The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-07-28
MEET OF DEMOCRATS.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE TRANS
ACTS BUSINESS IN CHICAGO.
Mr. Bryan Pleads for Party Unity
Rea firms Chicago Platform and
Grit;cises Policy of xpansiou-Some
Notable Words of Other Speakers.

| The national Democratic committee
met in Chicago Thursday and held a Ion:
/ executive session at the Sherman House
But for one or two differences the busi.
ness of the preliminary meeting passed
/ of smoothly and quietly. As stated by
ex-Gov. Stone when he first called the
meeting to order. this gathering was moi
for the purpose of transacting much bust
ness. but was called for the purpose OF
organizing for the approaching struggle
of the ensuing year" Hence no new
| business of Importance was considered
The summary of the business transacted
may be told in the following short para,
graph:
The meeting created the office of vice
chairman and elected William j. Stone tc
I'LL it: took action tantamount to. oustine
L. j. Devlin from the editorship of the
press bureau: adopted new rules which
aadd the ways and means committee tt
the list of standing committees: thanked
the bimetalliSts for their offers OF coop
GRAFTON and agreed to call on them wher
their services are needed; received and
placed on file bids for the national con
vention from Milwaukee and Kansas
City: provided for Il press committee of
five and directed the vice-chairman tc
name its members: authorized the chair
man to divide the States into groups fol
campaign work; elected John l. Martin
serseant-at-arms for next national con
vcntion, and accepted an invitation from
the sanitary trustees to visit the drain
age canal.
Chicagos name was not mentioned
when the question OF location of the con
vention came up. Blffalo, Milwaukee,
Kansas City and Denver locked horns in
a sharp fight for convention honors. All
four cities We're represented in the coun-
ellis of the committee by large delegations,
and there We're offers of special trains
and all sorts of inducements TO capture
the committeeman. All these suggestions
and offers were placed on file.
Auditorium Meeting.
y mass meeting was held at the Audi.
torium in the evening, at which consider
able enthusiasm was manifested. When
William j. Bryan arose to speak the
great theater resounded with cheers, and
1T every reference to the old Democratic
principles Of 1896 there was enthusiastic
applause. When the denunciation of the
protracted war in the Philippine Islands
was mentioned the audience shouted it's
approval
ExGov. AItgeld did not occupy a po-
sition on the stage. He was seated in a
front box with number of friends.
When his name was called there was
great enthusiasm shown, and when he
stepped to the front of the box to deliver
his speech he was greeted with prolonged
applause.
Judge James p. Tarvin of Kentucky
was the first speaker at the meeting. His
address was mainly eulogistic of eX-Gov.
Altgeld. He was followed by James +.
Brown, who spoke in the same strain and
referred to Altgeld as the Henry George
of Illinois, Mr.. Brown was chairman
of the famous New York dollar dinner
committee. Senator Tillman's speech,
which followed, was delivered in his char
acteristic style. He spoke mainly on the
platform question, and said that he had
three pronss to his pitchfork-silver,
antitrust and anti-imperialism.'
Following a speech on free silver by
Congressman John +. Shafroth Of Colo
rado, Alexander Troup, national commit
teeman, made short speech, in which
he assured the audience that New Eng
land Democrats We're for Bryan. George
II. Williams next spoke, and he was fol-
lowed by ex-Gov. Altgeld The trend of
the remarks by John ]. Lentz was anti
and Gcn. e. b. Finley spoke
on prosperity.