The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-29

General Rainwater as first choice"
A scrutiny of the editorial pages of
the country press for the past two or
three weeks develops the fact that
Taft holds first place with the great
majority Of Kansas editors who point
with pride to his determined stand the
past year on public questions.
OF the more than fifty thousand
regulars that voted for Wagstaff two
years ago at the primary election, not
one but that can be counted strong for
Taft. In their campaign the regulars
swore by the big president as a rock
of safety. Taft's stand for reciprocity
and his appointment of Fisher did not
affect the loyalty of the regulars while
at the same time it appears to have
wiped out the resentment of the pro-
members of the last legislature and
county committeeman who come to
town nearly all say yes to the Taft
question and the most rabid progress
i've viii not say no. He may decline
to answer or he may be in doubt but
he has no other candidate and he de-
clineS to go on record as being opposed
to Taft's denomination.
La Toilette Boom Fails.
Senator Bristow's efforts to push
La Toilette to the front have so far
received no aid or allotment from his
White is silent on the subject and 9TH
er depOnents saith not. It may sound
strange to the country at large that
Kansas should be so strong for Taft,
and fail to rally to the call of Bristow,
the progressive. for La, Toilette. the
radical progressive. Kansas first heard
the call Of the La Toilette creed of re-
form and sent Murdock and Madison
and then indorsed their conversion by
big majorities and rejoiced in their
doctrines. Kansas refused to be COM
forted over the last tariff bill and seut
three more insurgents to congress last
year Kansas has always been recog-
nized as the home Of unrest in poll
tics, the quick and sure friend of the
reformer, the sounding board for
countless voices of discomfort raised
against the established order of things
But Kansas appears to be sane and
shrewd and loyal, after all. The state
kept its party delegation in congress
unbroken last fall when the eastern
states in the cradle of the party went
on the political rocks The fear that
Taft will lose Kansas in the conven-
tion or the election next year seems
to be unfounded. There is no fac
ton here in Kansas over the presiden-
tial candidate and Taft has mixed the
issues with such a mastery and impair
tiaI hand that there seems to be no
chance to split there. The Curtis fol-
lowers, strong for Taft, may look
askance at his reciprocity stand where
Curtis left him, and the Stubbs and
Capper followers must admire that
stand and use it to balance what they
have regarded as past shortcomings.
The Fisher appointment covered
multitude of what had been called
early offenses of the president.
According to the Kansans who have
spoken 1t looks like Taft in a walk
in 1912. Bristow's voice alone has
been raised in protest, and if the Sa-
lima senator has a presidential follow
ing for La Toilette it is silent brl-
gade. Kansas early swallowed the
Wisconsin creeds and seems to have
digested them, but the state wants
Taft to hold his place as captain of the
ship.
Then someone will ask, II Kansas
is for Taft, and speaks thus early and
in unanimous voice. what state in
the fnsurrecto west will oppose him