The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-03
IS SINCERE
Shawnee Legislator Talks
About EIectOr Resolution.
It's Defeat by Party Council
Was Serious BIunder.

Robert Stone, of Topeka, who intro
duced the now famous elector resolu-
ton in the party council last week,
talks fairly and sincerely and in broad
fashion about the probable effects OF
the defeat of his motion. Mr.. Stone -
a progressive and a T. r. man, but he
wanted the Taft electors placed in the
Republican column and the Roosevelt
electors in the Independent column.
Mr.. Stone has represented shawnee IN
the last three sessions of the legislature
and is a candidate this year. Asked to-
day about that resolution he gave the
following interview:
TT will be interesting to learn what
the Roosevelt electors will do about
taking their proper place in the Inde-
pendent column. The state committee
by vote of forty to thirty-seven has
asked them to do this and twenty-five
of the forty are Roosevelt Republican
county chairmen who know the senti-
ment in their respective counties and
presumably represent it. The party
council by a vote of only IS to 62 de-
clined to take the same action. This is
a remarkable vote upon an action so
radical as the one contemplated in view
of the fact that every congressman
present, with the exception of Anthony,
all used the influence of their high
offices to persuade and compel their
friends and constituents in the party
council to vote against the resolution.
Sixty-tWo men never would have bean
found to vote for the resolution under
those circumstances had it not been for
a deep underlying conviction either
state and county tickets or
that it was fundamentally the right
thing to do. 1t is proba BILE that both of
these reasons actuated most of the
members voting for the resolution.
1T is a significant fact that sixty Of
these sixty-two votes came from the
county chairmen and the candidates
for the state senate and house of repre-
sentatives; in other words, the opposi-
tor to this resolution found its
and support in the men who
had Just come from Washington and
6i6 not know the local situation, while
its advocates we're the men fresh from
the people. who knew that even the
Progressives who voted at the primary
for the Roosevelt electors are now
coming to realize that they have not
treated fairly their fellow Republicans
who want to support the only man who
car claim to be, legally or Illegally, the
Republican nominee for president. 1t
may be said that in the party council
a majority of the county chairmen
voted against the resolution; that is
true, but many of them voted against |
their personal judgment under the in |
1uence of their congressman, and the |
surprising thing is that with the lineup |
presented, the vote was not overwhelm- |
ng against the resolution. The vote |
must serve as a startling warning to |
he candidates upon the state and |
tickets, and unless something is |
5et done, before the November election, |
many of the candidates will wish that |
he resolution had passed.
ITO an outsider it might seem strange
hat the congressman all lined up in op-
'osition to the resolution, but the mys-
cry is easily solved by any one who
vas present and saw the inner work.
ngs. After the action of the state
committee, my good friend, Mr.. White,
'ecame desperate, and forced the line
~ by a threat to put Independent can
lidates in the field against every con-
sressman who would not oppose the
esolution. The unfortunate part about
is that the sword he used had a
cuble edge and in their effort to save
themselves, their friends or the ticket
Will have to suffer for them'