The Washington herald., 1914-08-06
The Kansas Way Hits Bristow.

Senator Joseph l. Bristow, like many of his pre-
decessors, has experienced the hckleness of Kansas
voters He has been defeated for denomination. 1t
is not an unusual experience in Kansas. Not since
John J. ingalls, and Preston B. Plumb represented the
Sunhower State in the United States Senate has any
Kansan had the honor of more than term in that
great legislative body Senator Curtis had an ap-
pointment to fill vacancy and reelected for a
full term, but there has been 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 few of the
one-ter1ners; and Bristow, who defeated Long when
Kansas again began her ghost dancing six years
ago, has had the experience If Curtis succeeds
at the election in November he will break the record
in Kansas and show that an Indian can come back.
Why is it that Kansas, the home of peace and
prosperity progressive and prohibition politics. can't
find Senator to tie to? When Brstow came to the
Senate he had the support of that great trinity of
Progressives, William Allen White, Gov Stubs, and
Victor Murdock with the approval also of the colonel
He was be the John the Baptist of the Progressive
host that 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 La Toilette, Cummins,
and Clapp to reform the Republican party. He has
labored in season and of season to advance the
doctrines or isms of the 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 Progressive
Republican" hoping that the hyphen would prove to
be bridge over which Kansas might travel back into
the old fold.
But Bristow has failed as his predecessors failed
when they tried to keep up with vagares of Kansas
and still hold to some kind of political moorngs.
Even the popular ingalls, failed when he tried to keep
in touch with Kansas the money question and re-
main Republican. The Populists took the State and
PETER took Ingalls, place in the Senate. Then Kan
sas swung from Populism to Democracy and back
to Republicanism again with Long and Curtis ably
representing the State in the Senate they had long
represented it in the House.
But again Kansas started her political merry-go-
round calling the first quarter
the half-nile Progressive and the home stretch De
mocracy to send Thompson to the Senate in place OF
Curtis If Kansas is to her political cycles, the
only thing she has been true to in the past the
State will again lay aside its ghost dancing to vote
the Republican ticket and return Charley Curtis to
the Senate Mr.. Bristow may feel that Kansas is
ungrateful and unapprecative, but he has lived in
Kansas long enough to understand that ingratitude
is virtue in that State and that William Allen White
says while Kansas is blest above all other States
it has not produced one great inventor, one great
statesman, great poet novelist artist, philosopher
or leader whose fame is really lasting and national
Bristows fate is the fate of all Kansans Just
when he has become neargreat he is called home for
Kansas fears really great men, Who remembers
Gov. Stubs