The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-18
HARRISON'S
HOT SHOT.
Mayor Explodes a Bomb In the
Altgeld Camp.
Refuses to Appear Under the
Auspices of Boilers.
CALLS THEM OBSCURE.
Will Not Welcome National
Committeeman
Breach Widens Between the
Illinois Leaders.
CALLS THEM OBSCURE.

chicago, july 1S.-Ihree polleICa4
developments have stirred the Demo-
Gratis of Chicago. One was the refusal
of Mayor Harrison, on account of its
Obscure" origin to attend and deliver
an address of welcome at the auditor
ium free silver meeting on Thursday
night
The second was a verbal notice that
the Democratic national committee
would be asked to repudiate the
! Croker Hill Murphy machine in New
York and recognize the silver crowd.
The third was the statement that an
effort would be made to have rule
adopted that no man who bolted. the
Chicago platform and ticket in 1896
shall be eligible to sit in the national
convention of 1900 as a delegate.
on arriving at his office in the city
hall Mayor Harrison found w F.
Cooling's invitation to make a speech
of welcome to the assembled local ana
visiting Democrats on Thursday night
He declined the preferred honor and his
reasons for doing SO are set forth in the
following answer:
w F. Cooling. Esq, Chairman Com
mittee of Arrangements.
Dear Sir: Replying to your favor OF
the 14th instant, in which you ask me
to deliver an address of welcome at the
auditorium, July 20, to the national
Democratic committee and large
number of prominent Democrats of
America.
regret my inability to accept. In
ordinary circumstances 1 should be only
too glad, both as mayor of Chicago and
as a Democrat, to welcome the national
committee or any number of Democrats
to Chicago, the city in which the plat
form of 1896 was framed and in which
w. J. Bryan was elevated to his present
leadership of the national democracy.
can not but think, however, it would
be an absurdity to welcome these dis
inc rf17c l1a nT a
self-cOnstituted committee, whose per
sonnet is too obscure to be known even
in it's home city. Had this meeting been
organized under the direction of Demo-
Gratis of the regular type and known
party standing it would afforded me
great pleasure to be present. In the
existing circumstances, while thanking
you for the honor, I must beg leave to
be excused. Yours respectively,
CARTER H. HARRISON.
When a copy of Mayor HarrisOn's
letter was shown Ex-Governor Altgeld,
the latter said:
L am sorry the mayor looks at it
that way. He has made grave mis-
take. He has lost a golden opportunity.
Should he come to the meeting and
make a rOusing Democratic speech he
would place himself at the head of the
Democratic party of the state But he
has lost the chance now. I'm sorry
for it,
When Mr. Cooling read the mayors
letter he made the following statement:
the city hall the opportunity of his life
which he has failed to appreciate.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
which taken at the flood leads on to
fOrtune-the son of Carter Harrison has
ceased to be a Democratic possibility"
Efforts are being made by the Harri-
son leaders to induce as many of the
national committeeman as possible to
ignore the meeting. It was said that
fully One-half of them would not go
near it. They are being informed of
fraf7T
something which does not properly
come within the scope of the commit
tees functions
The Altgeld forces have been rein
forced by the Chicago platform Demo-
Gratis of New York Willis ]. Abbott.
( the first em1ssary to arrive, reported al
| headquarters in the Unity building. He
comes as one of a committee of the
silver party in New York to appear be-
fore the national body and get a hear
ing as to what the situation is in that
state.
John B. Brown, who was POSTMASTER
OF the dollar dinner" and George w.
thompson, are the other mem berS of
the delegation. They will arrive to-
day.
Mr.. Abbott said that a great majority
OF the rank and file of the party in New
York is in favor of the 10 to l. issue
OF w. j. Bryan for president.
Croker, Hill and Murphy the lead
ers," he continued, ARE opposed to free
silver and Bryan, but they do not rep
the voters
The three spokesman will demand
that this claim of the majority be given
| recognition by the national committee
so that it may have some excuse for
sending a contesting delegation to the
national convention next year
The same plan was started last win
ter by Mr.. Altgeld in Illinois He
claimed that those in control of the
party organizations here are not friend
ly either to the cause or Mr. Bryan.
After his defeat for mayor the ex-gOv-
ernOr announced that the Chicago plat
form Democrats of Illinois would send a
cOntesting delegation to the state con-
ventiOn. To insure this class control of
the convention it will demand that the
long standing unit rule shall be abolish
ed and that no Democrats who bolted
the ticket three years ago shall be ad-