New-York tribune., 1908-06-10
LEADERS AND VOTERS.

old ideas often persIst in politics long after
the conditions which justified them have passed
away. Thus we see cropping out at the hepup-
can National Convention some curious surNN
ais OF the political notions and practices VI
thirty wears ago Senatorelect William y.
Bradley, of Kentucky, has been In pohtics an
his life. and he seems to hold firmly to the
theory of party action and leadership accep'eo
in the TOs and sos that he cannot ACCOMMODATE
himself to the methods and fashions oi iou"s'
When he was a much younger man the decisions
of a national convention were left largely 10 'he
leaders of the party. The chieftains were sup
posed TO go TO conventions each with docile
body of followers. and there determine among
themselves what should be done in the name vi
the Republican voters Conkling Cameron, 10
gan PhiletuS Sawyer, Filley, CresWeil, Aach-
ariah Chandler and the other active convention
managers used to consider that they were eii-
titled to free hand in acting for their consult
uencies which, in fact, owed them DEBT Oh
gratitude for so acting. The average voter OF
those days supposed to be entirely sausheo
to ratfy the plans of the party generals
But times have changed, and the average
voter now has plans of his own which he looks
to the leaders to execute. Mr.. Bradleys per
sonal programme for the convention of 1905
seems to have clashed with the programme OF
his Kentucky constituents and the Senator-eiect
apparently cannot understand why ne shouia
have to give way as the result OF such COLL
sion. He took the position early last spring
that the Republicans of Kentucky should eject
delegates pledged to oppose Taft and to support
Fairbanks. But the rank and file OF the party
there, thinking Mr. Taft the more available can
dldate and seeing that he was supported by
almost all the states OF the Middle west ana
West rebelled against the Bradley programme
The Senator elect has a large following In Ken
tucky and most of the active politicians were
cooperating with him. After open contest
lasting three months the Taft managers squarely
defeated Mr.. Bradley. They controlled the state
convention by large majority and carried SIX
of the eleven Congress districts beyond dispute
The Bradley-Fairbanks forces carried one dis
trict and, SIS beaten minority, instituted con-
tests in four others There was nothing to show
that they were entitled to seats from these four
contested districts. Yet Mr.. Bradley Is full OF
Indignation that the national committee did not
compromise" those contests-thus reversing the
will of the voters-for the purpose of placatlng
him and recognizing his right TO dispose OF
part of Kentucky's vote in the national conven-
ton.
1t is time that these old fashioned theories Of
state leaders right to act and think for the
voters and to substitute his will for theirs
should be banished from Republican politics
There are some Republican statesmen left VINO
affect to believe that to receive an instruction
from their constituents is humiliation and an
indignfty This is, of course, plain perversion
of the true relation between an agent and his
principals. The Republican party Is to-day
body fully capable Of self government and 1t
will be all the better governed as power is taken
more and more from the middlemen and concen-
trated more and more in the voters. Leaders
worthy of the name will represent their states
not try to misrepresent them. At st. Louis IN
1896 Mr.. Bradley, then Governor of Kentucky,
insisted that the state delegation should support
him for the Presidential nomination. But the
delegates from number Of the Congress dis
trcts preferred Major Mckinley and voted for
him. In this years contest Mr.. Bradley
equally out of touch with the wishes of his
state. He has no possible grievance because
the national committee has taken sides against
him and with the voters.