The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-16

should be no such thing as party lines
| has been so persistently drilled into
| the voters of Kansas during the pasI
| four years that, with mental reserva-
tions as to the letter, they have in
| their mad desire to get even accept
/ ed the spirit of the doctrine.
The writer, as Republican, will
go to the primaries next summer with
a brick in his pocket. If his candi-
| dates are defeated in the primary he
Will throw the brick at the November
| election. And this attitude is that of
| a majority of the voters in both the
regular and insurgent factions.
REGULAR REPUBLICANS
CROOKS"
THE insurgents, their zeal famed
into political fanaticism by the Kansas
City Star and the insurgent leaders,
| took upon every regular Republican
either as a crook or an ignoramus- On
the other hand, the regulars are ugly,
sullen, mOrose.
There is still some talk of harmony,
but it is foolish talk The feeling in
Kansas is not political. It is personal
and there will be no harmony in the
party until the men responsible for
present conditions are eliminated. The
little matter to be attended to next
summer and fall will be an elimination
contest, not an election.
WHAT OF CAPPER AND HARMONY?
This situation has been apparent to
every student of Kansas politics for
two years, 50 why gloss it over with
talk about harmony?
IF the Stubbs- Curtis senatorial con-
tests were out of the way there would
be a fair outside chance for the re
Dublicans ~ get together. But the
senatorial campaign viii keep all of
the bitterness and anlmOsity engend-
cred in Kansas during the past six
years alive and kicking. And neither
man has more than an outside chance
Stubs has no chance at all. If he
is nominated at the primary he Will
be beaten at the November election as
surely as one is held.
NO HOPE WITH STUBBS.
eff Curtis wins in the primary his
chance will be a little better than that
of Stubs only for the reason that
personal feeling against him is less
acute than it is against Stubs. Curtis
is a better salve spreader than Stubs
ana he has fewer personal enemies
But Curtis chance is SO small as to
be almost negligible. Whatever the
result of the senatorial campaign there
Will be no possibility of harmony in
the Republican party so lonS as Gov
ernor Stubs is an active factor in It. +
ROOSEVELT AS CATSPAW-
THE insurgent chieftains have
dumped LaFollette for Roosevelt. The
attempt is being made to create the
impression that there is a spontaneous
uprising in behalf of the colonel. As
a matter of fact the demand for the
colonel is confined solely to the insur-
gents chieftains. So far as the writ
er's observation has extended, no poll
tician of prominence and not a single
newspaper that had previously been
for Taft has fallen in with the Roose-
Welt boom. The Roosevelt boom in
Kansas is the exclusive property of
the men who have all along been for
anybody to beat Taft
so far as the writer can gather
from reading newspapers printed the
country over. the Roosevelt activity is
confined wholly TO the insurgent states
west of the Mississippi. There seems
10 be very little Roosevelt talk in the
states that really nominate the candi-
date before me convention.
Talk about political treason!
(Chapeer LXxVI tomorrow)