The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-03
TO PREVENT FACTIONS.

Now the brilliant editor of the Wich-
| ita Beacon comes forward with a re-
eipe on How To Prevent Factions"
would it not he asks, "be possible
for representative Republican delegates
to run the next state convention with
out the interference of Dave or Mort
or Jim? Would it not be equally pos
sible to run it without the interior
ence of the so-cal1ed square dealers?'
And would it not be a better condition
If the next Republican convention
should be made up of staIwart party
members who would say, We've no
room in this convention for any gangs,
no matter whether they are organized
by officeholders or by men who desire
to be oficeholders?'
Fine; fine. Those questions indicate
an admirable sentiment. And If the
editor of the Beacon will just get
bond from the Dave and Mort and
Jim interests that they will not in any
way interfere with the next state con-
vention. very likely the Square Dealers
will be only too glad to go back to
work and quit wasting a lot of good
time away from their business on
politics. A primary law for the nomi-
nation of all state candidates would
have been the same as such a bond
but the primary law was not forthcom-
ing, and the probabilities are that Dave
and Mort and Jim will be on hand at
the next state convention the same as
of yore.
For ten years." continues the editor
of the Beacon, EVERY Republican state
convention has been a drawn battle
between factions over offices. The
square dealers and the other machine
are today getting into line for the BIZ
ennial scrap. There are fat offices,
state and national, to be distributed;
there are delegates to elect to the next
national convention. There are a lot
of lovely things to be handed out; and
must the party be knocked to pieces
over the question as to whether the
followers of Mr.. Stubs or of Mr.. Long
and Mr.. Curtis get to these lovely
presents first?
why not rise up as individual Re
pub1icans and declare that these trans
cendently beautiful things are not the
sole reasons for a partys existence; |
that they are purely incidental and that |
the party will pass them out as a par
ty, after it has settled more important |
matters?
why not spread abroad the spirit |
that the next state convention in Kan !
sas is going to run itself, and that the |
effort. of the two machines to run it is |
Let individual Republi- |
cans all over Kansas make up their |
minds to do this and there will be no |
fractional fight in the next state con-
vention. There will be a convention |
made up of earnest, representative |
men from each community declaring |
that the combined judgment of the
party shall be set forth in the results |
of the convention, and that the des-
TIMES of great party shall not be |
for the selfish ends of |
either machine in Kansas"
Which is very, very loveIy-theoreti
cally. But as a matter of fact the old
will be on hand with a slate
IN the next convention. just as it was
N the last one, unless the Square Dea-
ers prevent it. Incidentally, 1t might
be recalled that the editor of the Bea-
con did valiant service in the last con-
vention in an attempt to bust the slate
but the machine carried the slate
through. Probably the personnel of
most of the state officers would not
nave been changed had the slate been
broken.
If a primary election law had been
passed last winter providing for the
of state officers as well as
LII others by direct primary, every Re
publican in the state would have been
delegate to the state convention, and
lie would not have had to make trades
md combines, in the interest of some
pecial candidate nor would he have
)een susceptible to undue influence
.ither by the old machine or the Square
Deal machine. The best way to prevent
actions is to have a universal primary
aw,