Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-27
TEACHER FLIES THE TRACK
He Declines to Run on the Buf-
faIo Platform.
TOO HEAVILY SILVER PLATED
He viii Stay in the Ranks and Do What Exc
cuton He Can.
HE HAS NO PATIENCE WITH BOILERS
His Successor Will Be Named Tomorrow,
And May Be Wilbur E. Porter. Pres
ent Nominee for Lieutent-Gov-
ernor-Hill Still Dumb.
HE HAS NO PATIENCE WITH BOILERS

Albany, NJ Y, Sept 26.-John Boyd
Thaeher has declined to accept the demo-
cratic nomination for governor. Mr..
Thacher was nominated at Buffalo by the
democratic convention on September II.
The platform adopted by that convention
in so far as it unequivocally endorsed
the Chicago platform. cannot be sub
scribed to by Mr. Thacher any more than
he could have given his approval to the
Chicago platform itself in many of it's
ESSENTIAL features. The result of this
is his declination to stand a candidate.
He had been led to believe that the DEM
ocratic state platform would be entirely
acceptable to him and would not do vio-
lence to the stand taken by him at Sara
toga on June "a in favor of an interna-
tional bimetallism currency. Therefore
he had agreed to stand as a democratic
candidate for governor for the sole pur-
pose, as he says, of striving to keep the
party in this state together for the fu-
ture as well as for the present His idea
was that the fight in this state should
be confined to state issues. The silver
wing of the party declines to accept his
analysis of the political situation in this
state and has demanded that an out and
out silver man be placed on the ticket
for governor and that the fight in this
Stdle Sudll De lildut uppH lHe Hdtlondi
issues, and more particularly upon the
democratic proposition of free coinage at
.the 16 to ratio.
Mr. Thacher thinks that his declnation
will result in WILDER F. Porter of Wa
tertown, his companion on the present
ticket as candidate for lieutenant-gov-
ernor, being named by the state COM
mttee at its meeting on Monday night as
the candidate for governor
There was intense excitement about the
citV when Mr. T1achar'S 1aripatiOn hp.
came known shortly before noon. At the
Hotel Kenmore the utmost surprise was
manifested by the members of the noti-
fication committee when they learned Of
Mr.. Thacher's decision.
Mr.. Thacher arrived at the Hotel Ken
more at 12 o'clock and proceeded to the
rooms of the notification committee. He
remained closeted in secret consultation
until nearly o'clock.
At 1:30 o'clock Chairman York of the
notification committee called the meeting
to order and formally notified Mr.. Thach-
er of his unanimous nomination for gov
ernor of New York.
In reply Mr.. Thacher said:
His Decination at Length.
"Mr. York and Gentlemen of the Com
mittee of Notifications:
l am deeply sensible of the honor con-
ferred upon me by the democratic party
of the state of New York in naming me
as its candidate for governor.
gill 10 uecllnG TIE nOnl-
nation.
II was away from Albany and at my
country nome during the convention, and
did not learn, of my nomination until
after o'clock Thursday afternoon. 1t
was not until after o'clock that night
that l had an opportunity to learn the
character of the platform adopted by
the convention. There had never been
submitted to me a press copy, a manu- .
script copy or any other copy of the pro-
nj n,1. had hooa
trusted with the duty of presenting such
a copy, the trust had not been fulfilled
Il had no reason to eXptct after the
convention at Saratoga and after the at
titude of the delegates from New York
in the national convention, that the next
convention would commit the democratic
party unreservedly to all parts of the
Chicago platform.
II addressed communication to the
honorable, the state committee at the
earliest moment consistent with matur-
ing my thoughts, and two days before
its meeting in New York. In that COM
munication l stated that my views on
the financial question had not changed
since had publicly uttered them at the
state convention in June. and that as
sumed my nomination was made with
the expectation on the part of the con-
vention that as the governor of the state
OF New York had absolutely no official
connection with the question of national
finance 1 could make the contest upon
certain clearly defined state issues which
/ then enumerated, and which / deemed
vital and dominant, While ] had not
sought the nomination or requestsd d a
single delegate to give me his support
I was willing and eager to contend
against that system Of H'' eism' which
is today in control irs
of the state of New York. / was pre-
pared to organize the democratic party
from one end of the state to the other on
line of battle against that system and
to wage an unremitting and vigorous
warfare. / believed that the municipal
and other reforms in which the people
are interested could not be obtained
until the administration had been
wrenched from the hands of the political
boss.
II believed that the people would be
with us on that issue. I believed that
from the beginning of the campaign this
issue would place the republican party
on the defensive and fully occupy the
hands of its defenders. That 1t was the
vulnerable place in the armor OF the
enemy and that [ had correctly esti-
mated the Importance, Of the position is
proven by the immed ate wincing of the
republican managers The hfst thfnst
of the lance drew blood and cry.
1T has developed in the consideration
of the resolution by which the honorable,
the state COMMITTEE, appointed your
committee, as we'll as in the public press
and other public and private communi-
cations. that there is very decided de-
sire on the part of the democratic party
to contest the election on the abstract
question of the unlimited coinage Of
silver at the unalterable ratio of ! to
as compared with gold, and to ignore or
to make awkwardly subordinate any
other national issue and every other
state issue. 1t Is apparently the purpose
of the party at this time to make the
acceptance of an extreme political sem
timent the sole test OF a candidates de-
mocracy It does not seem to be enough
that men are willing 10 support the regu-
lar candidate of the regular democratic
party. but they are required II subscribe
to every letter and phrase of the plat
form. The republican managers invite