The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-04

Philadelphia, June "A special to the
Times from Washington says
william j. Bryan is against Will
liam +. Harrity. of Pennsylvania, and
it is confidently predicted here that
MIR. Harrity will be deposed as the
Pennsylvania member Of the Demo-
cratic national committee. Chairman
James X. Jones will, early next week.
announce the result Of the vote upon
the question as to whether Mr.. Har-
rity shall be removed from the com
mittee because of his attitude upon
the currency question. AS will be re-
membcred, Mr.. Harrity has always de-
clared. both publicly and privately
that he is not in accord personally
with the Chicago platform in that he
does not believe in the free and inde-
pendent coinage Of silver as therein
provided. lie has contended that
Democrats are entitled to remain in
the party and be members Of its Or
panization as long as they support
its candidates.
shortly after the question of Mr..
1Iarrity's attitude was submitted by
mail, in the early part Of April last,
Il considerable number of replies were
received and a large majority of them
were favorable to Mr.. Harrity. This
was privately admitted by Chairman
Jones himself. In the latter part of
April however. William j. Bryan be-
gan to manifest an active personal
interest i'm the controversy and has
been instrumental in changing the
result, In personal interviews with
members while he was here during
the month of April and subsequently,
in personal letters to members of the
committee, MIR. Bryan strongly urged
that Mr.. Harrity be removed because
he rs not in harmony with the COM
mttee and is not in accord with the
present Democratic national platform.
Mr.. Bryan declares that James NJ. Cuff
fey Is in thorough accord with the
Chicago platform and ought TO be elect
ed as the member of the committee
from Pennsylvania in place of Mr..
Harrity. He takes the position that
If the free silver people expect the
support of Pennsylvania in the DEM
Ocratic national convention of 1900
those now in control Of the organlza-
tion in that state who are making
the fight for free silver coinage they
ought to be supported and have their
hands strengthened in the meantime.
The aggressive activity of Mr.. Bry-
an and his hostility to Mr.. Harrity
have changed the attitude of several
members of the committee. The MEM
ber from Nebraska, w. n. Thompson,
was one of those who voted early and
who voted to retain Mr.. Harrity. Sub
sequently and after Mr.. Bryan began
TO participate actively in the mat
ter, Mr.. Thompson changed his views
and is now believed to have voted
against Mr.. Harrity. Senator Tillman,
the South Carolina member of the
committee, is very pronounced in his
opposition to Mr.. Harrity and expresses
the opinion that there ought to be no
question whatever about his removal.
Senator Tillman thinks the vote against
him ought to be unanimous.
Mr.. Harrity's friends here gave up
hope Of his retention in the committee
after Mr. Bryan entered actively into
the contest and expressed his willing
ness to accept the responsibility for
Mr.. Harrity's removal. The conserva- %
tive leaders of the party do not hesi-
tate to declare that a m6chieVous
practice will be established, but they
seem powCrless to prevent it. The
prediction is freely made that the ac-
tion the Democratic national committee
is about to take will still further di-
vide the gold and silver wings of the
Democratic party"