Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-11-15
MR.. cAPpEa's SHOWING

No, man has ever been exceedingly
successful in an endeavor to serve
two, masters. And Arthur Capper is
anothe- prominent Kansan who has
had this lesson forced home to- him
in that relentless institution of learn
Ing, more Familiarity known as the
school of experience. He seems. to
Q nave been defeated in his quest for
the Kansas goyernonhip by a small
but none the less effective majority
It took the official count of the state
board of canvassers to decide the re-
cent gubernatorial contest. but even
o. Mr.. Capper had obtained the vic
tory, his majority would have. been
such a small one that no stretch of
the imagination could have construed
T. as anything that savored of an ex-
tensive popular endorsement Of his
candidacy for the highest state office
within the gift of the people of this
commonwealth.
; That 10 what he and his friends
were expecting. And that is what
might have been his had he remained
true to the Republican faith and com
ported himself as a real Republican
candidate for office. Such was the
o happy fate of the men on the Repub-
hcan state ticket whose loyalty to
the Republican cause, even in its hour
o Of deepest distress, was unquestioned.
Mr.. Capper is native son of consid-
cradle distinction. He has achieved
a remarkable success in his chosen
field of labor. His personal popular
ity throughout the entire state has
always been deservedly large, and un.
doubtedly is yet. There are prob
ably amany Republicans who were re-
luctant at heart to cast a vote against
kim. But they are not open to crit
icism if they deemed itotheir duty to
q vote against a man who had no NOR
al right to a place on the Republican
ticket, for the simple reason that he
was ardent in the support of the
9 presidential candidate of another
party.
0 When Mr. Capper announced his
candidacy for the Republican guberna
torial nomination there was general
acclaim among the Republicans Of
Kansas. There was every reason tC
believe that he would maintain his
Republicanism in the future in the
same sturdy fashion he. had in the
past. And had Mr.. Roosevelt been tn
nominee of the Republican nationa
convention he would have done so
So would have al other Republicans
although the opill would have been
= bitter one fo~ many of them to swal
low. And had lIr. Roosevelt been Civ
en- this nomination there would have
been no such thing as the Progressive
party. But Mr.. Roosevelt's ambition
in that direction were thwarted ant
he left the Republican party. He OF
ganized distinct and different part
Of his own, and became its .presidep
tial nominee. In the meantime NJ
Capper had been given the Republi
can nomination for governor. But h
denied his Republicamsm to. the e2
tent of becoming vigorous in his sup
o port of Colonel Roosevelt. an avoWer
9 enemy Of the Republican party. An,
wher he cast his lot in this fashion
othere was no moralreason on the fac
Of the earth why he should expec
the undivided support Of the Reput
olicans of Kansas, even though he oG
cupied place on the Republican tick
ct as a candidate for office.
9 1t was this attempted pOlitica
.straddle of Mr. capper's' that result
ed in his making such a poor show
ing on election day, That he did be
ter than Mr.. Stubs. who pulled tn
stmke oar in the same boat, mus
be attributed to the larger persona
popularity throughout the state tina
she enjoyed.
eSAIen in Kansas and elsewhere WHIT
preach the square dear' in politics
will find out before many more year.
have passed, if they have not done S
already, that the voters in a party e.
pect them to practice 1t. o.
Mr.. and Mrs. Earl Logan Of Paw