The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-20
'BRYAN'S WAY OUT
Democratic Leader Tries to
Arrange a Compromise
Between the Warning Factions
at Chicago.
IN A TIGHT PLACE.
Pulled and Hauled by Harrison
and Altgeld Crowds.
I'm A TIGHT PLACE.
The Mayors People Seem to
Have the Worst of 1t.

| Chicago, July 2O.-W. J. Bryan today
| made a proposition to the warning
| Democratic factions in Illinois that the
| meeting tonight (over which there has
| been SO much pulling to and fro to Sc
! cure his attendance or his absence) be
| placed under control of the Democratic
national committee. This would re-
| Heve him from the dilemma in which
| he is now placed of taking sides in the
| Illinois row. The proposition was made
! to the Altgeld people who are in control
! of the meeting and they agreed to refer
| it to the national committee. Men of
| both sides agreed that Mr.. Bryan has,
| through no fault of his own, been placed
in position where no matter what his
| decision regarding the meeting may be,
| he is certain to lose large part of the
! support of the Illinois democracy. Any
| change in the management of the meet
| ing will relieve him personally OF all
embarrassment
There was a strong under current of
| feeling among the national committee
men against accepting the proposition,
| they claiming that it would look too
| much as though the committee was dis
posed to endorse the silver proposition.
| The silver men of the national commit
| tee are of course willing to accept
| charge of the meeting and said that
| they will have sufficient strength at the
| meeting to carry Mr.. Bryans PROPOSE
ton through.
P. J. DevItn was the storm center of
| the Democratic national committee
| gathering this morning and the fight
| over his retention or dismissal became
very bitter.
| 1t was reported that the Altgeld peo-
/ pie had made threat to Vice Chair
man Stone of the national committee
| that they would withdraw from the
Democratic party and form a national
committee OF their own in the event of
| the dismissal of Mr.. Devlin. Some of
/ Mr.. Altgeld's following made this asser-
/ ton With great energy but the eX-gOV-
ernOr personally, and Judge PrentisS,
who is practically authorized mouth
| piece of Mr.. Altgeld, refused to sub
stantiate any such statements. They
said 1t would be time enough to cross
| the bridge when it was reached, but
| they made confident assertions to the
| effect that DeVlin would not be dis
missed and therefore no emergency
could arise in that direction calling for
any action on their part.
| Judge Prentiss said he had made
call on Vice Chairman Stone this morn
| ing, but it was Just a friendly visit
! and insisted that he made no threats
| and delivered no ultimatum.
! Everything this morning was 'in the
air. and while rumOrs of all kinds were
| flying fast, nobody seemed to know
anything of the probable action of the
| committee this afternoon. There was
a general opinion, however, that the
committee appointed at St. Louis to in
vestigate the charges against Mr..
Devlin will report in favor of his dis
| charge.
The Altgeld people have won an un-
qualified victory as far as the attend
ance at the meeting tonight is concern
ed. Mr.. Bryan who arrived at o'clock
| this morning will certainly speak and
what is more, practically every member
of the national committee viii be here
to hear him. The schemes of the Har-
rison faction to draw the committee
men TO one side by invitations to car
riage rides, trips to the drainage canal,
rides on the lake, and similar delights,
proved fruitless, and not only will prac-
tically all the committeeman be at the
| meeting, but a large portion of the
Harrison crowd as we'll.
The Harrison men admitted that their
efforts to draw from the meeting have
| resulted in failure but claimed they
are making their fight against Devlin
and if they secure his head. the sue
/ cess of the meeting, matter how
glittering it may be, can not injure
them.
1t is now certain that unless the BIZ
metallistS secure the recognition they
demand from the national committee
at this afternoons meeting that they
viii form new national committee of
their own.
There seems to be. however. a strong
proba bility they will obtain the formal
| recognition they demand and that no
bolt will be in order They claimed this
morning to have two-thirds of the ma
uona1 committee and said that there
will be a formal decIara ton in their
favor by the national committee as
soon as they have presented their de-
mand, that they be allowed to CO.
operate in the next national campaign
with the national committee in the
management of the campaign.
Vice Chairman Stone refused to say
anything upon this subject
I don't know what we will do he
said. Nobody knows what will be
done. 1 am not looking for any bolt
from the Democratic party however I
can assure you. There may be some
honest differences of opinion, but there
will be no split"
Shortly before noon the AItgeId peo-
pie made a decided change of base re-
garding DevIin when VIM 7 Strong
close friend and adviser of Mr. Alt
geld, announced that the latter did not
propose to stand or fall by Mr.. DeVlin
or by what was done with him. This
was accepted by the Harrison people as
a sure indication that Devlin was to go
and that the Altgeld people were trim
missal might not compromise them to
any serious extent
COMMITTEE MEETS.
The Democratic national committee
went into session at ten minutes past
noon with 90 states represented by nat
ional committeeman or by proxies.
Vice Chairman Stone called the meet
ing to order by humping a table with
his open hand and saying:
Gentlemen of the Democratic Nat
ional COmmittee-Some time ago the
Jefferson club of ST Louis gave a din
ner to which it invited members of the
national committee for a conference. At
| that conference, which was not attend
ed by a majority of the members of the
committee. certain matters deveIoped
and it was deemed wise to call a general
meeting Of the national committee. A