The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-14
THAT KANSAS WAY
Washington Cannot Under.
stand ~GhOst" Politics.
State Grants Only One Term to
Its Senators.
CURTIS MAY BREAK 1 RECORD
VIII Be First Time That
~Eickleness" Is Overcome.
Defeat of Bristow q Link in
Long Followed Custom.
CURTIS MAY BREAK 4 RECORD

Long Followed Custom.
Tho defeat Of Bristow for renomina-
ton to the United States senate at the
hands Of Kansas Republicans. is but
the fate that has pursued every Kan
sas senator since the days Of Ingalls,
and Plumb. says the Washington Her
aid, and tho senior senator from the
Sunflower state might have read his
political future In the fate Of his prede-
cessors. Kansas has returned to her
political ghost dancing. says the WASH
ington paper. il discussing the defeat
Of Long by Bristow and the defeat OF
! Bristow by Curtis.
That Bristow merely failed to keep
up with the political vagaries Of his
state-just a. did Ingalls, and Plumb.
PETER and Burton. Long and Curtis
10 given as the reason for the Salina
mans defeat at the hands OF his own
party. While the Washington paper
does not specifically mention 1t. Senator
Br1stow has met the fate Of every Re-
publican senator since the enactment
Of the state wide primary law. In 1908
by nominating Bristow. In 1910 they
denied allegiance to Curtis and nomi-
mated Stubs. And now Bristow has
come into his final reward by defeat at
the hands OF Curtis.
This is the story Of Kansas politics
as the Washington Herald sees 1t:
The Kansas Way Hits Bristow.
Senator Joseph L. Bristow, like
many Of his predecessors, has expert
He has Oeen defeated for denomination.
1t Is not an unusual experience in Kan
sas. Net since John J. Ingalls, and
Preston b. Plumb represented the Sun
flower state in the United States SEN
ate has any Kansan had the honor Of
mere than one term. in that great legis-
lative body. Senator Curtis had an ap-
pointment to fill vacancy and was re-
elected for q full term. but there has
been a long line of Kansas names
placed on the senate roll in the last
twenty-five years for one term and then
| retired. PETER and Harris, and Burton
and Long were only q few Of the one
| termers: and Bristow. who defeated
Long when Kansas again began her
ghost dancing six years ago, has had
the same experience. If Curtis sue
ceeds at the election in November, he
will break the record in Kansas. and
show that an Indian can come back
why is /: that Kansas, The hcme Of
peace and prosperity. progressive and
prohibition politics, can't find a senator
to tie to? When Bristow came to tho
senate he had the support Of that great
trinity Of Prcgressives, William Allen
White. Governor Stubs, and Victor
Murdock, with the approval also of the
colonel. He was to be the John the
Baptist Of The Progressive host that
were to fill the senate. In what way has
Bristow failed Kansas? He has been
progressive at every point Of contact
with standpat Republicans. and has
worked in harmony with LaFollette,
Cummins, and Clapp to reform the Re-
1 a In L.
son and out Of season to advance the
| doctrines or isms of the new faction
and voted for the colonel in 1912. The
! only place where Bristow has hesitated
was in abandoning the name "Repub-
lican." He preferred to be known as q
"Progressive-Repu hoping that
the hyphen would prove to be a bridge
over which Kansas might travel back
into the old fold.
| Even Ingalls, Failed.
But Bristow has failed, as his
predecessors failed when they tried to
keep up with vagaries of Kansas and
still hold to some kind of political
!; moorings. Even the popular ingalls,
failed when he tried to keep In touch
with Kansas on the money question
and remain a Republican. The Popu-
lists took the state and PETER took
: ingalls, place in the senate. Then
Kansas swung from Populism to De-
mOCracy ana .OaCk TO tcpuDl1ca01Sn
again with Long and Curtis ably rep
resenting the state in the senate as
they had long represented it in the
house.
but again Kansas started her po.
litical merry-go-round calling the frs
quarter Progress1ve-Republi the
/ half-mile Progressive. and the home
stretch Democracy to send Thompson
to the senate in place of Curtis. Il
Kansas is true to her political cycles
} the only thing she has ever been true
: to in the past. the state will again LAY
aside its ghost dancing to vote thu
| Republican ticket and return Charlie,
Curtis to the senate. Mr.. Bristow may
feel that Kansas is ungrateful- and uni
/. appreciative, but he has lived in Kan
sas long enough to understand tina
! ingratitude is a virtue in that state
l and that william Allen White says
} while Kansas Is blest above all othel
states, 1t has not produced one grea,
t inventor, one great statesman, on,
| great poet, novelist, artist, philoso
9 pher. or leader whose fame is reall,
lasting and national
"Bristow's fate is the fate of al
$ Kansans. Just when he has becom,
4 near-great he is called home, for Kan
sas fears really great men. Who nov
Z remembers Governor Stubbs?"
. MASONIC FlJNERll N0TIcF.