The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-18
PURELY POLITICS.


| Speaking of political theft, was there
ever more fragrant attempt than that
now made by the new Third Party ma
chine in Kansas trying to steal the
prestige, the livery and organization 81
the Republican party. It is all right
for the old Insurgents to organize a
new party-as Colonel Roosevelt honor
ably proposed-to be made up of Re-
publieans and Democrats and others,
but to use the Republican organization
is plain stealing, theft. It is simply
preposterous to say certain Kansas
electors were selected to vote for
Roosevelt They were selected to vote for
fthe Republican nominee who now hap
pens to be Taft. Roosevelt has not yet
been nominated by any convention and
if he be named it is proposed to have
him nominated, not through primaries,
, or contests, but simply by convention
of men favorable to him. The Roose-
Welt. people should fight outside the
breastworks and not within the or
ganization which they have left and in
which they were defeated. They an
nounce themselves as deserters and po-
litical rebels and now try to use the
forts and forces of the loyal Republi-
cans
If the proposed presidential electors
could not see their way to support
Taft they should have resigned as
William Allen White did from the
national committee and let loyal men
serve; or they should run as indepen-
dent or Third party electors.
For years the Insurgent Republic
fxy n
decry what they term machine poll
tics. and yet today this same faction of
the Republican party, or the creator OF
the third party, is managing and con-
stitutes what is probably the biggest
political machine ever organized and
operated in this state.
Here's the machine: Governor w.
r. Stubs, Senator J. L. Bristow,
William Allen White, Henry J. Allen,
Bank Commissioner Dolley, Congress
man jackson and Governor" Capper.
Just at the present, before the
August primaries, w. A. White is the
one-man power of the machine. He
is the head and front and steering ap-
paratus of it: the man at the political
wheel. 1t is doubtful if any politician
in Kansas was ever given or assumed
the power which White is exercising
today.
Mr.. White, with his associates, at this
time is endeavoring to prevent the peo-
pie of Kansas from voting for the
Republican nominee for president at
the November election. He is trying,
through the livery and machinery of
the Republican party in Kansas, to
deprive the Republicans of Kansas of
the opportunity of expressing them
selves for the return of President Taft
on the theory that Roosevelt is the
nominee of the rank and f1le.'' 1t is
an effort to steal the Republican party
organization Cor the use and advantage
OF the Third party.
A year ago w. A. Whites feeling
against President Taft was such that
he announced in an interview, printed
in Denver, that if President Taft should
be nominated, he expected to support
Wilson. should Wilson be the Demo- |
cratic nominee.
The wholesale charge is made that
the nomination of President Taft was
a theft, a fraud, backed by great |
and big interests and po-
litical bosses.
Inc large interests, even as AROOSe-i
Welt has himself reiterated, are entitled |
to fair treatment. The square deal
for all is good proposition to live up |
to, not to juggle with for political pur-
poses, as is being done in this state
today.
One of the biggest political bosses
this country has ever produced, Finn |
of Pittsburg. Pa, was one of the ac-
- R0nSnuolf
One of the greatest figures who was
ever behind what is known as the
big Interests in this country is
George w. Perkins, the former part
ner of Morgan and a main support of
Colonel Roosevelt.
The Taft people and the Roosevelt
people spent money more freely Irob-
ably than was ever spent before a con-
vention, running into the hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
The absurd and ridiculous position
assumed by the Roosevelt followers is
that they have a monopoly of the NOR
ality and integrity of the political sit
uation and that their opponents are
thieves and pirates. There were just as
good men supporting Taft in the Chica-
go convention as supported Roosevelt.
It is the testimony of Colonel Roosevelt
himself that Senator Root. the chair
man of the Chicago convention. is a
man of fine conscience and unimpeach-
able integrity.
The Chicago convention was man
aged under the same rules that man
aged the former convention domi-
mated by President Roosevelt in the
interest of his candidate at that time.
William H. Taft
At the Chicago convention the
Roosevelt people were outgeneraled
and outvoted. While Governor Stubbs
was confident in his statement that
raft,- name would not be presented