The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-05
HARRrrY DEFINES HIS POSITION.

Chairman Harrity, of the Democratic
national committee, has been very
prominent in the papers the past two
weeks because of what he is reported
to have said about the admission to
the Chicago convention of delegates
who had threatened to bolt if the plat
form adopted did not suit them. His
position as chairman is so important
and his relations with the Democratic
national committee are so intimate,
that anything he may say regarding
the intention of the committee in the
preliminary organization is to be look
ed upon as very largely expressing the
committees intention. This is why
what he has been reported to have
said has called forth so much com
ment. 1t also induced Senator-elect
Money, of Mississippi. to address him
a letter on the subject On the 18th
Of May Mr.. Harrity wrote him as fol-
lows.
My Dear Sir: Temporary absence
from Philadelphia has prevented ear
lier answer to your courteous and val
ued favor of May %, 1896 Replying
thereto, | desire to say that it is not
true that have declared my intention
by the action of the Democratic ma
tional committee. to exclude from the
roll of the Democratic national con-
Vention any delegate who has ex-
pressed a pun pose 70 bolt if the con-
Vention does not favor in its platform
the free and unlimited coinage of Sill
Yer and gold at a ratio of IS to 1. In
any statement made by me- either
privately OF publicly. L did not under
take to speak for the committee. nor
even as an officer thereof.
What l did say was that in nv per-
sonal judgment no man ought to enter
or be admitted in any political conven-
ton or caucus who is not prepared to
abide by the will of the majority and
acquiesce in its decision, and L further
stated that in my opinion this ought
to apply with equal force to those who
oppose as to those who favor the free
unlimited and independent coinage of
silver.
I, too, am delegate to the Chicago
convention, and, should a majority of
that body make platform 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 j did not intend to do
so ] should consider it my duty not
to enter the convention.
Political conventions are called for
the purpose Of harmonizing or com
promising such differences as may ex-
ist. and Of ascertaining the will OF the
majority as TO principles, policies. and
candidates. To hold that those who en-
terrain certain fixed views are to be per
mitted to be so tenacious of them as
to first endeavor TO influence or. control
the body of which they constitute a.
part, and to then withdraw from that
body in the event that they prove nm
successful, seems TO me to be a very
long step toward contending that a
minority should govern.
| have always understood it to be
sound Democratic doctrine that the
will of the majority should prevail. It
is usually so recognized to such an ex-
tent in all political conventions that
once that will is ascertained the mi
nority promptly make it unanimous.
Let me add that my intention has
just been called to statement that
appeared in some newspapers. notably
in some Of those published in states
where Democratic state conventions
have already declared for the free
coinage of silver, to the effect that 7
had announced that the Democra tic
national committee would keep out of
the convention every contesting dele
gate who will not pledge himself, in
advance, to abide by the action of the
committee in making up the temporary
roll of the convention.
There lis no foundation whatever for
that statement. 1t is a pure invention,
ana was doubtless made in order to