The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-19
CHAPTER LXxYIII.


Jersey governor has received of late
through the Harper's Weekly, Colonel
Harvey and Henry Watterson Incl
dents.
BY the way. one of the richest
pieces of news in connection with the
Wilson-EIarvey dramatic episode was
covered exclusively in the State Jour
nal last evening in the article on the
fifth page by Alfred Henry Lewis, un-
der a New York date line. If you
have not read it, you should not fail
to do so, no matter whether you are
Democrat or a Republican, for it is
certainly rich reading and is one of the
most graphic descriptions ever written
upon Mans ingratitude to man.
The Kansas City Star says Of Wilson
in its issue of Thursday:
Nevertheless, the American people
are not inclined to be critical in deal
ing with effective public men whose
purposes they believe to be right.
AT Princeton Woodrow Wilson took
his life in his hand and struggled for
democracy within the university As
governor of New Jersey he has made
a fine record in wrestling from divid-
ed and reluctant legislature body Of
progressive laws.
I'm all his relations he has shown
himself a strong fighter for progressive
ideas. His enegry, courage and ability
have made him national leader in
the forward movement
Against these qualities it is be-
HeVed his lack of tact in this case will
not weigh heavily with the mass of the
voters
The Kansas City Star, an excellent
general newspaper, is, Of course Dem
ocratic and free trade in It's political
tendencies. It has a large circulation
in Kansas, and what it prints as news
has a naturally big influence in this
state. 1t is c1asscd as favorable to the
Insurgent wing of the Republican party.
The Wilson editorial last evening is
somewhat significant, as showing the
confusion and division INTO which the
Insurgent ranks are divided. while the
Taft-for-renCmira alton Republicans pre-
sent almost a solid front The advent
of Cummins into the race this week
still further complexities the situation
Since LaFo -Iette was thrown overheard
by Governor Stubbs, William Allen
White. and some other leading mem
bers of that faction of one, or both
of the parties Republican matters 20
HtioaIly have certainly been up in the
air Senator Bristow still holding the
fort for LaFollette with little pros
poets for achievements arriving in
time to save it.
The fact of it is LaFollette is the
typical Insurgent. Insurgents like
Stubs and White should have stuck
to him, and made the fight with him.
TIE Insurgents claim to be men OF
principles, and the principles they adj
vocate were fathered and fostered by
LaFollette, who was their natural and
recognized leader. If they could not
win in Karsas with him, they SHOULD
not expect to win at all That would
have been a pretty fight. with Taft on
one side, ard LaFollette on the other
There would have been a square issue.
It was certainly a big piece of political
oowardice for tie governor and White
to desert LaFollette. LaFollette has
his good poir IS. and he has some con-
siderable popularity in Kansas, but he
vas politically sold out by his friends
In this connection, here is a funny
thing: William Allen White was
warm admirer of LaFollette. He went
up into Wisconsin to the LaFollette
conferences He was the Kansas
spokesman for LaFollette when Bris-
tow was out of the state. He lived in
a LaFollette atmosphere The maya
zine of which White is one of the own
ers and contributors, 1.-The American,
is, to a certain extent, a LaFolleute
organ It is running a highly interest
ing and entertaining biography of the
Wisconsin senator, with boyhood
sketches, human interest stories, well
written incidents and attractive pic
lures. There are two Bill Whites, Sc
nior and Junior. Big Bill lived in a
LaFollette environment. so much so
that it became contagious and his boy,
Little Bill caught the infection. He,
too, learned to like LaFollette, and
spent much of his leisure time lying
on the floor. face down. pouring over
the autobiogra ply of his fathers ideal
statesman Little Bill absorbed Big
Bills admiration for Senator Bob,
who had an interesting boyhood. Lit
tie Bill talked LaFollette at meals.
and between meals. He noticed that
one of LaFolIettes characteristics was
his method of cutting his hair, so Lit
tie Bill had his hair cut pompadour,
and now spends not a little time in
primping it up. pushing up the fore
lock. so each particular hair stands on
END. not like the quilts of the fretful
poreupine, but like the bushy head of
the young boys ideal.
If Big Bill had remained as faith
full as Little Bill to Senator LaFollette.
and stuck to him as the representa-
tive of Insurgency as steadfastly as
Little Bill has stuck to him. politics in
Kansas would be clarified, issues
would be sharply drawn, and the gen
eral murkiness of the political horizon
would not have existed.
Both the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis seem to be pretty badly split up,
with one party solid for Taft and 9th
er factions in the same party for La
T7YolTate