The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-07
THE SENATORIAL VOTE


A Kansas election would be most un-
usual that did not provide one or two
results OF a rather inexplicable va
riety. Tho one OF Tuesday did not
prove an exception in this respect
The return Of the Kansas voters to the
Republican party, and especially al far
as the state ticket is concerned. was
OF avalanche proportions. And if a
candidates Republicanism was the test
that the voters demanded. it would
have been no more than reasonable that
Charles Curtis should have received
the largest Republican vote. There has
never been a suspicion of the slightest
wavering in his allegiance to the Re-
publican party. He won the Republican
United States senatorial nomination in
a fair and square fight in the primar-
les. He was thereby entitled, morally
speaking at any rate, to the full Repub-
lican vote that might be cast for state
wide candidates. But he came far from
getting 1t. Mr.. Capper, the gubernator-
ial candidate. and at least supposedly
at one time q more or less ardent ad-
mirer of the Progressive party move
ment, carried off the honors. He has
a plurality over his Democratic oppo-
nent of between $4,000 and $4,000 votes
The Curtis plurality over that Of Mr..
Medley, the Democratic candidate. is
under 10000 votes, perhaps not many
more than 5000.
This makes one conclusion patent.
The differences that develop within a
party when there are sharp contests in
a primary are not forgotten the day
after that event. No indeed! They
are carried to the polls on election day.
Mr.. Capper had no opposition at the
primary. He polled the full Republic
can vote that was cast. The contest
for the Republican United States SEN
atorial nomination in the primary was
a bitter one. Mr.. Curtis, the victor in
it. barely managed to squeeze through
ON election day. A suggestion that this
development might also merit Is that
perhaps many of the erstwhile adher-
ents to the Progressive party in Kansas
returned to the Republican party on
election day merely for the purpose
Of voting for Mr.. Capper. whom they
may possibly have thought at one time
was one of their number. But while
they were on the job they also voted
pretty generally for the other Republi-
can candidates on the state ticket.
Another important factor in the
United States senatorial contest that
initiated against larger vote for Mr..
Curtis was the candidacy of Victor
Murdoch on the Progressive ticket. Mr..
Murdoch IS extremely popular with
Kansas people. He's a political cru
sader after the heart of many of them.
He's been pretty much in the Emelight
during his service in the house of rep
resentatives. And the fact that he
polled a much heavier vote than did
Mr.. Allen. the Bull Moose candidate
for governor. plainly indicates that he
drew these votes from Mr.. Curtis. Then.
too. Mr.. Medley. the Democratic candi-
date, waged a most vigorous campaign
and had the enthusiastic support of the
national Democratic administration.
in any political contest.
However Mr.. Curtis reached the goal
he set out to attain, even II he did
not get nearly as large a vote as his
place on the Republican ticket seemed
to entitle him. 1t is an honor of which
he was deserving. He has served Kan
sas. the Republican party and the ma
tion well during his extended career in
the house of representatives and his
single term in the United States senate.
That he will do the same thing during
the senatorial term for which he has
just been chosen, goes without saying.
~@..ss.a8@