Evening star., 1924-07-19
WHEELER TO RUN
WITH LA TOILETTE:
FLAYS OLD PARTIES
Declares He Can Best Serve
Public interests by Going
to Independents.
SELECTION OF DAVIS
BY DEMOCRATS HIT
Decision Given to Conference Here.
Opens Campaign in vir-
ginia Tonight.

N. w II
tana, who won national distinction
by his conduct of the Senate Daugh-
erty investigation. accepted the vice
presidential nomination on the La
Follette Independent ticket today and
Immediately began his campaign
with a broadside against the poIit-
icai affiliations of Calvin Coolidg,
and John w. Davis
Il am Democrat. but not Wall
Street Democrat" he said in a letter
formally accepting the nomination
rendered him by the group of La
Toilette leaders in conference here
Denounces Both Parties.
The Democratic party, he continued,
had "wantonly abandoned an oppor-
tunity for great public SERVICE" and
both it and the Republican party
had Ignored the call of the unor-
ganized millions who are the victims
of the present economic disorders"
Senator Wheeler's acceptance and
his denunciation of the two old-line
parties were embodied in a letter to
William H. Johnston of the Ma
chinists' Union, heading a committee
sent to him by the conference of
La Toilette leaders to receive his re-
ply to the formal tender of the vice
presidential nomination voted yester-
day. The letter follows:
Considers Acceptance Duty.
After careful consideration l have
concluded to accept the honor your
committee SO generously conferred
on me by rendering to me the nomi-
nation for Vice President as the run
ming mate of Hon. Robert NJ. La Fol-
lette, candidate for President Of the
United States.
Il have had no desire, you know,
to become a candidate for any office
in the approaching election, but have
decided that it is my duty to accept
your call because it appears to me
that by so doing i can best serve the
highest interests Of the American
people.
Il regret exceedingly that the Dem
ocratic party in the recent national
convention in New York so complete
ly lost sight of the fundamental prin-
ciples of democracy and ignored the
great economic issues of the present
hour. 1t has wantonly abandoned an
opportunity for great public service
that never before was so clearly
within its reach and so certain to lead
to success.
while the farmers of the entire
nation are facing bankruptcy, labor
large majority of our citizens suf
fering from sinister exploitation, the
Republican and Democratic parties in
convention ignored the call of the un-
organized millions who are the vic
Tins of the present economic disor-
ders and chose leaders whose train
ing, whose sympathies and whose
social and political association are
with the great predatory interests.
Raps Choice of Davis.
Every Democratic leader in and
out of Congress has proclaimed the
Democratic Party free from the taint
of Wall Street and has blamed with
some degree of truth, the financial in
terests there, but whose ramifications
extend far beyond. for the corruption
in the Republican administration and
for the discriminatory legislation
against the common people of Amer
ica. What are the people to think
when these same men in convention
assembled, select as the standard
bearer of their party an attorney who
represents these interests, who lives
typifies all that big business stands
for, just as much and just as truly
as does the Republican nominee.
Can't Support Regulars.
In this situation. 1 find myself
unable to support either the Repub-
lican candidates, who frankly admit
their reactionary standpat policy. or
the Democratic candidate, who may
claim in we'll chosen phrases that he
is a progressive, but whose training
and constant association belle any
such pretension.
Between Davis and Coolidge there
is only a choice for conservatives to
make. The uncontrolled. liberal and
progressive forces must look else
where for leaders.
This Is time when every one who
claims to be a progressive must show
his colors. must support the candi-
daay OF Robert NJ. La Toilette and
the genuinely progressive program, or
else forever disclaim any pretense to
progressive political action. 1t is our
duty to our country to give to the
progressive and liberal forces OF this
Nation an opportunity to express
themselves in the coming election, as
between Coolidge and Davis they are
disfranchised.
THE issues before the people were
never more pronounced-the cleavage
is clear cut. The Republican and
Democratic parties deliberately and
solemnly chose the path of indiffer-
ence toward, if not support of, the
privileged interests. No one except
those who believe in a government
of special interests can vote for the
presidential nominee on either the
Republican or Democratic national
tickets.
The progressive, forward-looking
Continued 90 Page 2. Column %