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CONFERENCE OF DEMOCRATS ■HELD I/N CH10AGO A/ND CAMPAIGN PLANS APE DISCUSSED. n Gathering of /National Executive Committeeme Made the Occasion of Big General Meeting. The National Democratic executive committee convened in Chicago at noon Thursday. Its first work was the removal of P. J. Devlin, the press representative. When the national committee came to order in the clubroom of the Sher¬ man house at 12 o’clock all the states were represented either by proxy or by their regular committeemen with the exception of North Dakota, Ore¬ gon, Texns, Utah, Vermont, West Vir¬ ginia and Arizona. Mr. Bryan held proxies for Michigan and South Da- kqta, and was present throughout the meetings of the committee, although he did not take any active part in the proceedings. Ex-Governor Altgeld was offered the proxy of Committee¬ man White, of Washington, but de¬ clined it, and Willis J. Abbott, of New Jersey, acted for that state. Mayor Harrison held the proxy for Alaska, but did not attend either ses¬ sion of the committee. No friction developed at the meet¬ ing and the silver men who had made such beligerent assertions failed to make them good. Not a single war¬ like note was sounded and no de¬ fiances were uttered, either by the men who demand that “16 to 1” shall be the rallying cry in the next cam¬ paign or those who•' oppose its adop¬ tion. The only move made by tbe silver men looking toward recognition by the national committee was during the af¬ ternoon when the Ohio Valley, Bi- metalic League was admitted to the committee room and James P. Tarvin, of Kentucky acting as spokesman,read the resolutions adopted by the com¬ mittee at their meeting earlier in the day at the Palmer house. These reso¬ lutions demanded that planks be in¬ serted iu the next democratic national platform opposing trusts, imperialism and adhering to the silver ratio of 16 to 1. “And along these lines we offer you our aid,” said Mr. Tarvin. There was a defiant accent upon the word “these,” that seemed to imply that the support of the bimetallists could be secured along no other lines than those marked out, but of this the committee took no notice. The Ohio Valley Bimetallic League was cour¬ teously thanked for its proffer of assistance and assured that it would be called upon at such times as the national committee felt in need of its assistance. That was the beginning and end of the silver episode. The fight against P. J. Devlin, edi¬ tor of the press bureau of the national committee, was brought to a finish,the Harrison faction of Illinois securing his deposition for the part taken by him as an officer of the national com¬ mittee in the last mayoralty election in Chicago. Beyond making several changes in the rules governing the committee nothing else was done during the day. Bryan Mndkes Speech. Pour thousand people crowded into the auditorium Thursday night, de¬ spite the sweltering heat, to attend the political meeting given under the spices of the Chicago platform demo¬ crats. It was from first to last a silver meeting, an Altgeld meeting, an anti¬ trust and anti-expansion meeting. All of the speakers, save ex-Governor Stone, of Missouri, who was ill aud talked for less than two minutes, de¬ clared in favor of 16 to 1 and against the war in the Philippine islands. The speech of Mr. Bryan evoked great enthusiasm among his hearers, especially when he declared that the American government should pursue in Luzon the same policy as was pur¬ sued in Cuba. The Philippines, he said, by accident of war, and being so acquired, they should have been treat¬ ed on American principles, and not on those practiced by European govern¬ ments. The policy of the United States, he claimed, should have been to create a republic in the Philippines and say to all the world, “hands off and let that republic live.” His au¬ dience was in sympathy with his sug¬ gestions regarding the Philippines and punctuated his speech with cheers. The meeting was largely made up of the local adherents of the Chicago platform and personal followers of ex- Goveruor Altgeld. The meeting,there¬ fore, partook somewhat of the nature of a personal tribute to him. Many of the speakers alluded to him in laud¬ atory terms and at every mention of his name the audience shouted ap¬ proval. CANNOT BUILD BELT LINE. Supreme Court of Georgia Decides Against A. & W. P. Railroad. The Atlanta and West Point Rail¬ road company has met with defeat in its effort to build a belt line from its main line near Oakland City to the Georgia railroad. of Georgia The supreme court handed* down a decision Thursday de¬ claring that the company had no au¬ thority to build any belt line from road. any part of its main liue to another About one-half of the members of the national committee ocoupied seats on the platform, the balance failing to put in an appearance. Mr. Bryan, when introduced, spoke iu part as follows: “In speaking in Chicago I am em¬ barrassed by the fact that the advo¬ cates of the Chicago platform are di¬ vided into two camps. It is not my business to establish a secret service in order to ascertain what democrats are most devoted to the principles set forth in the last party creed. All Chi¬ cago platform democrats look alike to me, and instead of trying to drive any professed believer in that platform out of the party, my aim is to so impress upon all democrats the importance of the triumph of democratic principles that all local differences will be lost sight of in the determination to restore the government to the foundation laid by the fathers. “In the brief time that I shall speak to you, I desire to condense what I have to say upon three subjects into a few brief propositions. send¬ “1. President McKinley, by ing a commission to Europe to secure international bimetallism, confessed the gold standard to be unsatisfactory. “2. The failure of the commission to secure international bimetallism proves that bimetallism can be restored only through independent action. “3. The gold standard is maintained today- not because the American people desire it, but because n few English financiers, by controlling the policy of England, control, through the repub¬ lican party, the financial policy of the United States, “4. If the increased production of gold in the Klondike and the impor¬ tation of gold from Europe have in¬ creased the volume of money and im¬ proved times, it is evident that more money makes better times and times could be stilljfurther improved and the improvement made permanent by the restoration of bimetallism, which would make silver as well as gold available for coinage. “5. If it was more difficult to main¬ tain the parity between gold and sil¬ ver when the supply of silver was in¬ creasing, it must now be easier to maintain the parity since the supply of gold is increasing. “On the. trust question I suggest the following propositions for your consid¬ eration: “1. The trust is a menace to the welfare of the people of the United States because it creates , a monopoly and gives to the few in control of the monopoly almost unlimited power over the lives and happiness of con- sifmers, employes and producers of raw material. “2. The president appoints the at¬ torney general, and can, if he desires, secure an attorney generel who will enforce the anti-trust laws. “3. The attorney general can recom¬ mend sufficient laws if present laws are insufficient. “5. The attorney general can re¬ commend amendments to the constitu¬ tion if the constitution makes it irn- posible to extinguish trusts. “5. The republican party is power¬ less to extinguish the trusts so long as the trusts furnish the money to con¬ tinue the republican party in power. “In the Philippine question certain fundamental principles are involved. “1. There are but two sources of government, force and consent, mon¬ archies being founded on force, repub¬ lics upon consent. “2. The declaration of independ¬ ence asserts that all governments de¬ rive their just powers from the con¬ sent of the governed. “3. If the declaration of independ¬ ence is sound we cannot rightfully ac¬ quire title to the Philippine islands by conquest or by purchase from an alien monarch to whose rebellious sub¬ jects we ourselves furnished arms. "4. If the Filipinos are and of right ought to be free, they should be immediately assured of our nation’s inteution to give them independence as soon as a stable government can be established. “5. The Filipinos having fallen into our hands by accident of war, they should be dealt with according to American principles, and not be given independence, but protected from out¬ side interference while they work out their own destiny.” Previous to the appearance of the Nebraska champion of silver the meet¬ ing was entertained by an address by Judge James P. Tarvin, of Covington, Ky., president of the Ohio Valley Bi¬ metallic League. MEETINQ OF BI-METALLISTS. Members of National Committee Elect President To Succeed Harris. The national bi-metallic committee met at Chicago Thursday and elected John W. Tomlinson, of Alabama to succeed the late Senator Harris. A committee of three, with the presi¬ dent as a member, was elected to ap¬ point Inen to fill any vacancies which may occur in the future. No other business of importance was tranacted. ALGER’S LETTER And President McKinley’s An¬ swer In the Resignation Episode. A Washington dispatch srys: Sec¬ retary Alger maintained the same reti¬ cence Thursday that ho adopted Wed¬ nesday after his resignation had been presented. Ho would make no state¬ ment, and every inquiry was met with the declaration that this same silence would be preserved so long as ho was a member of the eabinot. The most absorbing and generally discussed topic was the choice of a successor to Secretary Alger. Many names tion. were mentioned in the specula¬ The following is Secretary Alger’s letter of resignation, and the presi¬ dent’s reply to it: “July 11), 1899.— Sir: I beg to ten¬ der you my resignation of the office of secretary of war, to take effect at such time in the near future as you may decide the affairs of this department will permit. “In terminating my official connec¬ tion with your administration, I wish few you continuous health and the highest measure of success in carrying out the great work entrusted to you. T have the honor to be, very respect¬ fully, your obedient servant, R. A. Alghr. To the President.” The President replied as follows: “Executive Mansion, Washington, July 20, 1899.—Hon. R. A. Alger, Secretary of War, Dear Sir: Your resignntion of the office of secretary of war, under date of July 19th, is ac- oepted to take effect the 1st of August, 1899. “In thus severing the official rela- tion which has continued for more than two years, I desire to thank you for the faithful service you have ren- dered the country at a most exciting period, and to wish you a long and happy life. “With assurances of high regard aud esteem, I am yours sincerely, “Wig mam McKinley. ” CONFLICT RESUMED. Desperate Fight In Close Quarters Between the Filipinos and American Troops. News has been received in Manila from General Smith at Iloilo, Island of Panay, of a severe fight on Wed- nesday at Bonong, ° between Byrne, J of the ,, r Sixteenth ~. , M infantry with seventy , men and a force of 450 Babaylones, who surprised the American troops. One hundred and nfteen of the ene- my were killed, as is shown by actual count, many were wounded and one was taken prisoner. The American loss was one man killed and one wounded. ihe fighting „ , . was mostly , at , close , quarters, with bayonets and clubbed guns. A considerable stock of supplies and arms have been captured by Cap- tain Byrne, who is in command of the battalion operating at La Carlota, in the distriot of Negros. SUIT OF DEWEY FILED. Amount of Bounty Claimed By Admi- ral Is Nearly Half Million. Thursday _ Admiral . . . , George ~ Dewey _ through his attorney filed suit as a libellant in the district court of the District of Columbia to recover the prize money due him and the officers and crew of his fleet tor the vessels sunk in the battle of Manila ana the property subsequently recovered by the naval force under his command. The ships and equipments have already been appraised. Admiral Dewey demands the sum of $325,141 and, in addition, the amount due upon the three cruisers sunk in the engagement, but subsequently raised, and upon which he places a value of $425,000. These last vessels have never yet been appraised. DEAD BABY IN SACK. Searchers For Young Lady’s Body Make An Unexpected Find. A Chattanooga dispatch says: While searching for the body of Miss Bed- dig in the Tennessee river, Thursday, the searchers brought up a sack con¬ taining the body of a little white baby. It was wrapped iu a Hebrew newspa¬ per and some fine cloth. The chief of polioe has detailed detootives on the oase and they have located the pa¬ rents. STRIKERS DAMAGE CAR. Force, flotorman To Vacate and Then Smash the Controller. At New York, Thursday afternoon, a crowd of strikiug motormen of the Eighth avenue line attempted to wreck a car, after driving the motorman from the platform. A mob had been lying in wait and climbed aboard when tbe car stopped to take on a passenger. They seized the mortorman and tore the controller bar out of his bauds. The strikers then proceeded to smash the switch box above the platform with the controller handle and a man with a crowbar battered tbe controller to pieces. Policemen dispersed the crowd and made several arrests. Judge Was Suspended. The court of cassation at Paris has suspended M. Crosjean, the Versailles judge, for two mouths, for communi¬ cating to newspapers documents con¬ cerning the Dreyfus case. Manila To Have Refrigerator. Secreta / Alger has approved plans for a building for the refrigerator plant at Manila. The building will cost $230,000 and the plant and ma- chinery $400,000. THEIR PROTEST ■ TURNED DOWN The President Ignores the Newspaper Hen. LEAVES MATTER WITH OTIS James Creelman Backs lip Statements of Other Journalists and Roasts Commander in the Philippines. It was officially announced at the war department Tuesday by General Corbin that no notice would be taken of the “round robin” of the newspaper correspondents at Manila; that the president would not consent to make martyrs of them nor would he place confidence in them over his trusted generals in the Philippines. General Corbin said that the “round robin” was already discredited at the department and that General Otis would neither be transferred or dis- placed. In spite of the tone of confidence expressed by the officials at the war department there is considerable alarm felt throughout the administra- tion over the expose of the corre- spondents. At an informal conference held at the white house Monday night the subject was thoroughly discussed and a policy to ignore was agreed upon, This, it is officially stated, was de- ! cided at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Officially the matter will be ignored, and General Otis will be allowed to treat it as he may deem beat. Hot, Shot From Creelman. Appearing simultaneously with the “round robin” of the correspondents | i at Manila, correspondent James Creelman, of The the New famous York war Journal, cables from London his ob- serrations during a recent, two months’ stay in Manila and on the firing lines > in the archipelago. He charges General Otis with m- competence and with “doctoring” press dispatches to paint the condi- tions as optimistic, when in reality t}lp v are and have been just the re- - verse, and with reporting “imminent BUC0egB) » when in reaHty) canse(1 by b j„ own mismanagement, “imminent failure” has been the result. Mr. j Creelman’s letter goes into detail, but only a few extracts are here presented: Mr. Creelman says: I “After having spent several months i wi(£ our troops in the Philippines, I am firmly convinced that unless Gen- eral 0 tis is removed and a competent : g enera } p U ^ in command the whole ! j gI5 wi jl be failure, j campa a .. To be plain General Otis is a f UBay old man, unaccustomed to any- j thing but regimental cammand, aud i Ra tm-ated with the ideas and methods of a routine clerk. He is a man who has grown old serving in a regiment, RTU ^ ^is experience and abilities do ide < no S'° Ut ! °f r fSj? le “ tal YY hen I reached Manila a few days after the bloody outbreak the whole army was lying in trenches, being fired at night ftBfl day> while General Qj.j s w88 absorbed in routine details bbla j; an army c ] e rk could have done as we u He refused to allow the army ma k e an y ac iy an ce. So insistent waB General Anderson that the only to destroy the enemy was to fight them thftt General Otis treated him with open hostility and finally had this splendid soldier return to the United States. “General Otis’ principal thought seemed to be to prevent real facts being telegraphed to the United States, and his abuse of censorship has been almost incredible. His conditions for press dispatches were so outrageously dishonest that I refused to send any dispatches, preferring to let The Jour¬ nal be beaten rather than to telegraph official lies. “The most extraordinary thing Is that up to the time I left Manila, which was after the capture of Mauolos by McArthur aud Santa Cruz by Lawton, General Otis had never been at the front. “Imagine this jealous clerk, who never went outside the city, directing with absolutely tyrannical exactitude tbe operations of divisions commanded by soldiers like Lawton and McArthur. “When I complained to General Otis that he was striking ont of my dispatches things I had witnessed with my own eyes and which the Afnerican people had a right to know, he said: “ ‘I don’t propose to allow the American public to know anything about thi6 campaign that will agitate or exoite it. So long as I am in com¬ mand here the people of the United States will know only such facts as I deem advisable to allow to bo known.’ “ ‘Any man who writ s anything about the campaign contrary to my wishes will be expelled from the Philippines. We are not going to have any public agitations about this campaign if I can prevent it. ’ ” CAPITAL STOCK INCREASED. Cotton Mills At Columbus, Ga., Adds $150,000 To Valuation. The directors of the Eagle and Phenix cotton mills, at Columbus, one of the largest in Georgia, have de¬ cided to increase the capital stock from $600,000 to $750,000. The present stockholders will be alloted 25 per cent of their present holdings, thus being given the first opportunity to buy the new stock. The mills will purchase300 new looms. BRITISH PRESS Takes Sides With the American Newspaper Correspondents In Manila. The afternoon papers of London generally, in commenting on the pro¬ test, of the American correspondents in Manila against the censorship, de¬ nounce the conduct of the America- Philippines campaign as it is managed by Secretary Alger and Major General Otis. The St. James Gazette says: “The great American people havo been hoodwinked by its general and its ad¬ ministration, who have kept up a se¬ ries of suppressions ef the truth and suggestions of the facts of Russian ingenuity and thoroughness.” The Pall Vail Gazette says: “The correspondents have dene their duty to the public as journalists and gentle¬ men should.” The Times in its leading editorial article says: “Alger has run the war office as a political machine. Military posts have been bestowed upon political friends without regard to fitness or the interests of the country. Dishon¬ esty and corruption have been ram¬ pant wherever there was public money to be handled. American soldiers were killed by thousands on American soil by such agencies as embalmed beef and scandalous neglect of ele¬ mentary sanitation. As the head is, so we expect subordinates to be. They were chosen without regard to fitness, but with every regard to political ser¬ vice. Naturally rather they act as the pol¬ iticians they are, than as sol¬ diers and administrators, which they are not. The new imperial policy of the United States is thus discredited by association with a system of more than common corruptness. McKinley, for some reason, is incapable of rid¬ ding himself of the incubus of his sec¬ retary, who, evidently regarding him¬ self as having the president in his pocket, serenely defies the public in¬ dignation that has been aroused by his mismanagement. ” GROWTH OF THE SOUTH. Various New Industries Established During the Past Week. The more important of the new in¬ dustries reported during the past week include a clay pip# works in Tennes¬ see—rebuilt; coal mines in Arkansas and Virginia; two cotton mills in Ala¬ bama, two in Georgia, and a cotton and woolen mill in the latter state; a cotton-seed oil mill in North Carolina; electric light plants in Mississippi and West Virginia; an electric power plant in Virginia; a furniture factory re¬ built, and a heading factory in Ten¬ nessee; a hydrant and valve manufac¬ tory in Virginia; lumber mills in Ar¬ kansas; a mantel and grate manufac¬ tory in Kentucky; a meat packing es¬ tablishment in Texas; a mill supply manufacturing company in South Car¬ olina; a planing mill, two phosphate companies and a soap factory in Ten¬ nessee; two soap factories in Texas; a soil pipe foundry in Alabama; a stave factory in Mississippi; a tel phone ex¬ change in Kentucky; a tobacco ma¬ chinery plant in Virginia.—Trades¬ man (Chattanooga, Tenn.) flANY FIRE/1EN HURT. Were Caught Under Falling Walls of Buildlng--Five May Die. Fire at Milwaukee Tuesday night destroyed the Grace Hotel, a four- story brick structure at the corner of Park and Beed streets. About twen¬ ty-five firemen were injured, of whom five may die. The property loss was small. At a time when the fire seemed to be under control and while several firemen were in the structure tp sub¬ due what little flames were left, with ten others on the roof, the structure collapsed and nothing but a mass of debris was left. The fireman on the roof and those on the ladders and withfn went down with the ruin#. The work of rescue began at once, and as quickly as the injured could be got out, ambulances and other convey¬ ances hurried them to the hospital. TO HIDE DREYFUS. A Covered Way To Be Built From Prison To Courtroom. Work was begun at Rennes, France, Tuesday morning on the construction of a passage from the cell of Captain Dreyfus to the hall in which the court- martial before which he is to be tried will sit. This will enable the prisoner to escape the annoyance of observation by the curious. TELEGRAPHIC BRIEFS The war department has chartered the steamer Siam to carry 300 cavalry horses to Manila. The comptroller of the currency has declared a 10 per cent dividend in fa¬ vor of the creditors of the insolvent national bank of Jefferson, Tex. The London Daily Graphic pub¬ lishes a rumor that a battalion of the Scots and a battalion of the Grena¬ diers have been ordered to the Cape. The street car strike caused consid¬ erable disorder in Brooklyn, N. Y., Monday, the striking employes be¬ coming even more determined to fight the matter out. The Peerless mill at Mount Vernon, Ind., was destroyed by fire M.onday, together with the warehouse, elevator and office building. The loss is $100,- 000, fully insured. The cruiser Chicago was taken ont , of dock at Cape Town, South Africa, j Monday, in readiness to cross the south Atlantic to Bio. At Paris Monday evening M. Malet Provost entertained the members of the Venezuelan treaty tribunal at din- ner. DEADLY FEUD IN KENTUCKY Five Men Killed In Pitched Battle Between Mountaineers. OCCURRED IN CLAY COUNTY Trouble Dates Back To Christmas Day of 1897. A special to the Louisville Courier- Journal from London, Ky., tells of a report reaching there of the outbreak of another feud in Clay county by which ijye men lost their lives Mon¬ day. The dead are said to be Robert Philphot, Ed Fisher, Aaron Morris, Jim Griffin and Hugh Griffin. These fatalities resulted from a pitched battle fought near Little Goose Creek, three miles from Man¬ chester. The feud dates back nearly two years. On Christmas, 1897, James Philpot was killed by Aaron Morris, but before he died he shot and, killed William Bundy, a friend of Morris. The Morrises and Griffins were closely affiliated. Since then the feeling be¬ tween the two factions has been very bitter and it has been aroused recently by tbe White-Baker hostilities. The Philpots, who are the strongest fac¬ tion in the mountain, numbering about 750 voters, openly espoused tbe cause of the Bakers, while the Grif¬ fins took sides with the Whites. The story that comes from Manches¬ ter is to the effect that Bob Philpot was arrested Monday morning by Deputy Sheriff'Wash Thacker. While very circumstantial in other respects, the report does not show clearly the origin of the trouble nor give the reason for Philpot’s arrest. It is said that while Thacker was taking Philpot’s bond the latter was shot from behind by one of tbe crowd that had gathered. This precipitated a general fight with winchesters and revolvers, which was participated in by George, Grantville, Robert aud Peter Philpot and Ed Fisher on one side, and Aaron Morris, Hugh, Jim and Green Griffin on the other. The battle began at about 9 o’clock and raged fiercely for ten or fifteen minutes. When it was over it was found that the five men mentioned had been killed outright, three of the belligerents were seriously wounded, while Pete Philpot was the only one on either side to escape injury. Gran¬ ville Philpot is said to be one of tbe most seriously wounded. He is a un¬ ion veteran, having lost a leg at Stone river. He is an ex-member of the Kentucky legislature and is said to have killed three or four men. Ed Fisher, who is reported dead, was an¬ other man with several nicks in his cane. He was but twenty-three years old, but was said to have killed three men. The story of the battle caused con- sternation in Louisville, notwith- standing the fact that serious trouble has been expected to break out among the mountaineers of Clay county ever since the assassination of Tom Baker several weeks ago. An effort was at once begun to secure deputies to go to the seat of tbe trouble and attempt to restore quiet. The situation at Manchester is de¬ plorable. The place is in a state of terror, scarcely any one daring to venture out of doors. Business is sus¬ pended and the residents are momen¬ tarily expecting a renewal of hostili¬ ties. SENSATION IN CHICAGO. Three Incidents of a Day Stirs Up the Democratic Politicians. Three political developments stirred the democrats in Chicago Monday. One was the refusal of Mayor Harrison, on account of its “obscure origin,” to at¬ tend and deliver an address of welcome at the Auditorium free silver meeting. The second was a verbal notice that the democratic national committee will be asked to repudiate the Croker-Hill- Murpby machine in New York and re¬ organize the silver men. The third was the statement that an effort would be made to have a rule adopted that no man who bolted the Chicago platform and ticket in 1896 shall be eligible to sit in the national convention of 1900 as a delegate. ILLINOIS DE/IOCRATS Seem To Be Hopelessly Divided Into Two Distinct Factions. A Chicago dispatch says: The fight between the regular democratic organ¬ ization of Cook county and the state of Illinois, represented by Mayor Har¬ rison and National Committeeman Gahan, on the one side and the Alt¬ geld wing of democracy, which sup¬ ported ex-Governor Altgeld as an in¬ dependent candidate for mayor at the last election on the other, has reached an acute stage, and threatens to in¬ volve the national committee in spite of tbe strenuous attempts being made to keep local quarrels down. AUSTRIANS TO MEET DEWEY. Report That Admiral Will Stop At Carlsbad For Treatment. A special from Vienna, Austria, SB vs: Baron Von Spann, the Austrian cble f admiral, has gone to Trie-tv to mt^i Admiral Dewey upon the latter’s arrival. Dispatches received in Vienna an- that Admiral Dewey and , nine nonnce of bis officers will go to Carlsbad to take the cure.