The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-08
TOWNE is WILLING.
Would Make the Race on the Ticket
With Bryan.

WIN
CHICAGO, May 7.-"Charles A. Towne
would be highly acceptable to the Populist
party" Gen. Weaver said at the close of
! the conference between some of the party
leaders here yesterday However, I do
not expect the convention at Sioux Falls
to nominate him. It will be proposed
that the second place be left vacant and
that a committee confer with the Dem
l ocratic and Lincoln Republican parties
rat Kansas City. l am not authorized to
say that the convention will follow this
| programme, for the delegates are their
own masters.
AS to Congressman SuZer and o. H
+. Belmont, l cannot say whether they
would be acceptable. However, we shall
insist on some one who is satisfactory on
the silver question. We will reaffirm our
allegiance to the white metal. The story
that ! had said the silver question would
| be retired from the campaign was base
less and l denied it soon after its pub
lication. AS to Mr.. Bryan, there is no
doubt and has been no doubt that we
would nominate him. Gen. Weaver de-
MED that he ever had stated that he
would expect cabinet portfolio in case
of Mr.. Bryan's election.
DULUTH MAN WILLING.
'T was not in the conference" Mr.
| TOwne said, "and it would be premature
to say that I will be the nominee of the
conventions. Should their choice devolve
! upon me, | cannot deny that would
! regard it as a great honor and one not
to be put aside. The nominee, whether
myself or some one else, should be the
man able best to unite the three parties,
all of whom are for Mr.. Bryan to head
the ticket. In short, the choice of a vice
presidential nominee should be determined
by the needs of the political hour. If it
should be decided that / belonging to
the Lincoln Republican party, am accept
able to the Democrats and Populists, 1
would not decline.
Asked regarding his position as a for
mer Republican on the question of a
protective tariff, Mr. Towne said he was
in harmony with the Democratic plat
form. He was not opposed to a tariff
for government expenses, and, while col
lecting a revenue, he favored looking out
for the interests of this nation but he
was opposed thoroughly. to any system
of duties that made possible the growth
of trusts and monopolies that preyed upon
the consumers and strangled competition.
ASSURED OF STATES, SUPPORT.
OF the two states that have had Dem
ocratic conventions, Michigan has indors-
ed Mr.. Towne. In addition, he is assured
of the support of his own state, Mime
sofa, and it was said that several other
Western and Northwestern states are
ready to fall in line for him.
''Mr. Towne stands a good chance of
being nominated for vice president" Mr.
Campau said ''The Michigan convention,
in indorsing him, took the lead in what,
from information that comes to me, seems
likely to become action popular with state
gatherings. AS to the opinions of the
party leaders here today l am not at
liberty to say, but 1 do not look for
repetition of the 96 situation, when the
vice presidential candidates on the DEM
ocratic and Populist tickets were different,
though both were headed by Mr.. Bryan
Mention of myself in connection with
the vice presidency has been merely the
complimentary expression of a few
friends Neither is there anything in the
story of Gov. Pingree as possibility for
the position He is in hot fight to de-
feat DR.. NJ. Ferry for governor by Sc
curing the nomination of Mr.. Stearns.
Mr.. Pingree threatens to run indepen-
IDENTITY if Mr.. Ferry is nominated. The
latter is backed by Senators Mcmillan and
Burrows, and the fight has become so
hot contesting delegations are an every
day occurrence. Bliss, of Saginaw, is
spoken of as a dark horse Prospects
of Democratic success in the state are
good. The Detroit Free Press, which has
been independent, has indicated that it
is likely to support Mr.. Bryan"
TELLER TONNES FIRST SPONSOR.
The first suggestion of ex-Congressman
Towne as a vice presidential possibility
was by Senator Teller, of Colorado, who
urged that recognition of the silver Re
publicans would add to the strength of
the national ticket. The Duluth man was
recognized as one of the most clever men
Minnesota had sent to congress. He at
tanned prominence at a jump by an elo-
quent speech on free silver, which sur
prised members of the house and held the
attention of the galleries. He is only one
year older than MIR. Bryan, who has just
celebrated his fortieth birthday.
Mr.. Towne is a Michigan man by birth
and graduate of the state university at
Ann Arbor. His gifts as an orator were
in evidence early and determined his Sc
lection of the law as a profession He
made political speeches for several years,
but never held office until elected to con-
gress in 1894. His defeat in 1896 was due
to his advocacy of free silver. At that
time he ran as an Independent, abandon
ing the Republican party after his return
from the ST. Louis convention. He an
nounced that because OF his honest con-
victions' he could not remain within the
Republican party. This action won for
him the title Honest Charlie