Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-30
.HARRITY SQUARES HIMSELF Says He Didn't Say What He's
 Said to Have Said. HE WOULDN'T BE A BOL TER If the Convention Should Declare for Silver, but Has Taken No Action to Bar
 Anybody.

Washington, May 29.-Senator-elect Money of Mississippi, who is one of the delegates at large from his state to the Chicago convention, wrote a letter to MT. Harrty of Pennsylvania, chairman of the democratic executive committee, calling his attention to the widely pub lished reports that he QIarrity) was credited with having announced that an attempt would be made to exclude from the convention the free silver delegates who might be suspected of an intention to bolt in case the convention declared for gold.
 MT. Money asked MT. Harrlty if these reports were true.
 MT. Harrity, in reply, says:
 Tt is not true that l have declared my intention to secure action by the dem- ocratic national committee to exclude from the roll of the convention any dele gate who has expressed purpose to bolt if the convention does not favor in it's platform the free and unlimited coinage of silver at Is to 1. 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 judg- ment no man ought to enter or be ad- mitted in any political convention or cau- GUS who is not prepared to abide by the will of the majority and acqulesce in it's decision. And 1 further stated that in my opinion this ought to apply with equal force to those who oppose as to those who favor free and unlimited and independent coinage Of silver. l, too, am a delega ate to the Chicago convention, and should a majority of that body make a platform and nominate candidates not in accord with my views I will abide by the result and give loyal and cordial support to the candidates. If I did not intend to do so I should consider it my duty not to enter the convention.
 Political conventions are called for the purpose of harmonizing or compro- missing such differences as may exist and of ascertaining the will of the majority as to principles, policies and candidates. To hold that those who entertain certain fixed views are to be permitted to be so tenacious of them as to first endeavor to influence or control the body of which they constitute part and then to with draw from that body in the event that they prove unsuccessful seems to me to be a very long step towards contending that minority should govern. I have always understood it to be sound demo- cratic doctrine that the will of the ma Jofity shall prevail. It is usually so rec ognized to such an extent in all political conventions that once that will is ascer- tained the minority promptly makes it unanimous.
 Let me add that my attention has just been called to statement that ap- peared in some newspaper, notably in some of those published in states where democratic state conventions have al- ready declared for the free coinage of silver, to the effect that had announced that the democratic national committee would keep out of the convention every contesting delegate who will not pledge himself in advance to abide by the action of the committee in making up the tenn porary roll of the convention. There is ment. It is pure invention and was doubtless made in order to annoy and irritate, and if some distinguished demo- crats be correctly reported the author of the story has been successful in his pur- pose"