The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-12
Organization Is the Stepping
Stone to Success.
SCORES STAY AT HOMES
Calls Attention to People Who
Are Indifferent.
What Neglect on Part of Few in
Each Precinct Means.

" Republican club Morton Albaugh,
chairman of the Republican state CEN
fral. committee. was on the programme
TO speak on How to Win" The main
idea of his speech was organization. and
it was virtually a defense of what is
termed machine politics." that is or
ganization in politics. He said that the
organization of the Republican party
in Kansas had not begun until 1896 hut
it has been built up year by year until
in six years it gave Bailey the largest
majority ever given a Kansas governor.
Air. Albaugh said in part:
This is an era of organizatio ton. 1t is
the watch word today in every field of
human industry. Where it is weak or
entirely wanting. there is failure. Where
It is strong and vigorous, there is suc-
cess.
But in politics. principle has proceed
ence. Organization follows. There is
the great heart of the Republican party,
whose pulse beats have marked the
progress of the last two decades 1t had
as its foundations the demand for hu-
man rights and human liberties. 1t
made this country free in fact. as we'll
as in name. It settled irrevocably the
proposition that the union is one and
indissoluble
From the close of the war Republi-
canism has kept pace with the progress
of the country. 1t has met every new
situation, every new condition, with in
telligence, determination and energy.
Its platforms have, one after another,
been transferred to the statute book of
the nation.
But without organization, without
the proper conserva ton of those forces
that have believed in Republicanism az
Ttr-.~A T I'D 1of ton. l,xy
Blaine, Garfield, Mckinley and Roose-
welt, the party would have failed many
times, where it has succeeded, and there
would have been many breaks in our
countrys progress and prosperity.
1.-THE dividing line between parties has
not always been so marked as at the
present, nor the duty of the citizen so
plain. There have been times when one
party was not altogether in the right
and the other not entirely in the wrong;
when it was not so easy for the con-
sefVative man, even though a student,
TO determine what was for his cOun-
try's best interests. At such times edu-
cation becomes an important factor in
party organization. and in club of the
character of yours, education should
ever be a leading feature of its work.
1T is surprising the number or meli
there are in this country who do not
take an active interest in political at
fairs, who conclude they have not the
time for the consideration of political
questions; men who neglect the primary,
who neglect the county convention, and
who, oft-times, later find fault with
what is done at both and complain OF
their party of those things for which
they themselves, through their neglect,
are most responsible. Every American
citizen under the law has equal rights
and also equal responsibilities. The
source of political power is in the pri-
mary. in the local convention. The citi-
zen who believes in the principles of the
Republican party but who fails to use
inf cnnd a
head of that political organization, fails
not alone in his duty to his party, but
alike in his duty to his country.
Party organization. as generally I'M
derstood. has for it's purpose such utili-
cation of political forces as will Snally
result in party triumph at the polls
1t is a mistaken idea that there is some
thing mysterious in such work You
have your local organization in Frank
lin county. 1t is composed of your pre-
cinct committeeman and from five to
eight helpers in each precinct Each
of the other one hundred and four
counties in the state has precisely the
same local organization. Your precinct
committeeman constitute your county
committee. The chairman and secre-
tary they create are its head. Above
this is your state committee. 1t is
composed of a member from each Judi
cial district in the state, with it's chair
man and secretary, who constitute the
head of the organization in the state.
The success of the whole depends upon
the energy, the zeal, the enthusiasm
the amount of good, downright eff
cient hard work that can be had final
ly from these two thousand precinct
organizations throughout the state 1t
is the province of the state Organiza ton
to develop this energy, this zeal. this
enthusiasm, and induce energetic sue
cessful, effective work from the two
thousand parts that constitute the
whole of the organization within the
state If the state committee can Sc
cure successful work from the different
county organizations and they in turn
can secure good work from the pre-
cinct organizations, then the ideal party
organization has been contaminated If
these precinct organizations are in good
working order when political meeting
IS held anywhere in the county. it is
through them that good crowds are Sc
cured, that an abundance of fireworks
and applause is furnished 1t is
through these organizations largely
that Literature is distributed. that
wavers-coatinually has the best and
strongest side of the proposition pre-
sented to him. Finally as election day
approaches it is through this same or
ganization that the Republican voters
are rallied and gotten to the polls
When the fact that failure to vote
on the part of five voters in each pre-
cinct means a loss of TO- 900 to the party
in the state, the importance of this
final work can be appreciated. When
the further fact that five votes changed
from your ticket to the opposition by
extra energy upon their part in the
closing days of the campaign will make
a difference of 10000 in the state, again
the Importance of this closing work is
realized.
Until Populism invaded Kansas there
was little necessity for party organize
ton. The state was safely Republican
anyhow But with its appearance and
the necessity for contesting every inch OF
ground in the different counties in the
different congressional districts, even in
the state at large. came the necessity for
It. 1t was a magnificent army that was
rallied by the Republicans in this state in
1895. For ten years previous the Republic
cans of Kansas had bee.f 4 rting with free
silver and tariff reform ana unintention-
ally giving both aid and comfort to the
opposition. Almost twO-thirds of the del
egates from this state to the St. Louis