Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-09-20
TIT, WOODS ARE FULL.


Not for many years has the Ameri-
can voter faced as involved a political
situation as that which confronts him
Row. On the one hand the the od-line
Republicans, then come the Bull Moos-
ers and finally the real progressives,
the party which for years has stood
for many of the things now advanced
by those who are endeavoring to usurp
political preference, the Democrats.
There is another party which once
was totally disregarded but which will
be of perhaps greater Importance in
this campaign than any previous one
the Socialist. In the last municipal
campaigns through the East the So
cialiSts added not few mayors to
their list, particularly in the smaller
cities. and throughout the country as
a whole the party has made surpris-
ing growth.
So the Socialist party is a factor
not to be disregarded in this cam
paign, for it will sap the strength of
the older parties, particularly that in
which the most dissatisfaction now eX-
lists, the Republican. Its leaders pre-
diet that it will poll the largest ma
tichoA sobC IL CNCI ODtdlhCuS 40 0lotC
vote probably will be larger, what it
will do in the counties is problematical.
Here, then, we have four parties.
There is a fifth which in some places
may rise little above the horizon but
which generally will be unimportant
the Prohibition. Each has its list of
candidates-the woods are full of them.
Each, with the exception of the stand
pat Republican, is entering this cam
paign with more Zest than it has been
wont to use before, wherefore this cam
paign now in progress is to be more
involved than any of recent years.
Consequently the American voter
faces a more difficult problem than he
has faced for corresponding length
of time. Upon his majority decision
will rest the political life of the nation
for the next four years-it behOOves
him to use more caution, to exercise
greater discretion than he has been
called upon to exert for some time.
We believe that he will realize which
party has been most consistent, has
been most progressive for a longer
term of years and has always had the
will of the great body of the people
closest to its heart, the Democratic
party. We believe that, if he does not
realize this now, he will be forced to
before this campaign is over, for the
Democratic nominee for president is
now the most popular of the three
leaders and the principles he advo-
Gates in behalf Of his party are more
nearly in touch with the real desires
of the American people than the rabid
rantings of the arch hypocrite, Roose
welt, or the aloofness of his unfortu
nate successor, Taft.
MODERN AND MEDIAEvAL.
In the hasty glimpsing at the cen.
turtles that have passed, in the rush OF
invention and apparent progress, ip
the stimulus that has been given to
thought and energy and practice, the
judgment of the present is that it is
greater than the past-that its civiliza
ton is modern and most progressive
that of the past medieval.
Then, right in the midst of this pat
ting on the back comes an incident
such as the Rosenthal murder in New
York and the mass of corruption anG
graft and bribery it discloses; more re
cent still the "harikari" of a grea
Japanese noble and general and hi.
wife.
Riding in an automobile to a build
ing in the heart of the greatest metrop
oils OF this country, gang of meI
jump out of the machine, kill former
colleague. and then ride away; an(
while the whole nation and the world
at large mourn the death of the Jap
anese emperor, his greatest genera
kills himself, the latter's wife doe!
the same thing.
How deep go civilization, enlighten
ment, culture? How far is the modern
ahead of the medieval? How great il
our progress? How stable our civiliza
ton?
Such are the questions incidents az
these force upon US. The answer.
Deep in the heart of the American
public will it be found.