The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-07-21
GAHAN SENT REGRETS.
Illinois Committeeman Declines
to Attend Meeting.
WAR IN DEMOCRATICRANKS WAKES

A Possibility Now that the National Conn
mittee Will Become Involved in 1t.
Bryan Declines to Say that He VIII
Speak at the Meeting.
CHICAGO, July 19.-The fight between
the regular Democratic organization of
Cook county and the state of Illinois,
represented by Mayor Harrison and Ma
tional Committeeman Gahan Oh the one
side and the Altgeld wing of Denoc-
racy, which supported Ex-Governor Alt
geld as an independent candidate for the
mayoralty at the last election, on the
other has reached an acute stage and
threatens to involve the national COM
mittee in spite of the strenuous attempts
being made to keep local quarrels out Of
the proceedings of next Thursdays
meeting Of the national committee in
this city.
Hon. Thomas Gahan, national COM
mitteeman from Illinois, in an open let
ter yesterday to the leaders Of the Alt
geld element Of the party, declined to
attend the Auditorium meeting of
Thursday night, and by indirection ap
pealed to his colleagues Of the national
committee to refrain from attending the
Altgeld meeting. Interest is added to
the occasion by the report Of Governor
Altgeld' S friends that Bryan some days
ago accepted an invitation to address
the meeting.
The Harrison faction has determined
to entertain the members of the ma
tional committee on their own account
them away from the Altgeld meeting
Thursday night. A committee has been
appointed to arrange dinner to be fol-
lowed by carriage ride or an excursion
on the lake.
Colonel L. Victor Baughman of Fred
erick, Md, one Of the first Of the east
ern politicians to arrive in Chicago for
the meeting Of the national Democratic
committee, is the political representa-
| tive Of Senator Arthur p. German and
| holds his proxy as national committee
man. In an interview last night COL
onel Baughman said:
Gas to Senator German 8 views on
silver and his attitude toward the last
Democratic platform, would say that
the senator is man who never hest.
tates to express his own views upon all
great public questions and, while he
may have taken issue with his friends
in the last campaign and thought it un-
wise to force such issues on the party,
he was at least loyal to the nominee Of
the party and carried out the teachings
of democracy by rendering his aid and
support to the ticket.
"Frankly, will say that do not
think silver is the most important issue.
The great question was submitted for
arbitration before the American people
and decided adversely. At this time I
am unable to see the necessity Of again
demanding that it should be the leading
issue. There are more momentous ques-
tions to consider, questions Of govern
ment policy in which the people are
deeply interested at this time. It would
be best to let the dead past bury its dead
and realize the demands of the great
fight before us
LINCOLN, July 19.-W. J. Bryan said
last night he would start for Chicago
today to attend the meeting Of the
Democratic national committee. He
declined to say whether he would ac-
cept the invitation to speak at the Audi.
forum meeting Thursday night.