The age-herald., 1899-07-19
Gahan Brands Them as Boilers
 and DeSerters.
OPPOSED THE REGULAR TICKET
In the Chicago Municipal Election Alt geld's Friends Say That Bryan Has Accepted an Invitation
 to Attend the Meeting

Chicago, H., July 1S.-The fight between the regular democratic organization of resented by Mayor Harrison and National Committeeman Gehan, on the one side, and the Altgeld candidate for mayor at the last election on the other, has reached an acute stage today, and threatens to in volve the national committee in spite of the strenuous attempts being made to keep local quarrels out of the proceedings of next Thursdays meeting of the national committee in this city.
 Hon. Thomas Gahan, national committee man from Illinois, in an open letter today to the leaders of the Altgeld element Of the party, explains his reason for declin- ing to attend the Auditorium meeting of next Thursday night, and by indirection appeals to his colleagues of the national committee to refrain from attending the Altgeld meeting. Interest is added to the occasion by the report of Governor Alt gelds friends that Bryan, some days ago, accepted an invitation to address the meet ing.
 Not Rendered in Good Faith
 The letter of National Committeeman Gahan follows in full:
 Chicago, July IS, 1893. 1.-The Committee on Arrangements, Audi torium meeting of July 20, 1241 Unity Building, Chicago.
 "Gentlemen: I am just in receipt of your letter of July r rendering me Box 31 for Auditorium meeting of July 20.
 "The published statements of the chair man of your committee has made it mani fest that this invitation is not rendered in good faith and not one which any believer in the integrity of democratic organizations could be expected to accept and ordinarily a mere deelination of the box rendered me would suffice but since l am informed by the daily press that a large number of in vitations have been sent by your committee to members of the national committee feel 1t my duty as a democrat and national committeeman from the state of Illinois, to give you and the public the reasons which make it impossible that could accept this invitation without stultifying the demo- cratic party of the state of Illinois and committing an injustice to the democratic party of Cook county.
 Opposed Democratic Ticket
 
 "The membership of your committee on arrangements on whose behalf this invitation is rendered me shows that in it's personnel this committee is entire ly composed of gentlemen who, in April last, opposed 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 democratic ticket and the election of the regular repubi- can ticket at that election. Strange as it may appear to those from abroad, an examination of the members of the other committee arranging the proposed meeting at the auditorium shows that every member of the several auxiliary committees likewise opposed the regular democratic ticket and it's nominees in the Chicago election last April, and likewise sought all in their power to de- feat the regular democratic ticket and elect the republican ticket at that elec- ton. I am a believer in the rule of majority, and when the democratic par ty ceases to believe in the rule of ma jority it will cease to be the party of the people. The primaries and the conven- tion of last spring were held under law, the principles of which were ap- proved and the passage of which was publicly recommended by your factional leader Notwithstanding this, and re- pudiating in advance the work of that convention and the will of the majority, you sounded the battle cry of anything to beat the regular democratic nominee and maintained a guerrilla warfare against the democratic party and it's regular organizatio until you were re- buked at the polls by such an over whelming defeat as to effectively silence your pretentions of party organization until you saw in this demonstration of July an opportunity to temporarily galvanze the lifeless seeds of party se- dition which you there so zealously sowed.
 Wants Public to Know It
 "I would be recreant to my trust as the representative of Illinois democracy on the national committee if I did not frankly re- view facts which are within the memory of all and which should be brought to the attention of the entire democratic national committee as the reason why the national committeeman of Illinois cannot attend your demonstration. In the three years that it has been my honor to represent the democ- racy of Illinois on the national committee I have considered it my duty to labor for party harmony in the state of Illinois and for the conciliation of all clements in or der that we might in 1900 redeem Illinois to the democracy by sending "A votes to the electorial college for Wm J. Bryan and sharing in the triumph of that platform of