The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-21

| the press bureau Of the National commit, :
! tee, was ready to report. The committee
| reported as follows:
Following Is an abstract OF the report
of the committee to report on the p. j.
| Devin case.
| After citing at length the occurrences
leading up to the complaint of the Har-
| rison faction against Mr.. Devlin the repI' I
continues: Upon investigation your sub
committee finds that Mr.. Devln holds his
position by appointment from the chairman
of the National committee; that he re-
oeives no salary, but has an allowance
made to him for expenses covering office
rent and assistance, which varies from ST5
to SIZE per month; that mis- duties, so lar
AS your sub committee can ascertain, are
to furnish to the ready print houses Of the
United States weekly, such matter Us Is
deemed desirable In the interests OF our
party to have appear In the ready print
| furnished to democratic weekly papers
through these establishments. So far as
We can ascertain Mr.. Devl!n seems to be
"A man specially qualified for the discharge
of this duty. He is an ardent democrat
and devoted to the principles Of our party.
He Is man of large experience in this
special line OF business having editorial
supervision of the publications of one of
the largest ready print houses in the
United States.
During our investigation OF the incident
complained of by Mr.. Gahan and the llli-
nois committee. we have had numerous
conferences with Mr.. Devlln. He tells
us that his authority from Senator Jones
was general In It's character. no special
directions were given him and he UNDER
stood that he was to exercise his discretion
largely in the line of work committed to
his charge. He insists that the daily pa
pers which published the articles COM
planned Of are mistaken when they aver
that he stated that his article had the in
dorsement of either Senator Jones or of
the National committee. He admits that
no one in authority was consulted in any
manner prior to the publication of the
article and Senator Jones IN late letter
TO the chairman OF your subcommittee
AYERS that he never saw the article until
it was referred to him In the course of this
investigation by your subcommittee.
Mr. Devlin explains the incident by
stating that he wrote the article COM
planned of, intending to send 1t out through
the press bureau as alleged, but that be-
fore it's publication he concluded not to do
so; that in his absence and without his
knowledge II was set up with other mat
ter for publication that week and before
he discovered II a number OF copies had
been printed; that upon discovery OF the
error. he caused the entire issue, as he
thought. to be destroyed and reprinted the
issue, eliminating this article: that a
copy OF which in some way escaped de-
struction, fell into the hands Of a news
paper man and that the publication In the
Chicago dallles was the result. Since the
investigation has been In progress, how
ever, the members Of your sub-committoe
have received at Mr.. Devlin's office copies
OF the Democratic Press Bulletin, which |
lis published by him as manager OF the |
press bureau OF the National committee.
in which. over his own signature, he takes |
occasion TO Justify the act complained OF
and reiterates largely the statement made 4
in the Chicago dailies hereinbefore re-
ferred to-
Our investigation ronvInces us that no
officer or member OF the democratic Ma
tional committee. was concerned either dl-
rectly or indirectly In the preparation or
publication of the article complained Of
by the Illinois committee and Mr. Gahan;
that the responsibility for It's preparation |
and publication, whether accidental or
otherwise. rests upon and must be borne
entirely by Mr.. Devlin; that occupying the
position which he did, II was very In
judicious and indiscreet for him mo mat
ter what his personal convictions as TO /
the relative merits OF parties or cpndl- |
dates In the municipal contegts In Chi
cago) TO permit the National committee I
which he represented to in any way be
drawn into such controversy; that It was
very injudlclous and unwise for him 10
nave pFtpHIed bucn an hIticie III Tue hiof
place. even though he afterward recon-
sIdered his first determination to publish
II; but your subcommittee desires to call
attention to the fact that after the article
complained OF was published In the CHI
cage daily press, distinctly claiming II
was by authority Of the National COM
mittee and its chairman "a claim then
known and now admitted by Mr.. Deylin
TO be false), Mr.. Deylin remained abso-
lutely silent TO them until the election was
over allowing 100000 copies OF those pa
pers, containing this article, to be cir
culated in Chicago and vicinity and per-