The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-08

mated for vice president by the Populist
convention held in Sioux Falls in May.
/ has sent a letter of withdrawal to the
committee on notification.
1t is believed the Populist national
committee has power to fill the vacancy
caused by Mr. TOwne's withdrawal,
and that it will Immediately endorse
Adlai E. Stevenson for vice president
on the ticket with Bryan.
The letter is as follows:
Gentlemen: When, on the 9Th of
July. at Kansas iCty, 1 had the honor
to receive from you the official nomina-
ton of your national convention for the
Office Of vice president, l requested, in
view of the anomalous and delicate
circumstances in the presidential stu
alton, that you permit me to take the
subject under careful Amusement be-
fore announcing q decision This re-
guest you were pleased to grant, and
now, after mature consideration Of all
the factors involved that concern the
welfare of the cause of political re-
form in this country and my own duty
thereto. am constrained to inform you
in all respect that 1 must decline the
nomination rendered me by that con-
Yention.
In announcing this conclusion can
not forebear to express to you and
through you to the great convention
whose commission you hold, as well as
to that patriotic body of advanced oil
teal thought that your convention rep
resented, my deep sense of the honor
conferred upon me, to be the unanimous
choice of that convention for the second
place in the service of the nation.
Reasons For Defamation.
1.-TWO circumstances, however, add
emphasis to this consideration in the
present issue:
ed by me, and, secondly, the conven-
ton, as in the case also of its nominee
Tor the president, went out Of its own
political organization to select a can
didate. To my mind, this action of the
Sioux Falls convention in nominating
Tor president a representative of the
Democratic party and for vice president
a representative of the silver Republic
al party - one OF the most encouraging !
and inspiring spectacleS N recent poll
tics It's unselhShneSS and magnanimi-
". its testimony to the precedence Of
the cause OF the people over any mere
Iy partisan advantage, raised the pro-
cedure of that convention into the Sc
rene upper air Of true civic herOiSm !
From such a spirit as this, what serV-
ice, what sacrifice can be asked in the !
name of the republici
1T was. Of course, the expectation of |
your convention that its nomination for !
the vice presidency would prove &C
ceptable TO the conventions Of the /
Democratic and silver Republican par |
ties called to meet in Kansas City on /
the 4th Of July. The silver Republic |
ans, 1889 delegates, representing TWEEN |
ty-elght states and territories, were in !
deed eager to name the ticket chosen |
at Sioux Falls. but to the great Demo- |
cratic convention another commended |
itself. The name of your nominee was |
presented to that convention and was |
received with remarkable demonstra- |
tons Of approval by the enormous num- /
Der of citizens and with the greatest /
respect by the delegates.
Geography Enters Situation.
But geographical considerations and |
the fact that in certain parts of the I
country il was deemed wise to defer
10 a sentiment that the candidate
should be a man already identified |
with the Democratic organization. not |
only by holding its principles and ad-
vocating its cause, but also by name
and profession, determined She selec-
ton of Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois,
a man of unimpeachable character and
OF ripe political experience. who as a
member OF congress more than twenty
years ago was a close assistant and
aborer of General J. 3. Weaver and |
other great leaders for the reform
political movement of those days, and
who, as vice president from 1893 to 1897.
himself by rebeIIing
against the betrayal of Democratic
principles by President Cleveland
When Mr.. Stevenson was nominal
ed, what was it my duty TO do? Ny
name had been before the convention
along with his. and had been beaten
The nomination had been made deci-
sively and with absolute fairness The !
chosen was positively anex-
ceptiOnable; his loyalty to our orinci-
pies was beyond question and his ca
-eer had been long eXemplification of /
hem.
Duty to Support Stevenson.
'Manifestly it was nv DUTY tn SIM
port that nomination. Acting upon this
went before the silver Re
ouDncan convention and succeeded in
)erSuadlng 1t not to nominate me. and
ne vice presidential nomination was
lnaIly referred TO the silver Republican
lauonal committee. Later this COM !
hlttee paced the name of Mr.. Steven
son on the ticket for vice president.
This recital clearly develops the
ltuation as it now is. Everybody
lnoWs that either Mr.. Stevenson or
Ar. Roosevelt is to be the next vice
PRESIDENT of the United States. I am
to take a laborioas part in the
ampalgn. 1 shall, of course. advocate
he election Of Bryan and Stevenson.
me Democratic convention before
which l was a candidate nominated
3ryan and Stevenson. The silver Re
publican convention has nominated
Bryan and Stevenson. In what light
hOuld l appear before the American
'eople if, while advocating the election
I one ticket, 1 should be going
through the form of running on an
ther? Nobody in the United States
You'd think l had the slightest chance
4 being elected, and nobody would be-
leve that considered myself as a can
ldate unless at the same time he be-
leved me to be absolutely lacking in
OmmOn sense.
Whom could a phantom candidacy
eceive? What respect should I de-
erve, indeed, II in such a matter I
hould attempt to deceive anybody
whatsoever?
Il know the Peoples party to be COM
osed of men most exceptionally keen
nd expert in political judgment So
byious sham could not elude their
ision- Either they would resent my
implied uncomplimentary estimate of
hem, or they would be justified in