The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-06
AN INEVITABLE RESULT.

was no less than could have been ex-
pected, inasmuch as his opposition was
a house divided. Although the returns
are far from being complete, their
details are sufficient to show that Mr..
Wilson generally polled a somewhat
larger vote than did Bryan in 1908,
and that the vote given to President
Taft in that year was divided this
year between him and Colonel Roose-
welt. To put the case a little diff
ferently, they split the normal Re
publican vote. Mr.. Taft received two
thirds of it in some localities. In other
places Mr.. Roosevelt obtained the
larger share.
No other outcome could have been
honestly anticipated by anyone, unless
he was blinded by prejudice or per-
mitted the wish to be father to his
thoughts. There was nothing in the
Roosevelt movement or it's propaganda
to attract any material following from
the Democrtic party, and especially in
view of the fact that Governor Wilson
of New Jersey was it's standard bearer.
A man of unimpeachable integrity, of
wide culture and learning, of dis
tinguished achievements in private
and public life, he stands for govern
mental progress of the right sort and
within the bounds of the permanent
institutions of the nation. Any charge
that he does not was and would be
ridiculous. On the other hand, the
labelling of the radical Roosevelt doc
trines looking towards a change in
the basic principles OF our system of
government as progressive policies
was a mere political device to catch
the attention of the unwary, and those
who are simple-minded enough to be-
ieve that the millennium can be
worked out through legislation under
the proddings of a militant leader. A
mere change is not necessarily prog
ress. And the vote of Tuesday shows
that there was no rush on the part of
the Democrats, who believe in prog
ress, to the Bull Moose party. Why
should there have been, with WOODROW
Wilson in their van?
To urge that President Taft would
have been reelected had Mr.. Roosevelt
not have become angered at the re-
fusal of the Republican party to give
him another presidential nomination
and bolted into a new party of his own
making. would probably do an injustice
to Mr.. Wilson, in view of the mag
nificent vote that was given to him in
all sections of the country. But GER
tain it is that Mr.. RooseveIt's theatre
cal entry into the presidential arena
destroyed any possible chance that Mr..
Taft had of winning the second term
that he really deserved because of the
because of the relatively poor showing
10 NV
of their vigorous declarations that they
would sweep the country with an
landslide, it must be that in
their hearts they knew their cause |
was hopeless from the first, and were
merely claiming a victory for the po-
litical effect such an attitude might |
have. This being the case, there is
little reason for wonder that some
students of politics believe that one OF
Mr.. Roosevelt's chief motives for be-
coming an Independent candidate for
the presidency was to make impossi- |
BILE the reelection of President Taft |
against whom he suddenly became ex-
ceedingiy embittered. At any rate that
is surely what the Roosevelt candidacy
accomplished.
There need be no fear that the
will go to the bow-wows I'M
der the rule of Wilson. There may
be economic disturbances if he and
congress plunge the country into free
trade. But that is something which |
the sturdy business interests of the |
nation will be able to outlive, and |
there is no certainty that free trade !
will come, because Democratic con-
gressmen have not shown much pre-
elections along that line in recent |
years. But this much is assured: |
Woodrow Wilson, whatever may be |
The program of economic changes that |
he is able to work out, will preserve |
the fabric of the system of govern
ment on which this glorious nation i
was founded and by which it has !
crown great.