The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-10

which have cost US so much blood and
treasure to establish we must drive
away the demon of party spirit"
Mr.. Herbert seems to present the
| embodiment of that party spirit of
| which Simmons said, Party spirit is
| stranger to candor, willing to prevent
| truth and to use underhand and dis
honest means, so it may gain victory.
Party Feeling in Wild Oxen.
I commend the reasoning of Fran
els Cation who in his inquiries into
the human faculties. gives under the
head of "Gregarious and S1avish In
stincts,' the curious party feeling that
exists among the herds of wild oxen
| of South Africa. He states that these
oxen have no love for each other as
| individuals, or for their leaders, but
that they have an almost insane pas
sion for keeping together. apparently
from a vague fear of wild beasts. He
then goes on to show how this gre
garious slavishness is found in the
lowest barbarous tribes, and how it
has only been bred out of man in the
most modern times and in the most
favored localities. In my opinion
Kansas is one of those favored local
| tiles and the slavish party instincts to
which Cation refers has no charm for
the voter. It has been bred out of
| him, that is out of the real voter, I do
not include the echoes.
Mr.. Herbert has declared that he
| who attempts to reform the party
with which he is for the time being
affiliated, is comparable to the SOL
dier who deserts in the face of battle
| "a few party organs echo his state
ment. Men of gregarious and slavish
| instincts insist that party in its entire
ty constitutes great mind and con-
science to which the individual should
and must surrender his opinion and
convictions, much as congressman
surrender to Cannon or hide behind
the statements of the president; that
the action of the party as expressed
| by the servants it has elected to carry
| out party pledges binds every indiv;d-
| ual member of the party to commend
those servants or to be read out of
| the party and also branded as a trait
| or; that the party may have been be-
trayed by those it entrusted with pow
er makes nc difference, if you raise
your individual voice against the be-
| trayers. you shall be denounced in
stead of the wrong doors. Is not such
the position of Mr.. Herbert, to me it
| SO seems.
Plea for Independence.
Has the time not come when even
school children know that every voter
| is political unit independent of all
| others and free to act and judge for
himself? That every man could if he
chose vote for a separate candidate of
| II this manner have as many candi-
dates there are voters; that to avoid
such confusion men get together, at
given election, make out a joint plan
constitute a party. The election over
each voter is freed. A party has no
| soul, no personal identity, no body or
conscience separate and apart from
| the voters who for the time being see
fiji to agree to the joint plan. Any
Who change opinions or who think that
the joint plan is not carried out, but
that the party has been betrayed by
those upon whom it conferred power,
i ave the right and it is their highest
| civic duty to contend either within or
without the party for the accomplish
ment of the purposes of the plan or
platform. The un-American assertions
that the individual member of a party
| must give up his personal opinions and
convictions at the dictation of the five
leaves and two fish element of the
party is abominable. C1inging to par
ty through thick and thin is a brand
of low intellect and has proven to be
the greatest asset of political corrup-
ton
The rank party spirit displayed by
Mr.. Herbert has been, and until de-
Oh public duty, will continue to be one
G the greatest dangers to the republic.
IN closing permit me one more quota
ton from our first president:
There is an opinion that parties in
Tree countries are useful checks upon
the administration of government and
serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty.
This, within certain limits is probably
true, and. in governments of a mon
archical cast, patriotism may look with
Indulgence, if not with favor, upon the
spirit of party. But in those of a popu-
lar character, in governments purely
elective. it is spirit not to be encour-
aged. From their natural tendency, it
in a 1xx-l ho rrrrI1
Of that spirit for every salutary pur-
pose. And there being constant dan
ger of excess, the effort ought to be-
by force of public opinion, to mitigate
and assuage it. A fire not to be
quenched, it demands a uniform vigil
'ance to prevent it bursting into a
fame, lest instead of warning. it
should consume"
R. W. TURNER
Mankato, Kan, Nov. 9, 1909.