Semi-weekly herald., 1911-11-16
REPUBLICAN POINTERS FOR 1912

The returns from the states which
voted on Tuesday seem to indicate
that 1912 will repeat the story of all
the recent presidential years. Wher-
ever there was statewide division
on anything like national issues the
Republicans have regained all the
ground which they lost in 1910, ex-
cept that in Massachusetts Foss re-
tains office by largely reduced ma
jority. All the rest of the state Off
GERS are Republican, and the Repub-
licans elected large majority in each
branch of the legislature. The Re-
publican lead in Rhode Island which
shrunk close to zero in 1910 was
heightened in the election just held.
Nebraska has returned to the Repub-
lican column. The Republican vic
tory on governor in Maryland may
or may not indicate that that state
will be carried by the Republicans for
president next year, although such an
outcome would not be rare enough
to surprise anybody. In winning the
legislatures in New York and New
Jersey, which the Democrats obtained
in the preceding election, the Repub-
licans have excellent reasons for re-
joicing. These are triumphs of large
national consequence. With the posi-
BILE exception of Maryland, every state
mentioned in this paragraph is rea-
sonably certain to be carried by the
Republicans twelve months hence.
To succeed an insurgent in Kansas
a Democrat has been elected to con-
gress, which is not violent change
i'll the partisan complexion of that
district. In the past two years the
Republicans in congress have re-
ceived comparatively little aid from
the La Toilette Cummins- Bristow sec
tion of the party. On most of the
important questions its members have
aligned themselves with the Demo-
Gratis. Nobody, of course, believes
that the Republicans will lose Wis
consin, Iowa or Kansas for president
next year, but their majority will
probably be smaller than it was in
1908. Nor will Nebraska's insur-
gents be sufficient to prevent the Re-
publicans from regaining that state,
if the division in it this week be
fair index of its attitude on national
questions, as it very likely is. For
insurgency there are perilous days
just ahead, While the Republican
party is likely to carry the country in
1912, it will have to make a harder
fight than it did in any preceding
campaign since 1896. Even the most
sanguine Republican now realizes
this truth. Realizing it the party
will be compelled to select only loyal
men for its candidates for the i'm
portant offices. The watchword will
be, Put none but Republicans on
guard. And mans affiliations and
his votes will be the test of his par
tisan orthodoxy. In 1912 the primary
will have a very important function
to perform. Only those who can
show genuine credentials can be al
lowed to pass its portals. The dilet-
tanti, the sorehead and the visionary
must be pushed outside the breast.
works. The national prestige as well
as the national prosperity will be at
stage in the election, and these con-
siderations compel the Republican
party to scan the record of every
body who asks any favors from it at
the polls. By rising to it's duty and
its opportunity the party can make
1912 great date-mark in Repub-
lican annals.-Extracts from Ex-
changes.