The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-20
JUSTICE TRIUMPHS.

| Might doesn't necessarily make right.
| History is repIete with instances where
majorfties have been tyrannical and
have dealt with anything but justice.
Ordinarily, in the adjustment of poll
teal differences in this country, the
verdict of a majority of the voters has
been accepted as the last word. How
ever, neither the voters nor any other
determinative agency can render a just
decision when the issue presented -
them is a false one. That is exactly
the condition of affairs that resulted
in the Roosevelt electors having any
thing of a claim for a position in the
Republican ticket on the Kansas ballot.
The contest at the recent primary as
to whether Roosevelt electors or Taft
electors should go on this ticket was
an improper one. 1t never should
have been projected into the primary
campaign. The sole question that should
have been submitted to the Republican
voters was as to what candidates they |
should choose to be their presidential
electors, with the implied understand !
ing, of course that those chosen would
be favorable to the presidential and /
vice presidential nominees of the Re
publican party. And because the is
sue presented to them was false one, I
there was no justice in the decision !
OF the majority of the voters participant |
ing in the primary by which Roosevelt
electors were chosen to take a place
OF the Republican ticket.
Inasmuch as the powers that be |
in the Bull Moose ranks in Kansas
decided that they could not possibly |
win their proposed suit to compel the
secretary of state to leave the names
of Taft and Sherman from the head !
of the Republican ticket on the Off
cial ballot to be used at the November
elections, it followed as a foregone
conclusion that the necessary moves
would be made whereby the Roose-
Welt electors would be withdrawn as
gracefully as possible from the false
position they apparently intended to
maintain This was in accordance
with the desires of the chief of the
Bull Moose clan himself. He had told
William Allen White emphatically that
he would not tolerate having electors
favorable to him appear in the Re
publican ticket on the Kansas ballot
if the names of Taft and Sherman APP
peared at the head of the ticket. That,
the colonel insisted, would be a de-
ceit which honest men Snould not
In determining not to attempt to
eliminate the names of Taft and Sher-
man from the Republican ticket
and to withdraw the Roosevelt
electors from that icket the Bull
Moosers here have shown a COM
spirit to do the right thing.
Until they arrived at this decision, it
appeared that they were square deal-I
ers in politics only in their preachings
and not in practice. But their fnal1
that the Republican I
national ticket in Kansas should be {
preserved inviolate and that the way
should be opened to the many thous-
ands of Republicans in Kansas who are
favorable to Taft to vote for him reg
ularily, shows them in their true light I
as politicians who measure up to their
pretensions. ]
Had they not paved the way for the
of the Roosevelt electors :
from the Republican ticket by deciding ,
not to press a suit to keep the names {
Of Taft and Sherman off that ticket,
1t is likely that they would have been /
taught a lesson at the polls which I
would have been a bitter one And
they may not be out of the woods yet. =
For there is .. strong feeling on the s
part of many regular Republicans IN
Kansas that avowed Bull Moosers who
are candidates for state office have no
proper place on the Republican ticket
and should join the Roosevelt electors
in an independent column.