Birmingham state herald., 1896-08-04
GEN. ]. 3. GORDON DECLINES The Sound Money Nomination
 for the Vice Presidency. HE WILL SUPPORT THE TICKET And Will Make Several Speeches for Bryan and SewaII in Georgia-Not Can
 didate for Reelection.

Baltimore, Aug. 3.--Senator John B.
 Gordon of Georgia, whose name has been
 mentioned for the vice presidency on
 gold democratic ticket, says that he
 would not accept a nomination for any
 political position. While remaining
 sound money" man. he will support the
 nominee of the Chicago convention. Senator Gordon is opposed to a second ticket being placed in the field by the
 democratic party. In explaining his po-
 sition, he said:
 "The political situation in Georgia,
 while similar to that in other southern states, is not thoroughly appreciated in the north. The democracy of Georgia is always threatened with the accession to power of an undesirable element This is made up of radical aggrarian element, holding to very unusual views on finan- cial and other questions. With the as- sistance of the negro vote this element might at any time secure control or the State
 'To keep this element a most danger ous one, in the background, the demo- crats find it necessary to stand together. There are hosts of sound money demo- crats in Georgia, who, before the Chlca- go convention, talked as if they would not support any silver nominee, but now most of these recognizing the alterna- tive are, one by one, deciding to vote the ticket. Republican rule in my state would be calamity, and the rule of the element I have mentioned would be as bad. I deem it my duty, under the cir cumstances, to vote for the nominees Of my party I have been asked to take the stump in Georgia for Bryan and SeWall,
 and l may make few speeches in thelr behalf"
 "Why do you not consider a second democratic ticket desira ?" was asked "Because I do not think 1t could mus ter material strength. In our section or the country there are few, very few, who I think would support such ticket. | There is little disaffection from the demo- 1 era tic ranks owing to the silver platform, l this being largely due to the causes | which I have mentioned. Those who | say they will vote for Mckinley rather
 than for Bryan, would likely vote | for Mckinley if a gold democrat were nominated as they would believe | that Mckinley would have the better | chance of election"
 | Senator Gordon added that after thirty years of public life he was growing tired l of it. He said that he must in the future l give up more time to his own affairs, which politics in measure compelieo l him to neglect NO one" he continued, has consulted | me about accepting this rumored nonil- | nation for the vice presidency. All l | know about it is what have seen in the .newspapers I do not even know who IS 1 at the head of this gold democratic move. | ment though I have seen the names ot
 Palmer of Illinois and Villas Of Wiscon- | sin mentioned in connection With u. | Shall I be a candidate for reelection | to the senate when my term expires 1 No: I have already been approacneo py ! a number of political friends in regard to | this. but have already declined to allow my name to be used. When l say that l ham going to get our or poiltics ipe7n 1 what I say.
 Regarding the pending financial issue ] Senator Gordon said that he favored the l gold standard, though, after all, ne 1 continued, "the free coinage Of silver | may not prove disastrous, as we goldbugs l now believe it will be. I believe in hav- l ing these great questions settled once 1 and forever just as the grtAI slavery 1 question was settled and we might as | well get the silver matter out of the way. l If it be tried and does not plunge tns 1 country into a panic the gold standard l men will say that they were not alto- eether right in their reasoning, and If It l be tried and proves a failure the silver 1 men will see the error of their way. s'I know Bryan intimately and l con l slider him we'll balanced, honest, up- right man. Tn spite of his radical cur l rency views [ do not believe if elected | he would allow the ultra-silverites in his I party to control his actions. He IS | man who would feel profoundly i'm | pressed by the sense of his responsibility, l and he would, think, be much more l conservative than he is widely consid- 1 cred"
 General Gordon expressed surprise at | the acquisition to the ranks of Bryan l followers since the Chicago convention, 1 whether they result from conversions to I the silver idea or not, and he said that | he believed that "the boy orator or the | Platte" will be elected.