The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-14
KANSAS COMMENF

THE LESSON IN THE ELECTION.
The victory of Mr.. Taft by the over
Welmngly majority received yesterday
may not wipe out the Democratic par
~ but it wipes Mr. Bryan and the
ooctrlne of temporary panaceaS out of
the democratic party. Mr.. Bryan'S fall
ure TO gain the votes expected by him
was due to several conditions. His old
exploded prophecies uttered in the past
rose up to plaguge him all during the
campaign. The American people have
a Keen sense of the ridiculous, and
some of Mr.. Bryan's utterances during
active support of Mr.. Gompers injured
ratner than aided Mr.. Bryan. 1t in
PRODUCED into the campaign an element
that frightened conservative business
to recommend him to business men;
the alleged support of the labor ele-
ment hurt in that direction.
The designed effort by Mr.. Bryan's
managers to inject sectarian issue
into the campaign also unquestionab bly,
hurt Mr.. Bryan. For every vote ia
ken away from Mr.. Taft on the issue
that he is Unitarian dozen votes
were added by Catholics whose past
political allegiance has been with the
Democratic party. The introduction of
the Unitarian issue was a boomer
ang to Mr.. Bryan, as it should have
BEEN The result should provide les
son of value to the future. The above
were purely incidental features, of more
or less influence in the contest. The
main issue upon which the Republicans
won the election was the desire for
continuation of business certainty. The
present business conditions are salts
factory. Mr.. Taft's splendid record in
the management of large affairs was
guarantee that he would do nothing to
create panic or uneaSineSs. The bust
ness interests, as represented not only
by the manufacturer and the merchant
but by the farmer and stock raiser as
well, were satisfied, and they voted for
Taft. Mr.. Gompers also failed to
conservative members of the labor
union who realized that what is good
for the general business conditions is
also good for them.-Wichita Beacon,
THE SOCIALIST VOTE.
From Chicago comes the word that
the Socialists are disappointed be-
cause Debs failed to receive mill
lion votes. Four years ago his vote
was 10000 and this year it was the
double it. But they failed although
they had four times as many
speakers, with more states organized
and with every precaution taken to
get their voting strength to the polls.
The result shows that Socialism can
never become a national issue. The
party is now doing some good because
it's agitation serves to call public at
tention to existing evils, but having
done that it has failed so far to offer
a remedy for national ills that COM
mends itself to any considerable per
cent of the people. 1t is easy to find
fault; to point out the plague spots
in our civilization, but to cure them
that is the problem. The good
things in Socialism will be adopted by
the two old parties while the imprac-
teal features will be dropped and
eventually the party will disappear,
the same as the Populists and other
iconoclastic organizations whose mis-
sion has been merely to sound alarms
leaving the reconstruction of the So
cia1 fabric to other parties more cap
able-Cofeyville Journal. .~ u: