The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-11
MORE 1NsURGENr "BLUNDERs.'

MORE INSURGENT CYLINDERS"
| Primaries degenerate into mere
agents of political expectancy II,
through. the Vaccinations of the men
who control them, they are not maze
free and open to all candidates and
! all causes. Primaries came into being
not only for the purpose of permitting
the voters of every party to select their
candidates for office. or their delegates
to political conventions, but also for
the purpose OF opening a door so that
all candidates for Office, or all causes
or men seeking delegates to a po-
| liticaI convention, could present their
claims for preference to the people.
This much will be admitted, posi-
bly,. by the self constituted disciples of
political righteousness in Kansas, who
have now made their tents in the
Roosevelt camp, and who have been
hoIlering loud and long for fair and
| free primaries for the selection OF
delegates to the local convention that
will choose the delegates to the con-
gressional and state conventions,
which in turn will select the delegates
to the national Republican convention
at Chicago.
1t is unnecessary again to call at
tention. to the actor. of the Jackson
county committee, controlled by some
of these political purists, in denying the
Republican voters of that county even
convention, let alone a primary to
choose delegates to the First district
congressional and the state conven-
tions. That is scarcely germane to
the question under discussion at pres
ent, although it does demonstrate con-
clusively how the square dealers" OF
49, Ir-1rY to he
political arena when they have the
cards stacked up to their liking.
In other counties in Kansas, though,
and where the ''insurgents" are in con-
troll of the local committees as they
were in jackson county. they are vio-
lating the principles of a primary
whenever it suits their will or con-
venience whenever they think they
can gain by any Ylethod, no matter
how unfair. In t. 4se instances local
committees are oL4ling primaries for
the selection of delegates to the con-
gressional and state conventions But
through most indefensible actions, they
are refusing to allow the names of any
presidential candidates with the eX-
ception of Roosevelt and Taft to go on
the primary ballots. In Saline county
for instance, the Republican county
committee was in control of the
Roosevelt forces. Its members weren't
quite as arbitrary as their brethren in
Jackson county. They called pri-
mary. But they Immediately there
after voted down a resolution to place
the names of Cummins and LaFollette
on the primary ballot. The reason for
this action is plain. They feared that
some of their 'insurgent'' strength
might be drawn away from Roosevelt
if the voters had a chance to express
preference for either Cummins or La
Toilette. LaFollette and Cummins are
as much entitled to a place on such
presidential preferential primary bal
lots as are used in Kansas, as are
either Roosevelt or President Taft
This Saline county presidential pri-
mary is reminiscent of the congress
sionaI primary that was finally called
a few months ago by the insurgents
in the Second congressional district
1t was SO engineered as to preclude
the possibility of any candidate enter
ing the primary but Mr.. Guyer, who
had been previously nominated by the
committee that finally ordered pri-
mary.
primary that is limited as to the
number of candidates who may par
ticipate in it, is no primary at all.
However, anything to win seems to be
the Kansas insurgents idea of square
deal.