Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-07-25
POLITICS AND SALVATION.


the man who imagines his sue
cess at the polls is absolutely
essential to the salvation OF the
country. II all the candidates
now gallVanting about the coun-
try should be wiped out OF
existence. we feel quite conf
dent that good old Uncle Sam
would go on the even tenor OF
his way, without a ripple OF
trouble to watt across his peace
full breast.-Concordi Kansan.
This is a common view OF politics
but is one fundamentally wrong and
carried to its logical conclusion is
vicious. The prosperity Of a coun-
try depends on politics-that is on
a process OF government that VIII
bring good to the people. This In
cludes principles of legislation that
will encourage thrift and so regulate
manufacture and transportation and
business as to keep the workers en-
pIoyed so that they may be good
consumers of the producers output.
Take the National campaign. 1t
is more than contest of office seek
ers. The real issue of the presiden-
tial campaign in the great manufac-
turing states will be between rea-
sonable protection and continued
prosperity under President Taft and
hard times under President Wilson.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Ohio and Illinois voted at
Chicago to make Colonel Roosevelt
the Republican nominee, and many
Republicans in those states were dis
appointed when Mr.. Taft was nomin-
ated. While that feeling of disap-
pointment was still fresh some Of
these voters were inclined to think
that the personal antagonisms gen
Grated at Chicago would persist I'M
til the polls closed next November,
and that the only issue to be de-
cided would be whether the choice
of the convention was wise and all
its actions commendable. But al
ready dissatisfied Republicans in
those states are beginning to see
the folly of ignoring the broader
questions of national policy involved
in fight for the control of the
national government.
The record of the Chicago conven-
ton is of little practical consequence
now compared with the assault sure
to be made on our industrial system
should Mr.. Wilson become president
by the aid of Republican discussions
The Democratic candidate Is a doc
trinaire on the tariff issue and his
party has pledged itself to revision
OF tariff rates which, II modelled on
what the Democratic majority in the
present house of representatives has
been doing, will certainly upset in
dustry, reduce wages and bring about
an era of lower prices by the simple
device of reducing the purchasing
power of the consumer. Whom all
become poorer prices must fall, and
the present Democratic programme
aims at solving the problem Of the
high cost of living by forcing the
community down to lower level of
wages and consuming capacity.
The people Of the great industrial
states are much more directly inter-
ested I'm the economic threat behind
the Wilson candidacy than they are
in the disputes provoked at the Chi
cago convention. There may be Some
persons who want to see prices cut
down through checking industry, in
viting foreign competition and re-
ducing the earning and spending
power of labor. But the working
men in the manufacturing states do
not belong to that class. They want
to see wages maintained and oppor-
tunities of employment widened, and
they are beginning to realize that
the best way to defend themselves
Is to defeat the New Jersey advance
agent of the unsettling of business.
Kansas is directly interested in
this as a great producer of raw ma
terial for which 1t must find con-
sumers. For years 1t has been re-
ceiving prices that have made its far
mers rich-apd 1t makes great diff
ference to its future which principle
wins. While the success of any in
iividual is not essential to the SAL
walton" of the country, the success
Of the parties represented is altogeth-
Or important.
Ouvochrp NGaLIn~w ~.,ho Az