The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-01
|BAILEY'S POSITION.
He Doesn't Propose to Stand Ia tie
Way Of Party Harmony.
WOULDN'T HAVE LEADERSHIP
Because He Is Convinced That All
Would Not Follow Him.
THE SCENES OF THE LAST SESSION
THE SCENES OF THE LAST SESSION
When Personality, Rather Than Policy, Con.
trolled, Must Not Be Repeated.
A STATEMENT THAT IS 10 THE POINT.
tho Democrats He United and
OF One Mind.
tspecia, to The Post. (,

washington, November 3o.--In reply to
repeated inquiries as to what action no
would take in respect to the efforts OF his
friends TO force upon him the nomination
for speaker for the democratic caucus, Mr..
Bailey gave out the following statement:
''The announcement Of my determination
not TO allow my name to so before the
caucus was not made until after mature
elaboration and have never seen any
reason TO change my mind. We are ap-
preaching presidential election and 1t Is
OF tho utmost Importance that the demo-
Gratis should be united and harmonious;
and II they can not unite and harmonisc
under me- ought to be willing TO stand
aside In the hope of finding some one I'M
der whom they can. l realize that the OPP
position TO mo was almost entirely per-
sonal. and that 1t included only a small
per cent OF the democratic membership;
but no matter what the opposition TO mo
was, what Its origin was aud notwith-
standing the fact that 1t was small 1t
with the idea that the democrats were
discordnnt and fsctional. | feel sure that
II should accept the nomination would
be Loyalty supported by four-fifths OF the
| democrats in tho house; but feel equally
sure that the other ffth would repeat the
foilies and the contentious of the last con-
gress, and the effect would be demorRliz-
| ing upon our pnrty. could. perhaps. de-
stroy the 4recalcitrants before the close
OF the congress; but even II should sue
! coed In doing that the party would suffer
/ by contest between Its own members in
the house. / know that my friends insist
that would now be exempt from the fric-
ton which divided and distracted tbs
party last year, but do not share that
opinion. When remember the long and
absurd wrangle In the extra session OF the
Fifty-ffth congress over the question
whether we would vote TO adjourn, l can
not permit myself to expect a different
behavior in this coneress. Never in the
history OF legislative assemblies was there
ouch useless or such senseless wrangle
as that in which q few democrats engaged
in the extra session OF the last congress.
The question OF whether We would vote for
or assist the motion to adjourn for three
days at time was one OF the few ques-
tions where the difference between tho
right and wrong OF II was not Of sufficient
Importance even 10 justify debate upon
IL; and yet upon that unimportsnt ques-
ton men Of standing and ability involved
The democratic party In a bitter contro-
versy and talked about 1t as il the fate OF
the Republic depended upon It. ! declared
TO the caucus which was called to consider
the question that II was better for us TO
vote the wrong way and all vote together
than II was for us to divide and wrangIs
over Il, because a mistake involving one
way or the other would not produce any
serious consequences. asserted that
within sixty days after the session ad-
journed there would not be sixty men ia
the United States who would care any
thing about our attitude on the question
itself. but that everybody would remember
that we were so foolish as to divide and
assail each other over an immaterial ques-
ton.
Remembering that unfortunate and
foolish episode IN the beginning OF the
congress. and remembering that the same
spirit manifested itself throughout each
| session until II eliminated in the refusal
on the part OF the same gentlemen to join
me in enforcing plain and important pro-
vision OF the constitutions. do not feel
warranted in supposing that they would
now harmonic with their brother demo-
Gratis under my leadership. ] do not be-
lieye that any man deserves the first
honors of his party unless he is willing
TO forego them for his party's good, and
I have determined that my personal ambi-
tion shall not stand in the way Of my
partv's success