The St. Louis Republic., 1904-07-04
POINTS IN THE
ILLINOIS FIGHT
BRYAN Will Not BE on the Gre
dentialS Committee TO
Help Out.
STATEMENTS BY BOTH SIDES,
Carter Harrison Will Take Part
Against Hopkins and Cable
in the Battle Before the
EatiOnal Committee.
.,,e Illinois contest still divides Donors

bee Illinois contest still divides honorS
with the platform and the presidency in
the hotel gossip. The contestants Were dis
appointed yesterday when Mr.. Bryan in
formed them that he would not be on the
Credentials Committee. He offered lit
tie salve for the wound by adding that
he would take personal interest in the
contest. however.
The regular delegation. headed by John
i. Hopkins and Ben 7. Gable, express the
creates, confidence in winning the fight.
both before the National Committee and
also in the Committee on Credentials.
They insist that there is nothing to the
contest. and that 1t is not worth a mo-
nent - consideration.
MR.. BRYAN'S POSITION.
Bryan declared that he would take a
personal interest in all the contests. but
not as member OF the Credentials Com
mittee.
Il expect to be a member Of the Com
mittee on Resolutions from Nebraska -
said he. but will lend all the assistance
/ can where L am satisfied the will of the
voters has been Ihwarted or not expressed
in the selection of delegates and aIternates
TO the National Convention.
Il am speaking particularly OF the Illi-
nois situation. where / have been made
acquainted with the circumstances. but the
who lave not been heard should De heard.
Ana. Furthermore. 1 dor't care what can
didate for President the delegates favor.
is fundamental. II the voters have not
the right to be heard in representative
convention or assembly there is no Use
for parties or conventions of men who are
Supposed to agree on general political prin-
ciples."
The reasons why there was no bolt of
the contestants in the Illinois Democratic
Convention is explained by Doctor Watson
of Mount Vernon, a prominent leader. who
is opposed to Mr.. Hopkins, as follows:
Those who accuse the delegates to the
recent Democratic State Convention of
Illinois of timidity because they did not
storm the platform or hold a bolting con-
vention." said Doctor Watson. do not
understand the situation in Illinois. We
felt that the Hopkins faction wanted the
majority to bolt: At the same time we
structiors for Hearst, as two-thirds of
the convention wanted them.
SAYS MAJORITY PREFERS HEARST.
.Illinois Democrats, by an overwhelming
ma jority OF the rank and file, prefer
Hearst for President in preference to any
man so far mentioned. and as that was
the vital proposition we felt that we
rough house. in the convention, or taking
chances by bolt1ng. The friends of Mr..
Hearst got all they desired in the way
Sf Sere is H ~ ana 4ns S9ntesf
the State Convention against the methods
of the Hopkins faction in packing con-
on reports OF committees whereby dele
gates and alternates to the National Con-
vention We're illegally chosen. and do not
Congressman Joseph & Crowley % Of Rob-
tnson, whose seat as delegate from the
Twenty third District Is contested, did not
believe that the contestants stood any
show.
II expect to go m and obey my instruc
tions and vote for. MIR. Hearst with the
eS sa aSsDea s b. our bssS Ssss fssr. e
any possible show for the parties who are
contesting in our district, as there was no
minority report from the congressional
under any precedent II Senator Ford and
myself should be ouyted. Only Ford and
myself were named in the report to the
elected delegates to St. Louis, then the
legally nominated"
80 EDITOR TUFTSSVIEw
Editor C. Drew Tufts Of the Centrana
Democrat is Of the same View as Con-
gresham Crowley. He had this to say on
the merits Of the contests
1.-The contest Is based on this situation:
The member OF the State Committee from
the Twenty-thfrd District was a member
which was not seated by the State Com.
mittee. The roll of the delegates entitled
to sit in the district caucus was given to
the member Of the committee, but he re-
fused to recognize It and denied admission
to the caucus to the rightful delegates
from Marion and Jefferson counties. As
the committeeman had stationed men of
his own selection at the door, 1t was i'm
possible for the legal delegates to gain ad-
mission to the caucus.
las the leader of the Marion County
delegation ] announced to the State Com
nlitteeman that we would hold another
caucus and present a report to the con-
vention. This was done, and the officers
Of the convention recognized our report as
the legal one. No objection was made to
this by the other delegates from our dis
trict until after the convention had ad-
tourned. The delegates represented were
seated in the permanent organization by
the Committee on Credentials, because the
contest was abandoned by the Hearst dele
cation from Marion County"
Senator J. II. Watson of Jefferson Coun-
ty iHdorsed the above statement as true
IN every particular. 1.-The contest from
Jefferson. however, was not abandoned"