The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-08
TOWNE WITHDRAWS
PoPULIsT NOMINEE GIVES WAY To
STEVENSON.
ONLY CONSISTENT COURSE.
HIS LETTER TO THE COMMITTEE
DECLINING TO RUN.


That Man Long Identified with
the Democracy should he Candi-
date for Vice President-COuId Not
HUN in Opposition 10 Ticket lie Is
Supporting.
Duluth. Mipn.. Aug. Former Con-
gresham Charles A. Towne who was
nominated for the vice presidency by the
Populist National Convention held at
Sioux Falls in May has sent the following
letter to the committee of notification.
Hon. p. NJ. Ringdal. chairman:
Gentlemen: When on the fifth of July
at Kansas City l had the honor 10 re-
ceive from you the official notification OF
the action OF your national convention In
nomi atirg me for the office OF Vice Pres
ident of the United States, / requested.
in view of anomalous and delicate circum-
stances in the presidential situation that
you permit me to take the subject under
careful ADJUSTMENT before announcing a
decision either accepting or declining that
nomirat on Ttis request you were pleas
ed to grant, and now. after mature con-
sideration of all the factors involved that
concern the welfare of the cause of DO
lidcal reform in this country and my own
duty thereto, am constrained to inform
you in all respect that must decline the
nomination terdered me by the Sioux
Falls Convention
In announcing this conclusion cannot
forbear to express to you and through you
to the great convention whose mission Won
hold, as well as to that patriotic body of
advanced political thought that your con-
vention represented, my deep sense of the
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 a distinction to
any citizen
An Encouraging Sign.
Two circumstances. however. add en-
phasls to this Consideration in the present
instance:
First that the nomination was unsoiic-
tied by me, and secondly, that the con-
vention as in the case also OF its nomi-
nee for the presidency, went OUT Of its
political Organization 10 select a candidate.
To my mind this action OF the Sioux Falls
convention In nominating for President a
representative of the Democratic partv
and for Vice President representative
of the Silver Republican partv
Is one OF the most encouraging
and inspiring spectacIes inv recent
politics. It's unselfshness and magma
nimity, its testimony to the precedence os
the cause of the people over any merely
partisan advantage. raised the procedura
of that C0nvaDfi0n fnfa
air of true civic heroism For surh q
spirit as this. what service what sacrifice
cannot be asked in the name OF the re-
public?
IL was, OF course, the expectation of your
convention that its nomination for ,ba
vice presidency would prove acceptable to
the conventions of the Democratic and
silver Republican parties called to meet
In Kansas City on The Fourth of Julv The
siiVer Republicans, 1888 delegates, repre-
senting twenty-eight states and territories
We're indeed eager to name the ticket
CHOSEN at Sioux Falls; but 10 the great
democratic Convention another course
commended itself. The name of your nom
inee was presented TO that convention ana
was received with remarkable demonstra-
uons of approval by the enormous
NUMBER OF citizen spectators and with the
utmost respect by the delegates
Must lie "A Democrat
But geographical considerations, and the
iact mat in certain parts of the country
IL was deemed wise to defer to a senti-
ment demanding that the candidate should
De man absolutely identified with the
democratic organization, not only bv
hoioihs IT'S principles and advocating its
cause but also by name and profession
determined the selection of the Hon. Ada,
u. stevenson of Illinois man of unin-
peacnable character and of ripe po,itica,
experience, who. as a member OF Congress-
more than twenty years ago was a close
associate and so-laborer OF Gen. j. ri
weaver and other great leaders in the re-
iorm political movements of that dav ana
VINO, as Vice President from 1893 10 1897
distinguished himself by rebeling against
the betrayal OF Democratic PRINCIPLES bv
President Cleveland
When Mr.. Stevenson had been noro,-
mated what was ID my duty to do? NV
name had gone before the convention
along with his and had been beaten.
The nomination had been made decisive
~ ana with absolute fairness. The can
dddate chosen was personally unexcen-
tionabie; his loyalty to our PRINCIPLES was
beyond question and his career had been
a long exemplihcation Of them. Mani
testify IL was my duty to support thar
nomination. Acting upon this conviction.
went before The Silver Republican con-
20 not nominate me. and the vice presf-
Dental question was finally referred to
the Silver Republican national COMMITTEES
with fun powers Later in the night this
committee placed the name Of Mr.. Steven
son on its ticket as candidate for vice
president.
stevenson or Roosevelt.
This recital clearly develops the situa-
tion as IT now is. Everybody knows that
either Mr.. Stevenson or MIR. Roosevelt in
to be the next Vice President of the
United States | am expected to take a
laborious part In the campaign. shall
of course advocate the election OF Mr..
Bryan and Mr.. Stevenson The Democrats
Convention. before which l was a candi-
date, nominated Bryan and Stevenson.
The Silver Republican party OF which
organization was the Official head for
nearly four years. has nominated Brvan
and Stevenson. In what light should I
appear before the American people AZ.
while advocating the election OF one tick
ct, / should be going through the form
OF running on another7 Nobody in the
United States would think / had the
slis htest chance OF being elected ard no.
body would teieve that &C cnsidered ny
self seriously as a candidate unless az
the same me he be,isv5d me TO be abe
lutely lacking in common sense. Whom