The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-31
CAMPAIGN IS OPEN.
Continued from Page one.)
look to the restoration of equity ana
fairness in the government.
Reform Sentiment Militant.


fairness in the government.
Reform Sentiment Militant.
The president is not Democrat, for
he leans toward Hamilton, rather than
toward Jefferson, and favors con-
centration of power in Washington and
a Capitalization of government Whlch
Democrats regard as distinctly hostile
to the national welfare. It is proof that
the reform sentiment in the Repubh-
can party is not only large, but militant,
that the corporate interests, powerful
as they are, have not been able TO
coerce the middle west into the sup
port of any of the Republican candf-
dates who are regarded as reactionary.
This in itself is the most hopeful sign
of a Democratic victory, for the pres1-
dent having aroused this sentiment
the Republican party must satisfy the
expectations excited or lose the sup
port of the rank and file of the party.
Now, what prospect is there that the
Republican national convention VIII
satisfy the urgent demands of reform
Republicans? I venture to predict that
no serious attempt will be made to
satisfy these demands. Two things are
necessary to establish confidence in
the intention of the Republican party
to repeal it's own laws and to reform
the abuses which have grown out of
Republican legislation and administra-
ton; and these two things are, first,
a platform specifically pledging the
party to clearly define reforms, and
second, the nomination of ticket
composed of men imbued with a spirit
of reform.
The Growth of Trusts.
If in the coming campaign the Re
publcans have an ambiguous platform,
filed with glittering generalities, and
fragrant with bouquets thrown at the
Republican party, a Republican presi-
dent, elected upon it, would be as pow
eriess as the present president has
been. I say powerless-for what has
the president succeeded in doing
There are more trusts today than
there were when he entered the office
and he has never succeeded in getting
a law enacted to strengthen the pres
ent law. He has not succeeded in put
ting a trust magnate in the peniten-
tiary, and the only large fine that has
been imposed has aroused more critic
ism than commentator among Re
publican leaders. He has not secured
any tariff reform, and yet he has beer
in office for over seven years. He has
not secured the enactment of the nee
essary labor legislation. He has not
secured an income tax, and the Re
publican senators forced him into g
compromise on the railroad question
But even a good platform would be
worthless without a candidate who en-
bodied the spirit of the platform. And
what candidate have they? If the
president had picked out Senator Lie
E'Oil6tTe, real reIOr1ner. II the Ike
publican party had rallied to Senator
LaFollette's support, 1t could have
compelled the confidence of reform Re
pub1icans. Senator LaFollette has
record as a reformer; he has tough
corporate domination in his own stat,
for a decade.
The Support of Taft.
The president has picked out Sec.
rotary Taft and given him the sup.
port of the administration. Wfthou
the support of the administration, the
secretary would scarcely have a STATE
in the convention. and with the presi
dents support, he is having an up
hill fight. He has no record as a re
former, and his speeches do not indi
cate a definite purpose or coura
geous program. He may be the bes
man the president could find among
his cabinet officers; but Secretar.
Taft's superiority over his colleague
is due not to his positive virtues blu