Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-06
SILVER MEMS DEMAND.
Chicago Convention Must be Rec
ognized from the Start
as Silver Body.

Chicago, ILL.,, July 1.-The executive
committee Of the national Democratic
committee convened at the Palmer house
promptly at u today with Chairman
Harrity and Messrs Wall, Sheerin, Shee-
ley, Prather and Wallace present. Mr..
Gable being the only absentee. The
committee Immediately went into eX-
ecutive session with a Gordon of guards
at the various doors.
The silver committee, consisting OF
Senators Jones, Daniel and Turpie and
Cows AItgeld and Stone were promptly
admitted and were closeted with the eX-
ecutive committee for some time. The
question of the temporary organization
was under discussion.
The two committees were together for
an hour and a half when the silver men
withdrew, leaving the national commit
teemen to continue their conference.
The proceedings were informal III char
acter. While there was no animosity dis
played on either side the conference was
very earnest in character There were
no formal speeches, but the conference
partook of the character of a general
convention.
The silver men first asked that it
should be definitely understood that they
did not come as the representatives OF
the silver committee, but as delegates
representing the majority of the conven-
ton. They expressed q desire to have
an understanding upon the various Ques-
tons of temporary chairman. seats for
delegates and alternates, procedure in re-
gard to contesting delegations and the ar
rangement Of the temporary roll call.
Referring to the temporary roll call,
the members of the executive committee
intimated that they would expect to con-
slider the contests as the national COM
mittee had done Oh all previous occasions
and make up the temporary roll call.
Attention was called to the fact that
there had so far been no notice of con-
test except in the one instance of Ne
braska. The silver men did not indi-
cate whether this would be satisfa Glory.
1t was also stated on behalf of the ma
tional committee that the tickets would
be distributed by the committee accord
ing to the tablished custom.
The principal part of the conference
was devoted to the selection of q tenn
porary chairman and upon this point no
understanding was reached. Chairman
Harrity stated that ne had no oppor-
tunity for conference with other mem
bers of the national committee and he
did not feel prepared to indicate the
policy of the committee. He said he
would be pleased to confer with the sill
yer men again and asked them to meet
the committee next Monday if not before
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 precisely pleased with this
statement, but there was nothing for
them to do but to accept the situation as
it 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 eX
pect to be consulted and also that in
case of failure to consult them and the
selecting Of a presiding officer whose
views were not in harmony with those
of the majority they would be heard
from IN the convention. This was
spoken in courteous language but it was
put so plainly that the members of the
executive committee did not fail to com
prehend its full meaning.
The silver men also stated that they
would be satisfied with and would ac-
cept any man designated by the national
committee provided he was man OF
recognized standing in the party and
that he was 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 on 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 convent ton
from the standing of this temporary pre-
siding officer in the silver ranks.
Mr.. Harrity and his associates listened
patiently to all this, and gave no sign Of
any inclination to yield to the request,
nor indeed any sign as to what course
they would pursue further than that
outlined by Mr.. Harrity's preliminary
statement. All the members of the execu-
tive committee expressed desire to pre-
serve the utmost harmony in the conven-
ton and among individuals. In this ex-
preston they were heartily Joined by the
silver men with the mental reservation
that the rule Of the majority should be
made manifest from the start. Nothing
was said as to individuals for the chair
manship.