The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-29
TWO BRIGHTSTARS
Roosevelt and Bryan Greatest
Leaders. Says Murdoch.
Each VIII Get Most Applause
in Convention.
ssPRIMARY Is COMING.
''NatiOnal Convention Next Year
VIII Be Last.
''PeOple Demand New Plan and
Ask for Recall"
"PRIMARY Is COMING.

Roosevelt and Bryan are the dOmi-
nant figures in their respective par
ties, according to Victor Murdoch,
congressman from the Eighth kansas
district The colonel will get more
applause than any other man in the
Republican convention, he says, and
Bryan will get more applause than
any other Democrat when the unterrl-
fed hold their meetings. All other
so-called leaders. he declares, are
little stars whose Iusrer is dimmed by
the nearness of the larger ones
The congressman says that the re-
call and presidential primaries are de-
country and are really of more interest
than anything else In an interview
given to a representative of the Ohio
State Journal at Columbus, he says:
People Want Recall.
There are two dominant demands IN
IS for the recall of public officials and
the other is for the presidential prefer
ence. The people want the right to make
their officials toe the mark by Deing aDte
to reach in and jerk them out of office
They want the right as partisans to say
who their candidate for president shall
be-
can Taft be nominated?'' was asked
of Murdoch, and he replied with broad
smile and a wave of the hand:
THE two dominant figures today IN
their respective parties, Republican and
Democratic. are Theodore Roosevelt and
William Jennings Bryan" said Mr.. Muir
dock They have unquestionably a
stronger hold on the people of the United
States than any other man In either
party. The people are not particularly
for them as candidates, and either Will
suffer when the people think they see IN
either a desire to get office
I predict that when Roosevelt walks
into the Republican convention he viii
get more applause than any other man.
Bryan may not name the Democratic
candidate but he will absolutely domt-
nate the Democratic convention in plat
form building
Conventions VIII Be Turbulent
1.-The next national conventions will be
turbulent bodies, due to the general po-
liticaI unrest which is prevailing. People
today want to penalize their officials,
while the titular leader of the party the
man who dispenses patronage, no longer
speaks with the voice of authority
The two states today most in the pub
lie eye are Ohio and California This Is
not due to Ohio's men, but to the fact
that both states are framing new consti-
watched and studied from one end OF
the country to the other. 1t is a state
nor conservative and the people of the
country want to see what sort of new
organic law this state IS going to write
Its constitution. doubtless will be largely
modelled after Just as was the constitu-
ton of earlier days What OhiO's con-
vention will write into the constitution
ana what the people Will 10 WIN II dIO
going to excite the keenest interest of
the whole country.
Last National Convention.
Coming to national conventions. the
ones in 1912 will be the last national con-
ventions to nominate candidates. If there
are national conventions in 1916 they Will
be only to formulate declarations of
party principles.
AT the present time things are in u
condition of chaos politically. The poll
ticians are feeling their way, and no man
can speak with the voice of authority.
The people are waiting to see what man
will present the platform or set of per
sonal views which will offer the best solu-
ton for present day problems
of one thing I feel suTe-that the old
line Democratic politicians everywhere
are for Governor Harmon for president
They don't know what Woodrow Wilson
will do. Under Harmon they expect to
get a little piece of patronage pie Some
months ago I would have said that VIII
son had the nomination wrapped up in
ftnfOil. Today I will say that 1 do not
believe Governor Harmon can be nomi- |
mated. The old-line Democratic politicians |
do not seem to think so. They are for
ali right, but they seem to feel, !
What's the uSe?''