The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-24
DECLINES WITH THANKS
Joe c. Rogers Refuses to Hear La
Toilette Cry.

Joe c. Rogers. an employee in the office
! of State Treasurer Mark Tulley, does not
| propose TO be party to the act of rip
/ ping his party up from stem to stern as
! he believes the LaFollette boom viii do
He is for Taft for president and is OPP
| posed to the principles of the progress
| sives. Recently Mr.. Rogers received d
| letter from W. L. Houser, chairman OF
| the progressive campaign committee,
urging him to support LaFollette for the
presidential nomination. Mr.. Rogers re-
ply is caustic and regular and is printed
in part as follows.
Your letter OF November i. urging me
to use my influence to promote the can
didacy Of Mr.. LaFolette and what you
are pleased to term cause of Progressive
Republieanism. has been received
In reply permit me to say that I can
not aid in the selfish scheme OF Mr.. La
Toilette and 4 few of his followers to
disrupt the Republican party. Hereto
, fore, that party has acted as an organ
lied and orderly body Its business af-
fairs have been conducted by a central
committee chosen by the party in a rep
resentatiVe way. Its platforms have been
written by men OF character and ability.
and later enacted into law by members
of the party working together as strong
campaigns have been conducted by It's
properly chosen committees and not by
any self-appointed committee of mai
contents and disgruntled politicians.
Acting in this way. the Republican
party has been powerful force for good
in this country and has perpetuated itself
control our government has astounded
the world by the wonderful progress It
has made in all things that affect civil1-
cation and that pertain to the science or
government. The figures that describe
our pros erity during the past fourteen
years have aStounded the commercial
world and the nations of the earth have
stood aghast at our wonderful material
development So wonderful has been our
progress. and so great our achievement
under its control that our party has been
1UStlV STYLED the party of DTOgr6SS But
it has always been able to distinguish be-
tween progress and buncombe and
patriotism and grandstanding, and, as a
Republican. I resent as piece of i'm
pudence the effort of any self-appointed
body of men to miSlead the voters of the
party by usurping the name Progressive
Republican for the use of a candidate of
a faction of the party.
You are undoubtedly correct in the
statement that The preponderance OF
sentiment in Kansas is prOgressiVe- Kan
saS leads in all things She had her day
in chasing will-o'-tke-wisps and has
learned the difference between real light
Emporia told us What was the matter
with Kansas. we know real progress
when we see it.
I assure you that I am in favor of any
plan that will give the Republicans of
Kansas full power to express their choice
fer president without Interference from
other parties. If this is done, President
raft need have no fear for the result in
Kansas. for the Republicans of this state
are undoubtedly for him
Since his election to the senate Mr..
LaFollette, when not engaged in manag-
ing his machine in Wisconsin, has spent
most of his time grandstandlng on chau-
tauqua platforms in various parts of the
union, advocating initiative and referen
dun. and recall and other pernicious and
unrepublican foolishness, and we have no
assurance that he would not do the same
thing if elected to the high office of presi-
dent.
mo. I cannot help you to destroy the
recently made some political speeches in
Kansas in which he endorsed Mr.. La
Toilette. and, if you will run him as a
Democrat I think you can carry Kansas
in the national convention of that party