The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-01
Mr.. Bryan's Letter.
THE Trossaehs Hotel,

"Loch Katrine July II.
| Judge o. P. Thompson, Jacksonville, Ill.
MY Dear judge am going to entrust
you with a message to Roger Sullivan. II
l were at home I would see him myself,
but as I do not arrive until after your
state convention. and as ! think action
ought to be taken at once, ] will send
the message by you. Please say to Mr..
| Sullivan that he has expressed a desire
| for harmony and that assume that he
means to help the party to the extent
of his ability. but there is but one way
in which he can promote harmony, and
that Is by resignlng as national commit
teeman. We are approaching another ma
tional campaign and our party chances
depend upon its ability to convince the
public of It's good intentions Mr.. Sui
/ livan's presence upon the committee con-
| tradicts all that we can say In the party's
behalf His corporate connections would
harm the party far beyond his power to
| aid the organization, but this could be
left for some fatura cof1VeIEiqn 10 deal
with II he was actually the choice of the
democratics of Illinois. The fact, how
ever, that he holds his office by a fraud
1 and against the express wishes Of ma
| iority of the delegates to the state con-
| yention makes 1t impossible for honest
| democrats to associate with him as a
member of the committee.
''If we don't maintain the right OF the
majority to control party policy and select
the party's representatives ioi "ia' 0'''
we contend?
.orhe fact that Mr. Sullivan has spoken
/ LlndIv of me enables me to discuss the
| matter without risk of having my actions
/ attributed to personal malice, but ne
ought to see that ! would be unworthy Oh
| anv once's confidence If | failed 10 pro
| test against his continuance upon the
10 pnnRiliAfa
ont of fear of his hostility. There is room
in the party for all who honestly favor
| democratic principles, but the leadership
| r,ust he in the hands OF those who have
| the confidence of the democratic party,
and which will strengthen the party. II
| he will at once send his resignation TO
the chairman of the national commlttee
and make the matter public ne VIII snow
his desire to help the party and restore
himself in the opinion of those who felt
outrased by the late state convention lf
he refuses to resign and thus puts his
ambition or his business before the party
success the sooner he Is elected from tne
committee the better It ought to be made
IN issue in the state convention II neces-
sary for the democracy Of Illinois cannot
q sb+ under such leadership and ought not
to hermit itself to be misrepresented on
the national committee. Yours truly,
INC ''W. ]. BRYAN"
.T1otel I,och, Katrine July IL"
Address to Illinois Democrats.
Judge owen P. Thompson, Jackson
Vile. ILL.,: $780,
Mr. Sullivan TO resign from the national
committee fails, | wish you would de-
liver the following message to the demo-
Gratis of Illinois: you live In the larg-
est of western states, and must play an
important part In the work which lies
before the democratic party. You can do
little to advance democratic principles
GO long as you permit the most funda-
mental of those principles, namely the
rioht of the majority to rule to be Vio-
lated. Mr. Sullivan was selected as ma
tional committeeman by delegates VINO
were not chosen by the convention AS
he was one Of the leaders In the high
crimes and mlsdemeanors committed
against the democracy Of Illinois his re-
frsal to resign cannot be attributed to
,gnorance of the facts. but Is proof posi-
tive of his unfitness for the place. We are
about to enter upon campaign In which
our party will appeal to the people and
ask the confidence of the nation l do
not know how you, the democrats or llll-
nois. could better open that campaign In
your state than by demanding his resig-
nation. Let It be known that you insist
on honest politics within the party, and
then YOU will be believed when you plead
for honesty in the government l am
sorry that your convention comes before
nv return, for ! would be glad to come
TO Illinois and give you any assistance
within my power. I have avoided taking
mart in personal controversies within the
party. but whenever anyone calling him
self a democrat assaults the rights of
the party to govern itself, ] do not hesl-
tate TO take part In the fight. I had
hoped that he would resign In the interest
of harmony, but his refusal leaves you no
choice but to repudiate him or abandon
democratic principles.
18th best wishes for your success. |
am very truly yours. W. ]. BRYAN
Sullivan Makes Tart Reply.
Mr.. Sullivan, in replying to Mr. Bryar's
letter gave out the following statement
tonight:
'T have seen the letter purporting to
be writ+o-, Mr. Bryan, and l am pre-
uared TO accept 1t as genuine, although
the character of the men whom Mr.. Bryan
appears to have chosen as his confdants
is such that there might be serious doubts
as to its authenticity II the letter was
written by Mr.. Bryan 1t furnishes proof
ttat Mr. Bryan has allowed himself TO
persist in what the democratic national
convention of 1904 declared was mis-
representation and libel 1t Is proof
that he Is mistaken again. as he was