Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-29
MR.. HARRITY'S POSITION
he States It Plainly in a Letter to
Senator-Elect Money.
He Thinks Every Delegate to the
the Decision of the Majority.

Senator-elect Money OF Mississippi who
is one of the delegates-at-large from his
state to the Chicago convention, wrote a
letter to Mr.. Harrity Of Penn sylvania chair
man of the democratic executive committee,
calling his attention 20 the widely published
reports that he ;Hariity) was credited with
having announced that an attempt would
be made TO exclude from he convention free
silver delegates who might be suspected Of
an intention to bolt II case the convention
declared for gold. Mr.. Money, who is an
ardent free silver man, as delegate, asked
Mr.. Harrity to make a frank reply to him
as to the truth of these reports He re-
ceived response today, in which Mr.. Har-
r.ty says:
1T is not true that have declared my in
tention to secure action by the democra &c
national committee TO exclude from the roll
of the convention any delegate who has
expressed purpose 20 bolt If the conveu-
ton does not favor in It's platform the free
and unlimited coinage of silver at IL to /.
In any statement made by me, either
privately or publicly l did not undertake
to speak for the committee, nor any officer
thereof.
What did say was that. in my personal
judgment, no man ought TO enter or be ad-
mitted in any political convention or caucus
who is not prepared to abide by the viii OF
the majority and acQuiesc in its decision.
And l further stated that, in my opinion,
this ought to apply with equal force to
those who oppose rs 70 those who favor
free coinage. ], too, am Il delegate to the
Chicago convention, and, should a majority
of that body make a plat form and nomi-
nate candidates not IN accord with my
views, l will abide by the result and give
loyal and cordial support to the candidates
IF l did not intend to do SO l should
consider 1t my duty not to enter the con-
vention. Political conventions are called
Tor the purpose of harmonizng or com
promising such differences as may exist
and of ascertaining the viii of the majority
as to principles, policies or candidates To
hold that those who entertain fixed views
are to be permitted to be so tenacious of
them as to first endeavOr to control and
Then to withdraw in case of failure Is
long step toward contending hat a mi
nority should govern. 1t is a sound demo-
cratc doctrine that the will of the ma
1or1ty should govern. II Is usually SO rec
ognlZed to such an extent In all political
conventions that once the conventions Will
is ascertained the minority promptly make
it unanimous.
Let me add that my attention has been
called to statement that appeared in
some newspapers, notably in sCme of those
published in states where democratic state
conventions have already declared for free
coinage, TO the effect that had announced
that the national committee would keep
out OF the convention every cuntestlng
deleSate who Will not pledge himself in ad-
'ahce TO abide by the action .f the COM
mlttee in making up the temporary roll Of
the convention. There is no foundation
Whatever for that statement. 1t is a pure
Invention and was doubtless made in crGer
TO annoy and irritate; and if some distin-
gulshed democrats be correctly reported
the author of the story has been successful
in his purpose"