The Washington times., 1912-09-02
NO OTHER WAY OPEN.

In comment upon the relations of the Repub-
lican and Progressive parties the New York Herald
states that although Kansas is Republican State,
and although the Third Termer is no longer a Re-
publican, he insists that electors nominated in the
name of the Republican party should stand for him
to the exclusion of real Republican electors thus
preventing fair fight The same situation" it con-
tnues, prevails in California. 1t will be impossible
under the law for any electors to be voted for who
might vote for President Taft thus the Republican
party is disfr<nchsed'
This is a claim, rather pithily stated, which has
been advanced by many Republican organs through
out the country, and it is one born of ultra par-
sansm
1t so happens that the election laws Of Kansas
and California operate to prevent the intrusion Of
an independent candidate and party at this late date
in tine campaign. 1t happens, furthermore, that in
the State the Republican electorate in the other
State the leaders of the regular Republican organ-
zation, which is in undisputed accord with the ma
jority of the Republican electorate, have taken it
upon themselves to subject the nomination of Pres-
dent Taft scrutiny and declared that ne is not the
real nominee of the party.
In these two instances it seems to The Times,
continued fight for the control of the Republican
situation by men who have already declared for
the formation of third party or are in favor of it
is justified.
The Kansas Republicans and the California Re-
publicans refuse to accept Taft the party nominee
They claim the right of the party within the State
to repudiate the action of the national convention
and national committee in nominating him. They
mold the State party to be unit the national party
collection of units
They conceive the rightfu nominee to be Mr..
Roosevelt and the principles he advocates the prn-
ciples the Republican convention, had it been hon
estly organized, would have adopted. They con-
ceive that in selecting Mr. Roosevelt to lead it and
adopting these princ plies in its platform the Pro-
gressive party takes the place of the Republican
party, under a different name.
Wherein are the Kansas and California Republ-
cans to be blamed for this? They have no other
means of condemning the action of the convention
except to vote the Democratic ticket The State
law denies them the opportunity to choose between
Taft and Roosevelt in the general election; it does
afford them opportunity to do so in the primaries.
The party has chosen to avail itself of this oppor-
tunty In Kansas it declared by majority of $4,000
that it would neither recognize tine validity of Tafts
nomination nor consent to forego its right to vote
its principles.
Naturally, this disfranchises the adherents of the
President. Here the blame falls on the law, not on
the party. In Kansas the statute operates so that
now the primaries are over either tine large orty
or the small minority of the Republicans must suffer
disfranchsement or vote contrary to conviction.
Which should be the characteristic Of such
a representative system of government as ours:
That the principles of the majority should rule; or
That the principles of a majority of a party
should be abandoned and fraud condoned for the
sake of party regularity?
U0I n ApEI G., ADE IIcEI ECC