The age-herald., 1900-08-08
TONNE REFUSES THE NOMINATION Addresses a Long Communication to the Peoples Party' STATES CAUSE FOR HIS ACTION By Accepting He Would Be PIacad in a False Light of Supporting
 One Ticket and Running
 on Another.
STATES CAUSE FOR HIS ACTION

Duluth, Minn., August 7.-Former Con- gressman Charles A. Towne, who was nominated for the Vice Presidency by the Populist National Convention held in Sioux Falls in May has sent the following letter to the committee on notification.
 Hon. N. M. Ringdal, chairman of the members of the committee on notification for Vice President for the Peoples party National Convention held at Sioux Falls, s. D., May 9 and 10, 1900:
 "Gentlemen:-When, on the 9th of July at Kansas City I had the honor to receive from you the official notification of the ac- tion of your national convention in nomi- hating me for office as Vice President of the United States 1 requested, in view of anomalous and delicate circumstances in the Presidential situation, that you permit me to take the subject under careful ad- visement before announcing a decision either accepting or declining that nomina- tion. This request you were pleased to grant, and now, after mature considera- ton of all the factors involved that concern the welfare of the cause of political reform in this country and my own duty thereto, I am constrained to inform you in all re- spect that I must decline the nomination rendered me by the Sioux Falls conven- tion.
 Tn announcing this conclusion I cannot forbear to express to you, and through you to the great convention whose commission you hold, as well as to that patriotic body of advanced political thought that your convention represented, my deep sense of honor conferred upon me. To be the unanimous choice of such convention for the second highest office in the service of the republic would be distinction to any citizen.
 Two Circumstances
 1.-Two circumstances, however. add emphasis to this consideration in the pres ent instance:
 First that the nomination was unsolicit- ed by me, and secondly, that the conven- tion, as in the case also of its nominee for the Presidency, went out of it's own politi- cal organization to select a candidate. To my mind this action Of the Sioux Falls Convention in nominating for President Q representative of the Democratic party and for Vice President a representative of the Silver Republican party is one of the most encouraging and inspiring spectacles in recent politics. It's unselhshness and magnanimity, its testimony to the pre- cedent of the cause of people over any merely partisan advantage, raised the procedure of that convention into the serene upper air of true civic heroism. From such a spirit as this, what service, what sacrifice can not be asked in the name of the republic? It was in behalf of the ex- pectation of your convention that it's nom- ination for the Vice Presidency would prove acceptable to the conventions of the Democrats and Silver Republicans, called to ;,, Fnnrth of July. The Silver Republicans, 1880 dele gates, representing twenty-eight States and territories were indeed eager to name the ticket chosen at Sioux Falls; but to the great Democratic convention another course commeded itself.
 Remarkable Demonstration
 The name of your nominee was presented to that convention and was received with remarkable demonstrations of approval by the enormous number of citizen spectators and with the utmost respect by the dele- gates. But geographical considerations, and the fact that in certain parts of the country it was deemed wise to defer to sentiment demanding that the candidaVe already identified with the Democratic oA- ganization not only by holding its prins .ciples and advocating it's cause, but also by name and profession, determined s.se selection of the Hon. Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois, a man of unimpeachable char 
 as a member of Congress more than twen- ty years ago. was close assistant and CO., laborer of General J. B. Weaver and other great leaders in the reform political move- ments of that day, and who as Vice Pres ident from 1893 to 1897, distinguished f,fx.- self by rebelling against the betrayal of Democratic principles by President Cleve- land
 When MT. Stevenson had been nominated what was 1t my duty to do? My name had gone before the convention along with his, and had been beaten. The nomination had been made decisively, and with absolute fairness. The candidate chosen was per- sonally acceptable; his loyalty to our prin- ciples and was beyond question, and his ca- career had been a long exemplification of them. Manifestly 1t was my duty to SUD- port that nomination. Acting upon this conviction I went before the Silver Repub- lican convention and succeeded in persuad- ing it not to nominate a ticket, and the Vice Presidential matter was finally re- ferred to the Silver Republican National Convention, with full power. Later in the night this convention placed the name of MT Stevenson as its candidate for Vice President.
 situation Clearly Developed
 "This recital clearly develops the situa- tion as it now is Everybody knows that either MT Stevenson or MT. Roosevelt is to be the next Vice President of the United States. I am expected 10 take a laborous part in the campaign. l shall, of course, advocate the election of MT. Bryan and Stevenson. The Democratic convention, be- fore which I was a candidate, nominated Bryan and Stevenson. The Silver Repub- lican party, of which organization was the official head for nearly four years, has nominated Bryan and Stevenson. In what light should I appear before the American
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