The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-19

Clark has the faculty of making
many friends and few enemies. Har-
mon is fine. but his friends make his
1 enemies for him, and Wilson does that
! job for himself as was shown by his
speech of fortnight ago.
The State Journal has now settled
1 in this sweeping manner the Demo-
cratic situation as it appears at the
4 present writing and is likely to re-
main till the June conventions.
Now for the Republican candidate:
The corporation interests in New
York dislike Taft almost, but not
quite, as much as they like Harmon
They seem to think that Taft will not
only not stand hitched, but that he was
+ never securely tied and that he is
charging up and down the green
pastures of Wall street in a manner
which tramps out the grass and drives
the people of the country to look
further west for real sustenance; not
only for the bulls and the bears, but
for the capitalist, the jobber. the mer
chant and the railroad, the farmer
and the factor.
If they can't get Harmon they will
take Taft and take him quick because
despite his inroads upon predatory
wealth they believe at heart Taft
stands for what he believes is right
and is sincere and will keep the
country under a close and careful
rein, driving the chariot of state safe
~ over roads which might be
smoother. They like Taft more be-
cause they love LaFollette so much
less that they hate the Wisconsin man.
He is their bette noir. They think he
carries a bomb in his pompadour. La
Toilette stands no more show in the
east than Governor Stubs would to
receive a contract for running Gould
railroad in Kansas.
Although LaFollette understands
the business OF governing and has a
strong line of experience in executive
capacities.
Taft is surely bringing to himself
the liking and the love of the whole
country. He has friends in the east,
he has partisans in the central west;
they love him in the south. They are
liking him more and more in the west
and they seem to adore him in some
portions of the Pacific.
Taking it all in all Taft seems to be
making good. He is practical pro-
gressive who is accomplishing things.
He marks out a line and hews to it.
Witness his persistency in frowning
upon a tariff made by old trading
methods just as LaFolIette would have
made the latest one. Taft says wait
for the commission wagon which will
arrive with the real goods in a few
weeks and we will then know a real
tariff when we see it. There viii not
be a sharp steel schedule protected by
a white and innocent looking padding
of cotton and wool Taft's benefits by
economies in the postoffice and other
government departments, his broad
gagged appointments. He caught a
Democrat for no less a position than
chief justice. where his duty ran him.
He can forget a Democrat when he is
concealed within the habiliments of a
gentleman of the highest order Taft
has ignored politics in the interest of
the greatest good for the greatest num-
Der That is why he is so poor poll
tician, but he is becoming mighty
good statesman, don't forget that.
The masses of the people. however,
90 not take the politicians as seriously
as they sometimes appear to take
them
The bitterest enemies of Taft admit
the conscientiousness of the man, his
sincerity. his geniality. his dignity, his
ability, mis- serenity, his demonstrated
power to meet great questions with
courage and correctness.
Taft is making hosts of friends de-
spite statements to the contrary. Every
visitor in Topeka, a few weeks ago, !
when the president was here, felt in
his innermost being that Taft was win !
ming the hearts and the heads of peo-
pie who had been against him.
Southern Democrats are heard to
say that they would prefer Taft to
Wilson; but, of course, when it came
20 a test they would vote the ticket
even with Wilson tied to it.
x x
In Kansas. certain insurgents, but |
not all of them by any means, nor
many maybe, hope to see Wilson |
and they would vote for |
Wilson rather than Taft. This gave
rise some time ago to the statement |
that tine bred in the bone insurgent |
is not a Republican unless his kind of |
& Republican be slated for the Office.
Most of the Kansas insurgents will !
come into the Republican fold when
Taft is nominated and not remain
the gates with the wolves of
Democracy, or help shear their own
lambs on a cold day coming in Novem-
Der of 1912.
\ x X
Now as to Roosevelt. the colonel is
all right, and don't you forget it. He
is wise. He will be for Taft, if Taft
be nominated, but he Will probably,
and in all likelihood, be for some 9TH
ar T2arubIican if some other RepuhIi-
can be named, for the colonel in his
head is a Regular although in his
heart he is sometimes an ''InsurgeEt,"
a,,+ FOR al rara ctical ra11r.ransos Lie The