The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-29

platform. winch SnOulQ De ms anu tnc
Republican party's, Mr.. Bristow was
in Kansas vigorously campaigning for
Bristow. And when he saw the Re-
publican party had adopted Longs
platform he Joined Mr.. Bryan, whose
advice had also not been =, asked at.
Chicago. and declared that the = Re-
publican platform was dictated by
the east" and was a retreat" from
the policies of Roosevelt and Taft Mr..
Bryan and Mr.. Bristow stated this in
the face of the fact that on every
proposition in the Chicago convention,
on every motion or roll call Long was
supported by the solid delegation from
the state of Kansas and the Taft dele
cation from Ohio. Yes, in face of. the
acknowledged fact that Roosevelt and
Taft had assisted in preparing the
platform and publicly approved it.
But you cannot fool the Brilliant
Bryan or Mr.. Bristow of the gum
shoes. They can see around the
corner and whatever they want. Bryan
hopes to beat Taft, and Bristow hopes
to beat Long, and the platform which
Taft and Long made is sapping the
foundations of liberty, threatening
the rights of the people. Disaster can
only be averted by. the election of Mr..
Bryan or Mr.. Bristow, whichever hap
pens to be doing the talking =
eel. t-t 70. ta-F 3.
The Bristow bureau was quick to see
the gravity of the situation, almost as
quick as Mr.. Bryan, not quite. Mr..
Bryan exposed the inner workings of
the Republican platform on Saturday
and MIR. Bristow was left to second the
motion on Saturday. 1t was no longer
possible to single out Senator Long As
the tool of Wall street. The attack
made on Longs work and vote in Chi
cago applies absolutely to every friend
OF Secretary Taft in that convention,
TO every delegate from Kansas, from
Arthur Capper and Cyrus Leland in
the First district to Gillette and Kin
nison in the Seventh. to the Ohio Taft
delegates, and to Roosevelt and Taft
who were present in power and who
were with Long in this fight regardless
of the screams of Mr.. Bryan and Mr..
Bristow. Probably If the platform had
been different Mr.. Bryan would still
platform. and Mr. Bristow would have
been dissatisfied because it was Longs
platform. Perhaps the Chicago con-
vention was justified in not worrying
over what either of these standing can
didates might think. Perhaps Roose-
welt and Taft don't care If Bryan and
Bristow do say they are working for
Wall street. Perhaps it doesn't make
much difference to Republicans whether
Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Bristow are salts
fed or not. Perhaps we might as well
take the cheerful Democratic optimist
and the gloomy Republican pessimist
and lay them away once more.
Two souls With but a single Thought
Two hearts that beat as one. SCI
If the Republican party were not a
promise-keeping party there would be
no need to pay much attention to the
subject of platform. But it is. The
country knows and Mr.. Bryan knows
that a Republican president and a
congress will do exactly
what the Republican national conven-
ton resolved should be done. The
same is true OF Senator Long. He has
been the: object of plenty of criticism
and denunciation but no one. has ever
said he did not keep his promises.
The fault found with him is that he
Is slow to promise and will not do so
until he studies and understands the
subject. knows what the result will
be and is sure that he is right. His
enemies in Kansas make their seyerest
attack on the senator for not p1edging
the president might
make. It would have been much
easier for Long politically if he had
said in general terms that he would
do this. but he insisted that he would
promise nothing until he saw the
This position of
Senator Long doubtless made him
trouble at home, but it gave him still
better standing with President Roose-
welt. who soon thereafter in letter
that was made public commended
Senator Long for having done exactly
right in thus refusing to promise in
advance his support to a recomme nda-
ton not yet made. And you may be
sure that It was commended by men
like Secretary Taft. So Long in this
case. as in all others of his political
career, established the fact that while
he might be slow to promise, when he
had once done so he could be abso-
lutely depended on to keep his word.
This characteristic of being short on
promise but long on performance is
one held in common by the Republi-
can party and Senator Long, while the
position of being long on promising
and short on performing is occupied
by the Democratic party and Critics
Kansas know that Senator Long will
faithfully keep every pledge of his
platform and it is the platform of the
Republican party. which has the con-
fidence of the nation.
If the Republican ticket is successful
and Taft is president, and if Long is
elected and begins his second term in
the senate. the Republicans of Kansas
will have the proud feeling that their
senator will be as closely identified
with the administration in Washington
as he was with the Taft management
in Chicago. Is that distinction for
Kansas to carelessly throw aside in
order to elect a new man who doesn't
like the platform and who would almost
surely be found with the Democratic
minority in a filibuster to beat the Re-
publican administration measure that
did not happen to suit him. OF course
the Republican who does not trust his
party and his president is justified in
allying himself with Bill Stone and JEFF
Davis, but that kind of Republicans
nominate candidate for United States
senator. 1t is an easy prediction that
in the next congress Long will be a
leader of the Republican side. especial
ly the champion of the planks of the
Chicago platform which he championed
at the national convention and which
We're considered by Taft and Roosevelt
of paramount Importance. Long will be
with DolliYer and Lodge while Bris-