Evening star., 1920-02-18
M'ADOO REFUSES
TOENTER PRIMARY
F0RPRES|DENCY
Advocates the Sending of
Uninstructed Delegates to
National Convention.

I
Associated Press). - William Gibbs
, McAdoo announced today that h.
/ would not permit his name to be used
on presidential primary ballots in the
! various states and that he advocate d
I the sending of uninstructed delegates
to the democratic national convention
I The former Secretary of the Trea Sury
said ne believed the highest construc-
tive leadership can best he obtaine d
if the national interest lis not sub
! merged in contest of Individual ca n :
didacies
! personally" Mr.. MCAdoo continued
Il would be delighted if the next ra-
tional convention might actually be a
great democratic conference. where
the utmost freedom of action should
prevail and where the mo i've of his h
service alone should control"
Discusses Duties Of citizenship.
The oblisations of citizenship in a
der ocraCy are SIpT-me. he said. and
therefore he should regard il as the
| imperative duty of any man to accept
a nomination if it should come to him
unsolicited.
81 am not seeking the nomination"
the letter read. and am reluctant to
do anything that would create the ap-
pearance of 4 candidacy"
Mr. McAdooS views were expressed
in letter sent to Miller s. Bell. mayor
OF MilledgeVille. Ga. in response to a
telegram saying the citizens of his
boyhood home had placed his name on
the presidential preferential ticket
Text of Mr., McAdoo's Letter.
The letter follows:
Your telegram informing me that
the citizens OF Milledgeville have en-
tered my name in the democratic pri-
N
President of the United States duly
received. | am deeply moved by this
manifestation of the confidence OF
my friends who live in the city OF my
boyhood and in the state of my ma
tivity. 1t is. indeed. an honor to be
considered by them worthy of such
high station. | feel. however, that
should candidly state my position.
am not seeking the nomination and
am reluctant to do anything that
would create the appearance of a can
didaCy. l cannot help feeling that this
is peculiarly time when We should
fight for principles and not for indi =
viduals.
The momentous years through
which we have just gone have
brought to the fore great human prob
lens which go to the very roots of
our social and economic life and in
sstently demand settlement The des-
tiny of the human race will be pro-
foundly affected by the things we do
and by the wisdom we show during
the next four years. Patriotism and
constructive leadership of the highest
order are necessary and | am con-
WINGED that we are most likely to Sc
cure them if the supreme considera-
tion of the national interests is rot
submerged in contest of individual
candida cies for the presidential office.
Therefore l should like to see the next
democratic national convention COM
posed Of untrammeled men and Wom-
Ell bound to no particular candidate
and allowed to express their prefer
ences freely through the abolition of
the unit rule.
Relates to "InstructiOns
While / realize that under the pri-
mary laws Instructed deegates from
some states are manda tory, never
theless ! think it h"hly d"si-ahia
that every effort should be made to
send uninstructed delegates from
every state where possible. Person
ally I should be delighted if the next
national convention might actually be
great democratic conference where
the utmost freedom of action should
prevail and where the motive of high
service alone should control. If in
such a convention platform is adopt
ed and q candidate is selected repre-
senting the great cons: ructive, pro-
x
day. the favorable opinion of the
country would be enlisted at the very
outset. The issue would then be sharp
ly drawn between us and the forces OF
standpatism and reaction, which are
already overreaching themselves and
claiming with preSumptuouS conf
dence the victory i'll November next.
Asks Withdrawal of Name.
Holding these views. you can read
I, ill.,, la I,,- 7 h
entered in the Georgia primary and
why l must beg my good friends to
withdraw my name. | cannot consist
emily enter the primary in any state
when it is my earnest conviction that
the delegates from every state should
go to the convention without instruc
tions save to use their power and op-
portunity for the best service of their
country.
NO greater honor than nominal
ton for the presidency can come to
any man short of election to the pres
idency itself In a democracy like
ours the obligations of good citizen
ship are supreme and | should there
fore regard it as the imperative duty
of any man to accept nomination if
il should come to him unsolicited. |
say this at the risk of being charged
with harboring a candidacy, notwith-
standing the explicit statements in
this letter, but | am sure that. on
the whole, l shall not be misunder-
stood.
please accept my warm thanks for
your generous support and be good
enough to assure my friends of my
sincere gratitude for the honor they
have done me.