The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-30
HARRITY IS NOT DONE
READS RIOT ACT TO DEMOCR ATTIC
ENEMIES IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Declares He Is still n Member of the
National Committee and No Pow
er Can Remove Him.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 29.-William F.
Harrity, tonight, sent letter to John NJ.
Garman, chairman of the Democratic state
committee, defining his position on the
movement agitated by certain factions of
the party to GUST him from the national
committee. Afer referring to the call is
sued by Chairman Garman for a meeting
of the state committee at Reading, Pa to-
morrow night-the eve of the state conven-
tion-"For the purpose of considering the
question of the vacancy in the membership
from Pennsylvania in the Democratic ma
tional committee and of filling such vacancy
If the same be found to exist" Mr.. Harrity
| continues:
The language of your call practically as
sumes that there is no vacancy in the
| Pennsylvania membership of the Demo-
| cratic national committee and as a matter
| of fact, there is none. L was elected to that
| position by the Democratic national con-
VentiOn the unanimous recommendation
of the Pennsylvania delegation to that con-
| ventiOn. (See proceedings of the Democratic
| national convention of 1896. Pages 167 to
| I'D L have not resigned, and L have not
| been removed; nor is it in the power of any
convention, committee or person to remove
me, except in the Democratic national COM
| mittee itself.
In the campaign OF 1896 the Democratic
national committee delegated to it's cam
| paign committee the power to declare va
vancies. In pursuance of that authority
Chairman James X. Jones, on behalf of the
campaign committee, on Oct. 10, 1886, raised
the question of my attitude towards the
Democratic party and l made reply to him
under date of Oct ~, 1896. My was
accepted as entirely satisfactory by Chair
man Jones, and he so declared and so de-
81 q 6nnl TO 10 nov or
assent that one should be made. Enclosed
you Will find copies of the letters which
passed at the time which L trust will, with
this communication, be submitted for the
consideration of the members of the Demo-
cratic state committee"
Mr.. Harrity then refers to the resolution
defeated at the state convention of Sept.
| ~, 1886, requesting Chairman Jones to de-
clare Harrlty place on the national com
mittee vacant. Proceeding he says: 1t
| will thus be seen that the proper time for
| the consideration of the matter in contro-
| Versy, If here was any reason for raising
| the question at all, in the presidential
| campaign of 1896, when the Democracy of
Pennsylvania expressed its opinion in my
| favor, and the Democratic national commit
| tee, through its chairman, decided that
| there was not sufficient reason for my re-
moval from membership in the Democratic
| national committee. Even within the past
! few weeks, namely on July 20, 1897 Chair
man Jones has written me: Your letter to
me last fall impressed me as straightfor-
ward, candid and manly, and accepted it
| as being entirely satisfactory to me-
| In pursuance of the public declaration
70 yeef agV paTcp pd
| politics. as L had previously done, l have
| not desired to have much to say concerning
| political management organization. 4
| have no candidates to suggest and | have
| had no disposition to interfere with the
| legitimate work of the state convention.
| | have however, Ventured to suggest that
| hoped that wise councils would prevail
| at the Reading convention and that the out
| come would be of that character that would
| be invitation to all Democrats to take
| an active and aggressive part in the coming
| campaign, which may fairly be regarded
| as the preliminary skirmish of the guberna-
| torial and senatorial contests of 1898. re-
| greet to notice, however, that the indications
are that some of the Democratic leaders,
among them some who are officially con-
| nected with the organization of the party,
are bent on a course which they mistakenly
| think will benefit themselves, regardless of
it's effects on the party itself or it's future.
| THE attack made on me by some of those
| within the Democratic party in Pennsyl-
| vania is unjustifable, and in the main it is
| prompted by selfish, unworthy and malign
motives. By their willful and malicious
misrepresentation they have misled some
| others into the belief that in some way
have been nimical to the Democratic party
and its interests. But such is not the fact
l have never voted any other than the
Democratic ticket and have never support
ed any other than Democratic candidates.
That has been my habit l have no desire
to change it, and do not intend to do so.
1t is my hope and expectation to vote for
the nominees of the Reading convention.
Allow me to add that L do not believe that
success ought to can attend the efforts
of those who so narrow and bigOted
to insist that the declarations of polit-
ical convention are so binding upon the po-
litical consciences of the members of
party as to drive from it's membership all
of those who do not accept implicitly every
line and every letter of its every dogma or
doctrine Chairman Jones himself was broad
enough to express this same belief when he
declared my letter to him was a straight
forward, manly letter which seemed to
cover the case completely.
IF at any time in the future the Demo-
cratic national committee, the only body
now having jurisdiction of the qualifications
of it's members, since the work and life Of
the campaign committee, to which it had
delegated its power in the premises, ended
with the campaign of 1896 shall think it
proper to further consider the matter 1 shall
cheerfully submit to it's authority and bow
to it's decision. Respectfully,
Nv. f. HARRITY."
The inclosed correspondence consists of
letter from Chairman Jones. Oct. Is, 1896,
asking him to state his position in the ma
tional campaign, and Mr.. Harrity's reply,
declaring his allegiance to the party, but
maintaining his belief in the sound-money'
platform adopted by the Democratic state