The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-28
THE IMPAIR PARTY COUNCIL

| THE UNFAIR PARTY COUNCIL.
notwithstanding the fact that the
| Republican state committee showed a
disposition yesterday to take the only
decent and honorable stand possible in
| the matter of those Roosevelt cleo
tors" the party council that was or
ganized as being representative of the
Republican party faced about on the
proposition under the lashings of their
unreasonable leaders. The council re-
| fused to pass the resolution asking the
Roosevelt electors to withdraw from
the Republican ticket and take their
places on the ballot in an Independent
column where they belong. 1t went
further. 1t attempted to instruct the
secretary of state to keep the names
of Taft and Sherman from the head
Of the Republican ticket, the place
they are entitled to on the Kansas bal
lot under the law of this state. OF
course, the secretary of state does not
take orders from party councils that
are in contravention to the laws. So
there will be friendly" suit against
the secretary to compel him to elimi-
nate the presidential and vice presi-
Dental candidates of the great and
historic Republican party from the
position on the Kansas ballot that is
theirs by right
But the victory of the Bull Moose
leaders in the party council yesterday
in their efforts to perpetrate one of
the greatest and at the same time one
of the meanest political outrages that
has ever been attempted in the whole
United States, was not an exceedingly
convincing one. This endeavor of
Stubs. Capper, White and their
handy men to disfranchise the many
thousands of Republicans in this state
who are of a mind to vote this fall
for the reelection of President Taft
did not set well with many of their
followers, men who evidently believe
that fairness in politics should be
practiced as well as preached. Twenty
of them in the state committee Joined
the regulars in passing the resolution
requesting the Roosevelt electors to
withdraw from the regular Republican
ticket. When the same matter came
up before the party council, less than
one-half of those entitled to repre-
sentation in the body expressed their
opinions, the vote being so against
the plan and So for It. Surely a ma
jority of no more than IS was an ex-
ceedirgIy meager one, considering the
preronderant strength of the Bull
Moosers in the council. 1t showed
that many of them are disposed to be
fair, regardless of the attitude of their
chiefs. But, how can YOU expect any
thing that savors of fairness from men
who have the effrontery to stand up
in public and deny that William H.
Taft is the presidential nominee of
the Republican party and assert that
Theodore Roosevelt is? Even Mr..
Roosevelt holds no such belief.
However, the friends of President
Taft in Kansas will not accept the slap
in the face that has been given them
by the Republican party council
without further protest. They will
press to a conclusion the several suits
that have been begun in the courts to
see if there is not sufficient equity in
the law to prevent robbery of a po-
iiticaI character. If none of these
suits is decided favorably, and the
Roosevelt electors take their places on
the ballot this fall under the name
and emblem of the Republican party
and on the ticket headed by the names
of Taft and Sherman, they will be
welcome to any victory they may win
while travelling under false colors. A
victory that comes through treachery
and deceit is not one that rests COM
fortably on the banners of any man
or men. And. anyhow, a victory sell
posed.