New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-07
Reorganize! That Is the Lesson o
the Election.

the Election.
Tho result Of the election shows that a house
cleaning and reorganization of the Republican party
are imperativey necessary. 1t affords no comfort 10
the "standpat" element who postponed action until
after it should have been held.
The Progressive party vote has dwindled. as
every one expected it would, but it is still large
enough to make the Republican party's future dark
unless its house is set in order so as TO attract anu
to hold progressive minded voters. In only one OF
the three states having general elections was the
Republican party able to win, and in that one, New
York. its success by narrow margin was maze
possible only through the most tremendous protest
against boss rule in the Democratic party ever re-
corded
In the usually Republican state of New Jersey
Republican candidate for Governor, making an es-
peciaI appeal to Progressive voters, was defeated
The Progressive vote fell off badly, but there was
enough of it to make Republican success impossible
In the almost invariably Republican state Of Mas
sachusetts the Republican party finished in third
place, strong candidate for Governor being able
10 hold the Progressive party together, while the
Republicans were torn by factionalism.
According to the figures of the Republican State
Chairman, Mr. Barnes, the Progressive vote in New
York last Tuesday was about 10000. That is a
small number compared to the vote Of the Pro
rressiye party last year. but it is omnous for the
success of the Republican party. This state is too
close under ordinary conditions for the Republican
party to lose permanently any considerable frac-
ton of its members without being gravely Grip
pied.
If there had been no Progressive schsm the re-
volt against Murphy this year would have been
enough to enable the Republicans to carry the
state by nearly 100000 AS 1t was, the Repub-
licans carried it by about 1900, if the figures of
Mr. Barnes are correct. Or, leaving out Of account
Mr.. Hearst's contribution to the Democratic total,
they carried it by about $4,000 That measures the
weakness of the Republican party's position. An
anti Democratic tidal wave of unprecedented power
barely gave it victory.
The elections in these three states should
strengthen the hands of those who believe that
thorough reorganization is necessary to win the
confidence Of a majority Of the voters The Re
publican party is still minority party in strongly
Republican Eastern states. That is the situation
And in two Of these three states where elections
have Just been held the Progressive party was
weaker in 1912 than it was generally throughout
Northern and Western states. What would be the
indication II communities in which the Progressive
movement a year ago was less a personal tribute
to Mr. Roosevelt than it was in the East had also
been heard from on Election Day?
How shall the Republican party win back vot-
ers like the 10000 who registered their protest
here last Tuesday in spite Of the fact that they
realized in advance its hopelessness? Certainly not
by standing still and pointing to the recuperative
power" of the Republican party and waiting for the
"dwindling process already begun" in the Progress
sive party to complete" its work. That way lie
failure and Illustration.
The way to convert the Republican party from
the minority party it is in formerly strong Re-
publican states into majority party is to regain
the confidence OF the voters. And the way to do
that begins with reorganization.