The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-30
Objects to Being Ousted
From the National
Committee.
Lively fractional Row Among
the Keystone State
Democracy.
Dignified Manhood on One Side,
AFFECT Party Fealty on
the Other.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Aug. CIVIL
liam +. Harrity tonight sent letter to
John NJ. Garman, chairman of the Demo-
cratic State Com miitee defining his posi-
ton on the movement agitated by certain
factions OF the party to GUST him from the
National Committee. After referring to
the call issued by Chairman Garman for a
meeting of the State Committee at Read
ing, Pa, Tomorrow night-the eve of the
State convention "for the purpose of con-
siderlng the question of the vacancy in
the mem Dership from Pennsylvania in
the Democratic National Committee, and
of filing such vacancy, if the same be
found to exist"-Mr. Harrity continues:
1.-The language of your call practically
assumes that there is no vacancy in the
Pennsylvania membership OF the Demo-
cratic National Committee. and as n
matter of fact, there Is none. l was elected
to that position by the Democratic
National Convention upon the unanimous
Recommendation of the Pennsylvania dele
CATION. 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 i'll the Democratic
National Committee ITSELF.
In the campaign of 1896 the Demo-
cratic National Committee delegated 10
its campaign committee the power to de-
clare vacancies. In pursuance OF that
authority Chairman James K. Jones, on
behalf of the campaign committee, on
October Is, 1896, raised the question o. my
attitude toward the Democratic party and
l made reply to him unoer date of Octo-
on \ ,AN,e
entirely satisfactory By Chairman Jones,
and he SO declared and SO decided. He
declined to make vacancy 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 con-
sideration of the mem bers OF the Demo-
cratic State Com niittee"
Mr.. Harrity then refers to the resolution
defeated at the State convention of Sep
TENDER 10, 1896, requesting Charms an
Jones to declare Harrity's lace on the
National Committee vacant. Proceeding
be says:
at will thus be seen that at the proper
time for the consul Grafton of tie matter
in controversy if there was any reason for
raising the question al all-namely, in the
Presidential campaign OF 1896-the De-
mocracy of Pennsylvania expressed its
opinion in my favor, and the Democratic
National Committee, through its chair
man, decided that there was not sufficient
reason for my removal from mem bership
in the com mit.ee. Even wi thin the past
few weeks-namely. on July 20 1897
Chairman Jones has written me That
yonr letter to me last fall imprts'ed me
as straightforward, candid and manly,
and l accepted it as being entirely salts
factory 10 me-
"In consequence OF the public declara-
tt@v Ii b., h
did not intend to thereafter actively par
ticipate In politics, as l have previously
done, | have not desired 10 have much to
say concerning political management or
organization. / have no candidates to
| suggest and l have no disposition 10 in
teriere with the legitimate work OF the
State convention. / have, however, ven
tured to suggest that l hoped that wise
| councils would prevail at the Heading
convention and that The outcome would
be OF q character that would be an invita-
ton to all Democrats to take an active
and aggressive part in the coming cam
paign, which may fairly be regarded as
the preliminary skirmish of the cuberna-
torial and senatorial contests of 1898.
II regret TO notice, however, that the
| indications are that some OF the Demo
cratic leaders, among them some who are
officially connected with the org AMI cation
of the party, are bent upon a course which
| they mi takenly think will benefit them
selves, regardless of its effects upon the
party itself or its future.
1.-THE attack made upon me by some of
those within the Democratic party in
Pennsylvania is unjusiifiable, 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 l have been inimical to the Dem
ocratic party and its interests.
But such is not the fact. ] have never
| voted any other than the Democratic
ticket and / have never supported any
| other than Democratic candidates.. That
has been my habit. l have no desire to
change it and l 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 do not believe
that success ought to or can attend the
efforts of those who are SO narrow and big
oted as to insist that the declarations OF a
| political convention are so binding upon
the political consciences of the mem bers
of party as to drive from its m lem bership
| all of those who do not accept implicitly
every line and every letter OF its every
dogma or doctrine. c. airman Jones him
self was broad enough TO express this
same belief when he declared my letter to
him was a aightforward, manly letter,
which seemed TO cover the case COM
pletely.'
III at any time in the future the Demo
cratic National Com mi ttee-the only body
now having jurisdiction of the qualifica-
tons OF its memb ers, since the work ana
life of the campaign committee, to which
it had delegated its power in the premises,
ended with the campaign Of 1S96-shail
think it proper to further consider the
matter I shall cheerfully submit to It's au-
thority."
The correspondence referred to consists
of letter from Chairman Jones, October
Is 1896 asking Harriy to state his posi-
ton in the National campaign, and Mr..
Harrity's reply declaring his allegiance to
the party, but maintaining his belief in
the sound money platform adopted by
the Dem ocratic State convention at Allen
town, Pa.
IRISH CHEEkS FOR ROYALTY.