New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-18
FOR TICE-PRE SIDENT.

FOR |ICE-PRE SIDENf.
Among the men talked Of at st. Louis for
the Vice-Presidential nomination there are two
| who resemble each other in this respect-name-
w. that they both have been, and In sense
still are, candidates for the nomination Tor
President But this is the only respect In which
Governor Morton's and Speaker Reeds posi-
tons at this moment are alike. Some or the
friends Of each are saying. 1t is true That ne
would not accept the second place, but only
one of them has explicitly and publicly said 1t
himself. That one is Mr. Morton, and he has
said it three times He said it first last week
TO Mr.. Depew. whose private car he boarded
between New-York and Albany for final ex-
change of condolences He said it again day
or two later over his own signature In these
words, sent by telegraph from his home TO Mt.
Depew at St Louis please announce that |
stated to You before you left New-lork that
Il would not under any circumstances accept
"a nomination for Nce-President.' pn Tues
day night in response to a direct question from
Mr.. Depew he said it Il third time, as follows;
Telegram received. Stories circulated are I'M
| founded Have rescinded nothing After
these, and nobody knows how many more. alb
| solute refusals by Governor Morton to accept
the nomination for an Office which he has once
that some busy persons at St Louis who call
themselves his friends are determined to make
| him eat his words and demonstrate his insin-
certy. in order that they may appear to have
| saved something out of the wreck which they
have made of their hopes and regulations. So
much for the Morton Vice-Presidential cand
| dacy.
| The other candidate for the first place OH
the ticket whose name has been conspcuousy
| mentioned in connection with the second place,
| Speaker Reed, has n friend at ST. Louis who
| has done a great deal Of talking first and last,
mostly Of a rather foolish sort; saying one day
that his man was gaining ground rapidly, the
next day that lie hopelessly beaten, and
the day after that he was doing we'll and
feeling first-rate. The candidate himself has
! said nothing and while he declines TO speaE
the country will not pay much attention: to any
announcement of his determination not to be
a Vice Presidential candidate coming from this
voluble hacker and filler. Such Is the contrast as
to this matter between Speaker Reed and Coy
ernor Morton. And yet today we witness at
St Louis the amazing spectacle Of an effort APP
parently sustained by some well meaning and
ordinarily sensible men, to set aside the can
didate for Vice-President who has not refused
and whom everybody wants, and to force
through the Convention upon the country the
candidate who has refused ana whom nobody
wants, with the stupid object of placating n
boss who cannot be pacated. 1t is the simple
fact that the nomination OF Mr.. Thomas H..
Reed for Nice-President would worthily com
pete the ticket add enormously to the gratif-
cation Of Republicans throughout the country,
and enhance the already brilliant prospects Of
success. The nomination Of Mr. Morton for
Vice-Presldent on the other hand though his
personal rectitude and amabe qualities are
universally acknowledged. would add no ele-
ment Of strength to the canvass, but would in
tensify the bitter feeling in New-York and
might even imper the ticket
The situation therefore stands thus: Both
men are candidates for the first place on the
ticket. Friends Of each have protested that he
could not and would not take the second place.
In one case the protest has gone no further;
Mr.. Reed himself has said nothing. In the
other case the refusals have come from the
principal as we'll as the agents; Mr.. Morton has
thrice at least taken himself out Of the field
completely In one case the service would be
honorably assigned to the man whose acceptance
would be most welcome and advantageous. In
the other case the candidate would be dis
credited, the ticket weakened and antipathies
/ Ill NcW-IOTk IOileutcu, WilIc tHc railing az
cusations against Mckinley made by Mortons
chief promoter and never rcbuked by Morton
himself. would seem TO be Endorsed.
The refusals made by one Of these two men
and In behalf Of another will have to be taken
as meaning either much or little. If they are
TO be interpreted in a Pickwickian sense, why
choose the man whom the fewest delegates
want, instead Of the man whom the sense of
the whole country recognizes as ideally fit for
the place. II they are not to be taken in a
Pickwicklan sense, and If the Convention does
not intend to draft either Of these unwilling
men into the service, then why not avoid all
hard feeling and greatly strengthen the ticket
In the East by choosing Hobart for the second
place? His nomination would be welcome to
New-York and New England. would dispel the
last doubt about NewJersey and would be an
, appropriate recognition Of sterling character
fine abilities and long devotion to the soundes
Republicanism.