The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-20
NEW DEMOCRATIC RULES.
THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO DIS
CESS PROPOSED CHANGES TO-DAY.

| pOrtant Conference on the Unit and
| Two-Thrds Rules and on New schemes
for Ways mud Menns-The Need of
| "Glue" One Reason for Calling tho
Meeting - The Harrison Altgeid War.
CHICAGO. July ia nob!n old Ohio Dem
ocrat, who had been potential fnctor In many
campaign In that notorious state once said:
| Principles are all right. young fellow. but
we've got to have some glue"
| That scntentious remark describes exactly
The situation here to- ight concerning the ntti-
tude Of the Democratic National Committee on
| many tmportant questions. The committee
| Is to meet at the Sherman House tomorrow at
| noon. The Hon. William jennings Bryan is
| expected to arrive at that hotel ut y O'Clock to-
| morrow morning. The Hon. William j. Stone.
| eN-iovernor Of Missouri and at present tho
| managing director OF the Democratic National
Committee. arrived at that hotel this morning
II has been snid In these dispatches that no.
| body seemed to know why the committee had
been called together at this time and that the
| only person who could give q satisfactory en-
| PLANTATION for the call was Mr. Stone. 1t is u
| TACT that not one Of tho Democratic leaders
| east Of the Allegheny Mountains has had
! definite information as to why the committee
| had been called together n year before tho
| Democratic Nationa! Convention is to I've held
| 'Th"s" Eastern Democrats have had their sus-
| picions. and there can be no harm irssayinE
now that as sooE as tho call was issued
| they sent out sapperS and miners and n little
| information was obtained This information
| was to the effect that at a conference in
1T. Louis several months ago which was at
tended by Mr.. Bryan and where Mr.. Stone and
other leaders OF tho Democratic national party
| were present the proposition was broachcd to
call the committee together and abrogate tho
| unit and the two-thirds rule
1t must be said that Gov. Stone apparently
did not like the plan. it's known. however. that
enthusiastic supporters of Mr.. Bryan advo-
Gated the upheaval OF the ancient rules
which have governed Democratic national
| conventions. and the extremists had their way
and the call for the meeting Of the committee
was issued. At that time Mr.. Bryan was told
by Mr.. Stone and Others II Is declared. that the
abrogation OF tho unit rule and Of the two
| thirds rule would be confession OF weakness
concerning the prospects Of his denominations.
The extremists. however. carried the day.
EN-Gov. Stone believed that there could be
| no harm in calling the committee together. for
| the reason that il was very apparent that tho
| Democratic party must have some glue next
| year with which to run the Presidential
battle. Mr. Stone has paid several Wis
its to New York city within the last
month or so. On his arrival here
| to-day Mr.. Stone was brset not only b.; Dem
| ocratic National Committeeman but by dis-
| interested observers OF the political situation.
and asked to give an explanation as to why the
| committee was called together al this time
| He replied:
To take steps for the perfection OF many
| matters leading to the success Of the Demo-
| cratic party next year" .
7 his personal friends. however. Mr.. Stuns
IN bal tl.nNS % ~.
| tional Committee should be changed at to-
morrow's meeting as to give the committee sole
| authority over the seats Of delegates In the
national conventions This was a sumner 1t
| was practically what the extreme friends
| Of Mr.. Bryan desired II was abrogatinE the
unit rule and the two-thirds rule bv kicking
! the devil around the stump. Certain eminent
| Democrats protested vigorously to Mr.. Stone
| that such a resolution should not he introduced
| at to-morrow's meeting and insisted that all
vacant seats In the National Conventions
should be filed by the state delegations in
which they occur Mr.. Stone listened atten-
| lively to the protests. and 1t Is believed to-
night that he will not push his resolution civ
| ing the National Committee absolute authority
| over the seats Of delegates in the conventions.
| Another proposition OF Mr. Stones Is the ap-
| pontment OF a Vice Chairman of the National
| Committee and 1t is believed tina: If this reso-
! luton Ia adopted by the committee Mr.. Stone
will be male Vice Chairman. and. mas
much as new Executive Committee is
to be appointed. Mr.. Stone as Vice Chair.
man in the absence in Europe Of Chair
| man James X. Jones. will have the appoint
ment OF the new Executive Committee Of the
National Democratic Committee. This. in the
| opinion Of the political experts. means the
| practical retirement Of Chairman Jones from
| anything save the semblance Of authority. and
this step is to be followed up by an other quite
| as important
Mr.. Stone tells his friends that a new Com.
! mittee on Ways and Means OF the Nationa!
| Committee must be appointed. This must be
done il the aforesaid glue" is to become an
| established fact. At present there are four
members OF tho Ways and Means Committee.
| ex-senator Teller. Silver Republican; ex-
Senator Allen, Populist ex-Gov. John 7.
| Altged. Atgeld Democrat, and ex-Gov.
| Stone. with Chairman Jones. ex-offlci1. This
committee was appointed b. Chairman Jones.
II Is declared to- iRht that tho designations OF
| ex-Senators Teller and Alien will be handed in
| to- morrow and that eX-Gov. Stone Will also
| resign at the same time. Senator Jones is in
Europe and with the others resgninG ex-
| Gov Altged will he the sole remain
| ing member on the ground. Some say that
this action is expected to freeze him out II he
does not freeze, AtRelu anu Jones VIII lie III
the minority for the reason that the three new
members to be selected are expected to be
what certain OF our friends in Tammany Hail
in New York city would call them, handy men
In raising funds"
The appointment OF n new Ways aud Means
Committee Is interpreted another letting
down Of Chairman Jones Of Arkansas Still
another move has been determined on by Mr..
Stone and that Is the retirement OF p. j. Dew
lin. whom Chairman Jones appointed as the
press agent OF the Democratic National
Committee. A subcommittee was appointed
at st. Louis several months ago to
Investigate charge that Mr.. Devlin. in his
literary efforts. had been altogether too partial
to ex-Gov. AltGeld, and in fact had gone out OF
his way to issue sighting comments on Mayor
Carter Harrison Of Chicago. The fact that this
was DONE 1t is asserted, made it appear that
the Democratic National Committee was off,
cially opposed to Mayor Harrison
Finally Mr. Stone believes that the National
| Committee should appoint groups OF the COM
mittcrmnn to assent BILE at various limos within