The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-10
TONNES DECLINATI0N
Of THE P0PULIST NOMINATION FOR
VICE PRESIDENT
HIS LETTER TO THE COMMITTEE
His Reasons for Not Accepting the
NominatIon-His Party Has Nomi-
mated Bryan and Stevenson, Which
Ticket He VIII Heartily Support
and Labor For-He Cannot Support
One Ticket and Run on Another-He
Endorses the Democratic Platform

Duluth. Mimi, August Former
Congressman Charles A. Towne, who
was nominated for the vice presidency
by the populist national convention
in May has sent the following letter
TO the committee of notification:
Hon. P. NJ. Ringdal, chairman:
"Gentlemen:-When on the 9Th Of
July, at Kansas City, 1 had the honor
to receive from you the official notif-
cation of the action OF your national
committee in nominating me for the
office of vice president of the United
States, 1 requested, in view of the
anomalous and delicate circumstances
in the presidential situation, that you
permit me to take the subject under
careful advisement before announcing
a decision, either accepting or declin-
ing that nomination This request you
were pleased TO grant, and now. after
mature consideration Of all the factors
involved lat concern the welfare OF
the cause of political reform in his
country and my own duty, 1 am con-
strained to inform you IN all respects
that 1 must decline the nomination
rendered me by the Sioux Falls con
vention.
In announcing this conclusion l can
not forbear to express to you, and
through you, to the great convention
whose mission you hold, as well as to
that patriotic body of advanced polit-
ical thought that your convention rep
resented, my deep sense of the honor
| conferred upon me. To be the unani-
nous choice of such a convention for
the second highest office in the service
of the republic would be a distinction
to any citizen. Two circumstances.
however, add emphasis to this conSid-
Grafton in the present instance:
Il. That the nomination was I'M
solicited by me; and, secondly hat the
convention as in the case also of its
nominee for the presidency went out
of it's own political organization to Sc
lect a candidate. To my mind this
action of the Sioux Falls convention
in nominating for president a repre-
sentative 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. Its un-
selfishness n ~magnanimity, it's testl-
mony to the precedence of the cause
of the people over any merely partisan
advantage, raised the procedure of that
convention into the upper air of pure
civic heroism. From such a spirit as
this, what service, what sacrifice can
not be asked in the name Of the repub-
lie? 1t was of course, the expectation
of your convention that it's nomination
for the vice presidency would prove
acceptable to the convention of the
democratic and silver republican par
ties called to meet in Kansas City on
the 4th of July.
THE silver republicans, 1888 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 commended itself. The
name of your nominee was presented
Ito the convention n was received
with remarkable demonstrations of ap-
proval by the enormous number of
citizen spectators and with the ut
most respect by the delegates. But
geographical considerations n the
fact that in certain parts of the coun-
try it was deemed wise to defer to a
sentiment demanding that the candi-
date should be a man absolutely inden-
titled with the democratic organization,
not only by holding it's principles and
advocating it's cause, but also by name
and profession, determined the selec-
ton of the Hon. Adalai E. Stevenson,
of Illinois, a man of unimpeachable
character and of ripe political expert
ence, who, as a m of congreS
more than twenty years ago was a close
associate and c~o-laborer of General j.
B. Weaver, and other great leaders
in the reform political movements of
tina day, and who, as vice president
from 1893 to 1897, distinguished him.
self by rebelling against the betrayal
of democratic principles by President
Cleveland.
when MI. Stevenson had been nom
mated, what was it my duty to do?
@f>~ h NV
ton along with his and 1 had been
beaten. The nomination had been
made decisively and with absolute fair
ness. The candidate chosen was per-
sonally uneXceptionable; his loyalty
to our principles was beyond question
and his career had been a long example
of them. Manifestly it was my duty
to support that nomination. Acting
upon this conviction, I went before the
silver republican convention and sue
ceeded in persuading it to not nominate
me, and the vice presidential question
was finally referred to he silver re-
publican national committee with full
powers. Later in the night the com
mittee placed the name of Mr.. Steven
son on its ticket as candidate for vice
president.
"This recital clearly develops the sit
ulation as it now is. Everybody knows
that either Mr.. Stevenson, or Mr.
Roosevelt is to be the next vice presl'
dent of the United States. 1 am ex'
pected to take a laborious part in tht
campaign. 1 shall, of course, advocate
the election of Bryan and stevenson
, The democratic convention, De1ort
which / was q candidate, m
!. Bryan and Stevenson. The silver re
publican party, of which organizatlol
I was the official "a for nearly foul
years, has nominated Bryan n Ste
? | xonSnn Tn urho% l;rhf Shnn16 T aDDea
before the American people if, whil'
: advocating the election of on ticke
, / should be going through h form O
| running on another? Nobody in tn
: United States would hin I a tn
| slightest chance Of being elected an
: nobody would believe that I consider
ed myself seriously as a candidate un
: less at the same time he believed m
: to be absolutely lacking in commo'
! sense. What respect should I deserve
, indeed, if in such a matter I should at
!. tempt to deceive anybody whatsoever