Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-16

CHICAGO, April 15.-Ex-Gov. Alt
geld was spoken to to-day about the
suggestion of nominating ex-Gov.
Pattison, of Pennsylvania. as the run
ming mate of Mr.. Bryan. He said:
Il notice that the Palmer and Buck
ner newspapers of America are urging
his nomination. Those papers and
those men, who have been very hostile
to Mr.. Bryan, and are still hostile 70
what he represents and would like to
see him defeated, and yet wish to go
with the Democratic party this year,
are urging the nomination of Mr.. Pat
tison. Personally believe that the
nomination of Mr.. Pattison for the
Vice Presidency would be as great a
misfortune as the nomination we made
in '96 for that place. if not greater.
Our candidate for that place in '96 was
at least positively with us on the silver
question, but he did not command the
confidence of our people On any other
question and greatly weakened our
ticket. Mr.. Pattison has not been pos
itively with us on any proposition, and
it is safe to say that at least IS per
cent. of the Democrats OF America
would be disappointed at such nomi-
nation. Our people are in earnest all
over the country, and they demand not
only the enunciation or definite and
progressive principles, but they de-
mand the nomination of men whom
they know to be intense in their sup
port of those principles. The Repub-
lican party is catering to every in
fuence that is controlled by concen-
trated wealth and by corrupt wealth,
and the Democratic party cannot hope
to gain anything by entering into COM
petition with the Republican party on
science, the intelligence and the pa
triotism of the country, and to do this
successfully it is above all things ne
cessary for us to be sincere. The mo-
ment we embarke on a course that
shall put us in the light of trimming,
or trading, or maneuTering for votes,
that moment we will lose the conf
dence and enthusiasm of large por-
ton of our people. For us to be guild
ed by high principle in the nomination
of candidate for the Presidency, and
then undertake to play oldfashioned,
chief politics in the nomination of a
candidate for the Vice Presidency,
would be unworthy of a great party
and would so far weaken that party as
to make it incapable of performing any
great mission for the country or for
humanity. The difficulty with some
men is that they are not able to per-
ceive that the country is very tired of
simply playing politics. 1t is calling
for heroism; it is calling for the ma
terial of which martyrs are made; II
is calling for generation of men who
are willing to die for cause, and such
a generation is coming. The hope of
the Democracy to-day depends not on
money and not on doing politics, but
it depends on the dynamic force of
ideas and on the conquering power of
Justice, two forces that have never yet
been arrested, two forces that have
given America this republic, have Civ
en- the world its civilization and have
been at the bottom of all progress.
''The Democracy must name man
for the Vice Presidency who possesses
the same character, the same convic-
ton and the same positive and aggres-
sive force as the man who is to head
the ticket.
Let me say that | have great re-
spect for Governor Pattison as man.
He is gentleman and man of great
ability, and in any other manner
should be glad to honor him, but there
are thousands of men of high character
and ability whom respect but whom
the Democracy could not put upon its
ticket this year without abandoning its
high mission"