The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-09-28
THACHL <,lI,,JJ
Democratic Nominee For Cover
nor of New York Declines
the Nomination.
lie Gives His Reasons in a Letter
in Advance of His Noti-
ficatiOn.
Disposition to Subordinate Every
Other Issue to That Of Free
Coinage.

ALBANY, N. Y, Sept. 2S.-John Boyd
Thacher has declined the Democratic
nomination for governor of New York.
This was the day set for the visit to
Mr.. Thacher by the committee Of five
appointed at the meeting Of the state
Democratic committee on Tuesday, to
officially notify him of his nomination,
but in advance Of their coming he gave
out letter announcing his declination.
At the outset of this statement Mr..
Thacher made an acknowledgment of
the honor which the nomination i'm
piled, and in the next sentence said he
was constrained to declinei it. He said {:
Didn't See the Platform.
II was away from Albany and at my
country home during the convention,
and did not learn of my nomination
until after o'clock Thursday afternoon
(Sept. H. 1t was not until 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 manuscript copy, or any other
copy of the proposed platform. If any
one had been entrusted with the duty
Of presenting such q copy-the trust had
not been fulfilled. had no reason to
expect, after the convention at Saratoga
and after the attitude Of the delegates
from New York in the national con.
vention, that the next state convention
would commit the Democratic party un.
reservedly to all parts of the Chicago
platform"
Mr.. Thacher then recounted the facts
of his now famous letter to the state
committee and summarized the con-
tents Of that communication.
willing to Contend Against Bossism.
While" Mr.. Thacher continued, II
had not sought the nomination, or re-
Quested sigle delegate to give me his
support, I was willing and eager to
contend against that system of "boss-
ism" which is today in control Of the
public affairs of the State of New York.
] was prepared to organize the Demo-
cratic party from one end Of the state
to the other, on a line Of battle against
that system, and to wage an unremit-
ting and vigorous warfare. believed
that 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. believed that the
people would be with us on that issue.
1T has developed, in the considera-
tion of the resolution by which the
state committee appointed your CON-
mittee, as well as in the public press,
and in other public and private
communications that there is a very de-
cided desire on the part of the Demo.
cratic party to contest the election on
the abstract question Of the unlimited
coinage of silver at the unalterable
ratio of IL to /, as compared with gold,
and to ignore or to
1T is apparently the purpose of the
party at this time to make the accept
ance Of an extremely political sentiment
the sole test of candidate of the Dem.
ocracy. It does not seem to be enough
that men are willing to support the reg
ular candidate on the regular Demo-
cratic ticket, but they arc required to
subscribe to every letter and phrase of
that platform.
1T is impossible for me, with the views
hold, to make a contest on the coinage
issue. believe in the good old Dem
ocratic doctrine of the joint free and
equal use of gold and silver.
''This doctrine is as far removed from
the single use of gold, which enables
spectators to juggle with it's value, as
it is from that of the principle which
seeks to establish an impossible ratio
for its sister metal. Therefore, enter.
tanning the views do, and now thor
oughly impressed with the belief that
the party will consent to make the con.
test only on primarily the silver issue, l
feel that as an honorable man, Ishould
make way for some one who can carry
the banner with that device"