The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-08

PLOTTING TREASON
Bryan Democrats Preparing
a Movement Against ii
Party Harmony.
WILL ISSUE AN ADDRESS
No One Who Opposes the
Chicago Platform to Be
Considered Regular.
IspecIal 70 ..rbe Jersey city News."l

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News."J
CAMDEN. Sept. s. 1S99.-'The Commit
Zee of Fifteen, appointed at the Bryan
conference of New Jersey politicians, held
at the Ridgway House.. in Philadelphia,
last Saturday. said one of the members
will draft an address to the voters OF
the State indorsing the Chicago platform
in absolute and unqualified language SIX
teen-to-one will go in every time. The gold
standard will be condemned. Trusts will
be scored to beat the band. Bryan will
he iauded from the beginning to the end
of the document The attitude of the
State convention of 1898 in not indorsing
the Chicago platform will be scored, and
the demand for State delegates to vote at
the national convention for Bryan will
be statedswith vigor.
"The address will also contain a plan
for the organization of the Bryan forces.
The first step toward the end viii be a
demand for the resignation of the twenty
seven members of the present State Conn
mittee. The difficulty is that. while we
recognize the most of the State Commit
tee are for bryan, yet we hold that these
men are sc thoroughly dominated by
Chairman Gour1ey that hey are not en-
fitled to the confidence of the Bryan sup
porters. We may perhaps, come out bold
ly and demand the holding of a separate
State convention (cutting loose from the
present organization), and the election of
men certain to properly represent the
Bryan end of it. At the same time such a
convention has only been mentioned as a
dernier resort. If the twenty-seven MEM
bers of the State Committee step down
and out, no separate convention will be
needed.
W have a rule which says that the
last platform of a national convention is
the platform of the party until another is
made by a national convention. When a
man or a State convention doesn't be-
9eve in the platform enunciated by the
A%tional convention, neither he nor the
state can be a party to the national con-
vention. The organization that plants its
foot %squarely upon the party platform
will surely be recognized and it's dele
gates will be seated in the national body.
If the so-ealled regular organization un-
der the State Committee gets a convention
together and gags it. as they did the con-
vention of 1898, repudiating the national
organization, then they are not a party
to the national convention, and its dele
gates viii not be recognized. Suppose
that the Republican State convention re-
pudiated the st. Louis platform, would
they do any worse than the Democratic
convention Of 1898 did? I tell you that
sixteen-to-one is going to go in New Jer-
sey. and Mr.. Bryan will secure the New
Jersey delegates.
The Bryan people don't propose to be
fooled with any more State issues bust
ness Bob Davis and his followers say
we will get together on State issues this
fan. This means a strike at the friends
OF Mr.. Bryan and the election of anti
Bryan and anti Chicago platform dele
gates.
There will be no monkey business at
the next convention. The Bryan people
at the next national convention win take
no chances in 1900 in seating dubious char
acters. New jersey will be in line all
right. We don't propose to afford any
opportunity for a separate organization In |
New Jersey that will bear the appearance
of being regularly Democratic and at the
same time hostile TO the national con-
vention."
Clarence T. Atkinson. who was at the
Ridgeway House conference. confirmed
the foregoing plan of the address. He
stated that the address would probably
be promulgated in about two weeks, and
that it would taxi the lines suggested.
The exact language used by some Of the
conferres at the Ridgeway House meet
ing-Congressman Daily, for instance
would make interesting reading. But the
exact language cannot, of course. be
given, for the very good reason that
stenographers were no more wanted there
than newspaper men. Still. a great deal
of what was said has leaked out. The
subject of harmony was fully discussed.
The consensus of opinion was that the re-
~sfgnation of the State Cemmitte be de-
manded.
we nave lost all confidence in Mr..
Gourley," said one of the conferrees. I'VE
don't believe that his recent letter ex-
presses his true feelings. We are afraid
of him and don't promise TO let him of his
crowd get any points OF us-if we can
help it,"
Another interesting feature of the CON
ference was the firing" of two Burlington
County Democrats. Not that physical vio-
lence was resorted to-they were simply
told that they must get away. The men
were Edward R. Van Solver and Frank P.
Jones, two estinable gentlemen from the
bailiwick of Eckard p. Budd, the Dem
oeratic State Committeeman of Burling-
ton County, and as Mr.. Budd was not in
demand at the conference. Mr.. Budd's
lieutenants were deemed to be very much
in the way. The two. it is said, were
crest-failen, and plainly exhibited it.
Congressman DAILY spoke out fat-footed
for the formation of a new party. Har-
mony wasn't his theme. He didn't even
deplore the lack of it. And in this he had
nearly all the conferrees with him. There I
can be no harmony with Mr.. Gouriey.v
said one of Mr.. Days supporters.
" 4
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