Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-19
GAHAN VILE NOT BE THERE
Illinois Committeeman Declines Invitation
to Auditurium Meeting.
Chicago Commifteegin Charge Will
~.
Attempt taeDefeat Regular
Demeefatid Party.


organization of Cook county and the state
of Illinois. represented by Mayor Harrison
and National Committeeman Gahan on the
one side. and the Alleged wing of democ-
racy, which supported ex-Gov. Altgeld as
an Independent candidate for mayor at the
last election, on the other, has reached an
acute stage, and threatens to involve the
national committee in spite Of the strenu-
GUS attempts being made to keep local
quarrels out Of the proceedings of the meet
ing of the national committee which meets
in Chicago tomorrow.
Thomas Gahan, national committeeman
from Illinois, in an open letter yesterday to
the leaders of the Altgeld element Of the
party, explains his reason for declining to
attend the Auditorium meeting of Thurs
day night. and by indirection, appeals to his
colleagues of the national committee to re-
frain from attending the Altgeld meeting.
Interest Is added to the occasion by the re-
port of Gov. Altgeld's friends that Bryan,
some days ago, accepted an Invitation to
address the meeting. The letter of Nation
al Committeeman Gahan follows in full:
Gahan Arraigns the Committee.
CHICAGO. ILL.,, July 49, 1899.
1.-THE Committee on Arrangements, Audi
forum meeting Of July 20, 1241 Unity
building, city.
UeHtieI1eL. diu just III receipt Oh your
letter of July II, rendering me box 81 for
Auditorium meeting of July 20.
1.-THE published statement of the chair
man of your committee has made it mani
fest that this invitation is not rendered in
good faith, and Is not one which any be-
lever in the integrity of democratic organi-
cations could be expected to accept, and
ordinarily mere declination of the box
rendered me would suffice: but since I am
informed by the daily press that large
number Of invitations have been sent by
your committee to members Of the national
committee 1 feel 1t my duty, as demo-
cratic national committeeman from the
state of Illinois. to give You and the public
the reasons which make 1t impossible that
I could accept this invitation without stul-
tifying the democratic party of the state Of
Illinois, and committing an injustice to the
democratic party of Cook county
1.-THE membership of your committee on
arrangements, on whose behalf this invi-
tation is rendered me, shows that in it's
personnel this committee is entirely COM
posed of gentlemen who, in April last OPP
posed the regular democratic candidate for
mayor and other charter officers of the city
of Chicago. and did all in their power to
bring about the defeat Of the regular dem
ocratic ticket and the election of the regu-
lar republican ticket at that election.
Strange as it may appear to those from
abroad. examination of the members
of the committees arranging the proposed
meeting at the auditorium shows that every
member of the several auxiliary committees
likewise opposed the regular democratic
ticket and its nominees in the Chicago cleo
ton of Ii st April, and likewise sought all in
their power to defeat the regular democrat
ic ticket and elect The republican ticket at
that election. ~
Brings Up, Their Record.
II am believer IN the rule of majority
and when the democratic party ceases to
believe in the rule aof ,majorities it will
cease to be the party Off the people The
primaries and. the convention of last spring
We're held under a law; the principles of
which were approved and the passage of
which was publicly recommended by your
factional leader. Notwithstanding this. and
repuaiating in advance the work of that
convention and the.wiL of the majority You
sounded the battlepry of f'anything to beat
tie regular democratic nominee and MAIN
tanned guerrilla, warfare against the dem
ooratc party and its. regular organization
until You were rebuked at the polls by such
an overwhelming defeat as to effectively ST.
fence your preteEsions of party. organiza-
tion until you saw in this demonstration of
July 70 an opportunity to temporarily GAL
VaniZe the Ifeless seeds of party sedition
Wn1cn you there so zealously sowed 1
would De recreant to my trust as the repre-
sentative of the Illinois democracy on fine
national committee if 1 did not frankly re-
view these facts, which are within the
memory OF all. and which should be
cratic national committee as the reason
why the national committeeman of Illinois
cannot attend Your demonstration
In the three years that it has been nv
hohor 10 represent the democracy of Illinois
on the national committee, have consider
ed 1T my duty to labor for party harmony
IN the state of Illinois and for Cancellation
OF all elements, in order that we n,ipht in
1890 redeem Illinois to democracy nv Sand
ing tWenty-four votes to the electoral COL
iege for William J. Bryan and sharing in
s sne trlumph of that platform of principles
Tor which the democratic national commits
tee SO faithfully labored against over
"helming odds in the dark days of 1886
No Hope of Compromise,
If saw in your proposed meeting, or
In the membership of your several COM
m1ttees, a single indication to a hope of
party unity; II you had held out for a mo-
ment the hand Of good-feIlowship; IL Won
mad Tor moment. in your asseveratfons of
democracy, indicated that you would have
accepted the olive branch on any condition
snort OF a surrender Of party organization
ana party principles to the whim and ca
prices and exactions of a hopeless minority
would have been the first to make an
overture in the belief that the first duty of
a committeeman Is to harmonize the eIa
ments OF his party.
But your action, and your declarations,
and the public announcement of your mes
ent intentions have proven that you are not
- ht VI liie democratic party; that it's
constituent principles cannot survive In
your atmosphere, and that to accept your
olctation is to surrender that Fundamental
doctrine which finds in the rule of a ma
1orlty the, success of the democratic party.
For these reasons and for the further
reason that sense OF duty must make IT
Impossible for any loyal democrat of Illinois
VINO believes in party organizations and the
rule or majorfties to attend a public
meeting under your auspices, I must re-
spectiuily decline your invitation Very
truly yours, wy
THOMAS GAHAN.
Democratic National Committeeman from
illinois," =: "a = i
W. j. Bryan, who is In Lincoln, Neb said
last night that he would start for Chicago
TO-DAY to attend the meeting of the demo-
cratic national committee. He declined to
say whether he wotild accept the invitation
to speak at the Auditorium meeting Thurs
day night.