The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-18
THE CAUSES FOR ALL THIS
MAYOR HARRISON DECLINES AN IN
VITATION TO ADDRESS SILL
YER GATHERING
HE ASSIGNS PLAIN REASONS
Says the Promoters of the Affair Are
So Obscure as to Be Scarcely
known In That City, and That 1t
Would Be Folly for Him to Dig
nifty Such an Event-DetaiIs of
Two Other Sensations.

Two Other Sensations.
CHICAGO, July 17-Three political de-
velopments stirred the Democrats in Chi
cago today. One was the refusal of May
or Harrison on account of it's ''obs3uru"
origin. to attend and deliver an address
of welcome at the Auditorium free silver
meeting on Thursday night. The second
was verbal notice that the Democratic
national committee would be asked TO
repudiate the Croker-H Murphy ma
chine in New York and recognize the sill
yer 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 con-
vention Of 1900 as delegate.
On arriving at his office in the city hall
Mayor Harrison found w. D. Collins
invitation to make speech to the as
| sembled Democrats on Thursday hight.
| He declined the proffered honor, and his
reasons for doing so are set forth IN the
following answer:
| w. F. Cooling, Esq: Replying to your
| favor of the 14th inst, in which you ask
me to deliver an address of welcome at
| the Auditorium July 20 to the National
| Democratic committee, and "a large
! number of other prominent Democrats OF
| cept. In ordinary circumstances should
| be only too glad, both as mayor of Chi
| cago and as a Democrat, to welcome
| the national COMMITTEES, or any number
| of prominent Democrats, to Chicago, the
| city in which the platform of 1896 was
| framed, and in which W. j. Bryan was
| elevated to his present leadership of the
| national Democracy. 1 cannot but think,
| however, it would be an abSurdity to
welcome these distinguished men under
! the auspices of a self-constituted COM
mittee whose personnel is too obscure to
| be known even in its home city Had
| this meeting been organized under the
| direction Of Democrats of regular type,
| and known party standing, it would have
| afforded me great pleasure to be present.
/ In the existing circumstances, while
| thanking you for the honor, 1 must beg
leave to be excused.
Garter H. Harrison.
When a copy Of Mayor Harrison's let
ter was shown to ex-Gov. Altgeld, the
! latter said:
'I am sorry the mayor looks at 1t that
way. He has made a grave mistake.
| He has lost golden opportunity. Should
| he come to the meeting and make a
rcusing Democratic speech he would
| place himself at the head Of the Demo-
| cratic party of the state. But he has
lost the chance now. am sorry for it."
| When Mr.. Cooling read the mayors
| letter he made the following statement:
1--WE have given the young man m the
| city hall the opportunity Of his life, which
| he has failed to apprecite. There is a
| tide in the affairs Of men which taken
at the food 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 great nas-
| tionaI committee as possible to ignore
! hot f1Y1l ono
half would not go near it. They are be-
! ing informed for the purpose to influence
| them into doing something which does
! not properly come within the scope of
| the committees functions.
ALTGELD FORCES AUGMENTED.
The Altgeld faction has been reinforced
by the Chicago platform Democrats OF
New York. Willis ]. Abbott, the first
emissary to arrive, reported at head
quarters in the Unity building in the aft
| ernocn. He came as one of a committee
of the silver party in New York to ap-
| pear before the national body and get
hearing as to what Is the situation in
that state. James r. Brown, who was
| toastmaster of THE Dollar Dinner" and
! George Thompson are the other mem
bers Of the delegation They will arrive
! Tuesday. Mr.. Abbott said that great
majority of the rank and file of the
New York Democracy is in favor of the
'16 to T. issue and of w. J. Bryan for
president
Croker, Hill and Murphy, the leaders,"
he continued, "are opposed to free silver
and Bryan, but they do not represent
a sentiment of The majority of the vo-
ters."
The three spokesmen will demand that
this claimed majority be given recogni-
ton by the national committee, so that
it may have some excuse for sending
contesting delegation to the national
convention next year. The same plan
was started last winter by Mr.. Altgeld
! in Illinois. He claimed that those in
control Of the party organizations here
are not friendly either to the cause or
| Mr.. Bryan. After his defeat for mayor
the ex-governor announced that the Chi
cago platform Democrats of Illinois
would send a contesting delegation to
| the state convention.