would be
controlled by their convictions and their
judgment. If controlled by convictions
alone they would probably select man
holding the same financial views. which
they might individually hold, whereas
if they consulted their judgment they
might select man whose views would
be in harmony with the sentiment of
the majority of the convention. He did
not, he said, suppose that the executive
committee would feel called upon to
make a recommendation. If not there
would be no use for the silver commit
tee to see the executive committee again
and they could call upon the national
committee Monday. If the executive
committee. however, decide to act, the
silver men would be notified and they
could be heard again by the executive
committee.
WILL MAKE A STRONG FIGHT
Mr.. Eckels Gives Some Idea of the Pro-
II