The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-19
Claims He Has Never ssBeen
Out" of Republican Party.
TRYIN6 TO STIR UP STRIFE
State Journal Report From In
dependence, However, Is
Word for Word Speech Report
ed in Topeka Capital.

LII d SldtGIlcul " Tic = tdl6 JOuTudl
today, Arthur Capper of Topeka, Re-
publican nominee for governor. ex-
plains the Independence dispatch of
Friday, in which Mr.. Capper's 1912
speech in that city was quoted, placing
the Topekan in the light of a true Pro-
gressive and an enemy of the Repub-
lican principles. In today's letter, Mr..
Capper says he never has been .'out or
the Republican party and has not init
mated at aLy time that he ever intend
ed to leave the fold.
The statement follows:
To the Editor of the State Journal:
In your issue of September 18 you re-
publish garoled report of G. speech
made by me at a dinner given by the
Independence Progressive club on De-
cember 2, 1912, in which lou say 1 an
nounced that 1 had left the Republican
party. 1 did not on that occasion, nor
at any other time intimate that I had
left or that intended to leave the Re-
publican party. There was no Progress
sive party in Kansas at that time. I
was the guest of a club composed of
Republicans who had supported the en-
tire Republican state, congressional and
county ticket at the election 30 days
before.
Not a word was said by any one at
that meeting about abandoning the
Republican party. I reaff1rmed my
allegiance to the progressive measures
I supported in the campaign of 1912,
which I now support and which
have always supported as a Republi-
can. 1 have never been ".ut'' of the
Republican party. I attended the con-
ference of progressive Republicans
called by William lien White in To-
peka on Dec. II. 1912, to consider the
advisability Of organizing a Progress
sive party in Kansas. I advised and
voted against a new party. When
that conference declared in favor OF
starting third party. I declined to
have anything to do with Mr.. Whites
organization and have never encour-
aged the movement nor participated
in any of the conferences or meetings
ct the Progressive party
was the Republican nominee in
the campaign OF 1912. I have been a
Republican all my life and shall con-
tinue a Republican in political faith,
because like Senator Bristow, Senator
LaFollette, Senator Cummins and 9TH
ers, I believe that it is by means Of
and through the Republican party
that the great problems Of popular
government can be most surely and
most easily solved.
The Republican national committee
made serious mistakes at Chicago in
1912. 1 strongly disapprOved of it's
action and manifested my disapproval
throughout the campaign. But, the
fact that our committeeman made mis-
takes and acted contrary to the spirit
of the Republican party, was not to my
mind a sufficient warrant for an at
tempt to destroy the party itself.
The futile effort at this time to
establish a new party in Kansas, and
the efforts Of the Democratic press
and Democratic politicians to stir up
strife within the Republican party de-
ceive no one who has watched "the
political game" It can have but one
object, the defeat Of the Republican
party in Kansas.
do not ask the State Journal to
agree with me on this or any other
question, but inasmuch as the Inde-
pendence dispatch in your issue OF
September 18 manifestly misrepresents
the position took in 1912, and my at
titude at this time. hope you will, In
fairness and justice, publish this state
ment. Very respectfully,
ARTHUR CAPPER.