Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-07-05
MUTA5ILITY OF POLITICS.

Men cone and men go, issues come
and issues go, but forever the grind
goes on The Chicago Tribue in the
course of review Of the present CON
Vention makes the following startling
portraits stand out boldly:
-Four years ago Nelson W. Aid.
rich was unchallenged in his control
OF the United States Senate and &C.
counted but little to It, and account.
ed to no one at all. Four years aso
cannon and his cronies were firmly
rooted In the house of representa-.
riVes' and seemed able to stay there
until they withreed. Four years ago
cannon and Fairbanks and Penross
mad the big republican states of I'LL.
nois, Indiana and Pennsylvania. New
York was Joined with them in an at.
tempt to stop the growing liberalism
Of the party.
julius Caesar Burrows was tenn.
porary chairman Of the convention Of
iour years ago. and delivered the key
note speech. Serene E. Payne, Rich.
ard A Ballinger and John Dalzeu
were directing geniuses on the reso.
lutions committee, to which Illinois
furnished the chairman, Albert ].
Hopkins. And William Lorimer was
man of prominence.
They were strong men then and the
liberal republican party was Just
gathering headway undre Theodore
Roosevelt. They were strong, but
they were beaten. The party nomi-
mated William NJ. Taft, and thought
that it had triumphed over the men
whose God is Dragon-a deluded
party that found itself in bonds; de.
luded, shom and in bonds, but not
helpless.
Observe how its strength has been
coming back:
Cannon is done for; Fairbanks Is
as harmless as a glass Of his own
buttermilk; Ballinger made a scandal
and 1t shifted him out. julius CaeSac
Burrows will deliver no more keynote
speeches; Hopkins Is forgotten; Lori.
mer is caught in the net; Dalzell is
a dazed old gentleman; Payne and
Atdrieh fought for the hOl VI " at.
taching their names to a tariff bill,
and now even Adrich, passed away
from the senate, finds the odor Of Il
a bit too strong. d.
"Penrose has been kicked out Of
Pennsylvania; Rosewater has been
kicked out Of Nebraska; Mulvane has
been kicked out Of Kansas; New has
made a discreet retreat IN Indiana,
Lowden in Illinois.
The potentates are only puppets
now, but nevertheless they have
gathered them together for to offer
a great service unto Dragon, their
god.'"
And in Kansas, what a change. To-
day the dominating figures in Kansas
republican politics are Stubbs, VII.
liam Allen White, Senator Bristow
and Vic Murdock.
Only six years ago Chester l. Long
]. R. Burton, Cy Leland, Mort Al
baugh and Jim Simpson were all
powerful. There is scarcely a single
member Of "the old guard" left. You
can say what you please, politics Is
nothing but tragedy. The fellows
who are basking in the sunshine Of
popular favor today are ruthlessly
cast aside tomorrow. 1t is a fascinat.
ing game all right, but blasted hopes,
disappointed ambition and IN many n
stances wasted and unprOfitable HE
follow in the train.
History will repeat itself and the
fellows who are now in the hme-
light will be thrown into the discard
in a very few years. But still many
Of the brightest people in the country
continue to flirt with the tickle god
dess Of wilted hopes and blasted am
bition. Six months ago Theodore
Roosevelt was the biggest and most
influential character in all the world.
Today he is tasting the bitter gall Of
ilremediable defeat. He stayed n
the game Just little too long and Is
paying the price.-Hutchinson Ca
zette.