The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-11
AS TO HARRISON AND ALTGELD
BY Q. A. EnWARps.l

Washington. April 9.-tStaff Specially
The election OF Carter Harrison In Chi
cage has set the poliucsl gossips OF this
city to work and they are now grinding
out republican victory by the yard. Har
rison Ia already mentioned for governor
OF Illinois, vice president and even a can
didate for president against Bryan. There
Is no sort OF doubt that the Croker ec-
ment in New York will do all in It's power
to push Harrison to the front IL 1t can use
MIN, and thus drive a nail In the coffin
oil silver In the next National conven-
ton. IL 1t be possible to do so. The re-
publicans are claiming that Carter Har-
rlson's election has split the democratic
party Of Illinois up the back so hard that
It can not get together in 1900, and there
fore ram not possibly have any chance Of
carrying the State for the democratic
nominee. Ny humble opinion is that they
axe counting the chickens before they are
Matched, and that the municipal election
OF Chicago Will have no material effect on
the vote In 1900. The fight in Chicago
was purely local ono and based entirely
| road corporations against Carter Harris IN
and the people and the latter won a sig
nal victory. The people there distrusted
2ena Carter, the republican candidate, be-
cause they believed him to be a machine
man, and they turned down Altgeld be-
| cause he tried to inject National issues
into the campaign. ! am very sorry that
| Aitgeld got mixed up in that fight and
| he had no business in It. He has not only
injured himself, but he has given the re-
publicans line TO pull on that they
would not have had II he had remained out
and not allowed his hatred of Carter Har-
rison TO influence him. He should have
known better than to go against buzz
saw. The people OF the city of Chicago
were in no humor to monkey with Ma
tional politics during that campaign.
~
They had troubles OF their own closer at
home and they wanted to see them cor
rected first They wanted to sweep their
own door steps clean before trying to
clean the National Augean stables. Att
| geld and the National democratic commit
tee are being misrepresented, however, in
this matter. The statement that Carter
| Harrison's election was accomplished over
the opposition OF the democratic National
committee is based on statement that
in the midst of the personal contest be-
tween Harrison and Altgeld, Senator
Jones, chairman of the democratic Ma
tional committee, gave his Endorsement
to Mr.. Atgeld by appointing him as u
member of an advisory committee" to
assist the National committee. This fur
nishes a curious example OF how an in
correct statement can run ahead of any
! possible correction. The fact Is that Mr..
! Atgeld was never appointed member of
an advisory committee" by Chairman
Jones and that no advisory committee was
ever appointed by Mr.. Jones, nor was the
| appointment Of such committee ever held
in contemplation. When The story was
first published Mr.. Jones denied it, but
the denial got no currency. Soon after
that Mr.. Jones was seized by dangerous
! illness and has not been able to attend
10 any sort of business, to participate in
In politics in any way, or even TO follow
the progress of political affairs until very
recently.
Mr.. Altgeld is publicly quoted as ac-
cuslng Mr.. Harrison OF not being true to
Bryan or faithful to the Chicago platform,
and the campaign against Harrison by the
ex-governor was based on this accusation,
but Harrison has denied the accusation
and publicly proclaimed his loyalty to
Bryan and the Chicago platform. Some
democrats doubt Harrison's sincerity and
suspect him of being too intimate with
Mr. Croker of New York.
~
This suspicion Is presumably based on
Altgeld's declarations, and the fact that
Croker aud Harrison are looked upon as
friends the New York boss having visited
Harrison after his former election as
mayor of Chicago. But when Bryan de-
clned Belmonts invitation to the $40 din
ner and questioned Mr.. Belmont's democ-
racy Mr. Harrison was quoted in an inter.
view as declaring his approval OF Bryan's
course, and as saying that he was for
Bryan and free silver and that men like
MIR. Belmont could not claim to be demo.
Gratis unless they declared their accept
ance of the platform OF the party. This
| is simple statement of the facts in the
case, and ! think the democrats OF the
country need not feel at all alarmed
about the attitude of Carter Harrison. II
is true, the young man is ambitious and
he has a perfect right to be. l predict
that he will be the democratic candidate
for governor in 1900, and II he is, he will
be nominated on straight democratic
PLATFORM No matter what The Chicago
democracy might want the balance OF the
state is strong enough to hold It in line
for straight democratic principles. on
that kind Of platform Mr.. Harrison will
he tower of strength to the democratic
ticket. He will carry the city OF Chicago
With a whoop, for there are thousands of
republicans in that city who viii vote for
him on any old kind Of platform They
! will do so because they believe In his
honesty of purpose and his backbone alis.
tnont in fighting the combinations OF cap