The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-25
HARMONY.

Republican leaders in Kansas are
apparently in a reasonably willing
mood for harmony with the Progress
sives, if satisfactory basis for it can
| be decided upon. A straw showing the
| way the wind is blowing in this direc-
ton is to be found IN their intentions
not to attempt to reorganize the Re-
publican state committee until after
the meeting of the Republican ma
tional committee, which is scheduled
for December. This latter meeting is
likely to be epoch-making in the his
tory of the party. Such questions as
changing the method for the selection
of national committeeman and re-
ducing the representations in the ma
tional conventions from the southern
states to an equality with the party's
strength in that section will then be
decided. These represent the more
important ideals of the Progressives
in the matter of party management
And if they are determined affirma-
lively, the Progressives will find the
road easier for their return to the
Republican party. They won't have
to sacrifice any of their principles re-
lating to party management. There
will still be the gulf between some of
their political and economic princi-
pies and those of the Republican
party, but it surely isn't so wide and
deep but it may be bridged, if both
sides are rightly disposed to get to-
gether honestly. And a desire to get
the offices and return to power is Oft
times magical in making men bury
a few of their pet principles. Com
promises there must be, if harmony is
to be attained, and it is possible in pol
itics, as in every other field of en-
deavor, to effect compromises with
honor to all concerned.
Neither the Republicans nor Pro-
gressives in Kansas, or elsewhere,
should dream of or plan for a har
mony that will give either of them the
best of it. They mustn't expect to ar
range things so that either can sing
a one-sided tune. And there must be
fair and square dealing on both sides,
if harmony is brought about. The
other day, Fred S. Jackson. prominent
among the Bull Moosers in Kansas, ex-
pressed the opinion that there could
be nothing like harmony between the
members of his party and the Repub-
licans in Kansas unless there was a
willingness on the part of both sides
to the harmony to abide by the de-
cisions registered at the primaries. AS
an instance, he cited that if Arthur
Capper and Joe BriStow entered the |
Republican primaries for the guber- |
hatoria1 and United States senatorial
respectively there must |
be assurances that they would be sup |
ported by those participating in the |
primary. In other words, there must |
be no more boiling of successful pri- |
mary candidates by those who might |
be personally disgrunt1ed at the pri-
mary results. That's a fair enough |
but it is not all there is to |
it, although Mr.. Jackson went no fur |
Their.
If assurances of this sort must be
given by those taking part in the Re |
publican primary, there must also be |
assurances from men who enter that |
primary in quest of nominations that, |
if they are successful, they will |
remain fast and true to the party that |
that has thus honored them. For a
man to enter a Republican primary
and be given a nomination, and then |
to become active Immediately there
after in supporting and furthering
the interests of a rival party, is moth
ing that savors of fair play in politics.
If a primary nominee is not loyal to
the party that names him, he surely |
cannot expect loyalty from all of that
party's followers. Nor is he as a mat
ter of fact entitled to the support of
any of them.