The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-07

BRIDTOwS DEFEAT.
Playing fast and loose with po-
litical party nets, ~ Il should. the
same results that follow similar activi-
ties in any other field Of human en-
( deavor. That's the chief reason why
Senator BristoW has been defeated 90
convincingly, a. the primary re-
turns indicate. by ex-senator Curtis
for = denomination - the Republican
United States senatorial candidate in
this state.
| Nominated and elected to the United
States senate by the Republican par
ty. Senator Bristow on his arrival At
Washington evidently discovered that
the representatives Of his party in the
senate and the house were not dr.
charging their obligations In manner
satisfactory to him. So he proceeded,
to align himself against them, and
used his voice and his vote ON every
possible occasion to put the Republi-
can party in u hole. He and other
similarly constituted Republicans in
the senate did such a good job at dig
cling this hole with the assistance of
the Republican insurgents in the
house Of representatives. that tho Re-
publican majority in the house was
buried in 1t and the Democrats given
control Of the house full two years
before the advent Of Woodrow Wilson.
This practically annulled Republican
rule during the last two years Of the
Taft administration. And then came
the division in the Republican party
over the presidential nomination in
1912, and the organization Of the Pro-
gressive party.
Senator Bristow came to be consfd-
cred one OF the most loyal supporters
OF the Bull Moose Third party that
destroyed for the time being the force
OF the Republican party in Kansas
and the nation ~ well. Az this move
ment began to disintegrate, there was
quandary a. to which way Mr.. Bristovv
would jump again. His friends in the
Progressive party were sure he would
stay with them and he seemed to be
their logical candidate for the United
states senate. But at the psychological
moment Senator Bristow deserted his
new love for tho old and announced
his candidacy for the Republican
United States senatorial Nomination.
He and his friends rather intimated
that he had never left the Republic
can party. But there wasn't much
cheering among the Republican hosts
over the renewed activities of Mr..
Bristow a. one Of them in his quest
Of q denomination for the United
States senate. And this lack Of enthu-
siasm seems to have been perfectly
justified by the yelled threat made by
Mr.. Bristow last week that he was of a
mind to bolt the Republican party
again should the nomination he sought
go to ex-senator Curtis. or at least
that in this contingency he would not
be active in the support Of the candi-
dates of the Republican party in the
forthcoming campaign. This was con-
sidered evidence that Mr.. Bristow had
merely reaffiliated with the Republic
can party for such personal political
profit that he might obtain from 1t
along with an apparent conviction that
the Progressive party a. a party was
about dead and the belief that reform
could be best secured through the Re-
publican party.
Z. Under all of these circumstances, 1t
IL no wonder that tho Republicans Of
Kansas. who are generally most loyal
to their party and believe in its pur-
poses ana policies. denied to Mr.. Bris-
tow tho honor that he sought ut their
hands. and especially in view of the
fact that in ex-senator. Curtis they
had q candidate for the senatorial
nomination whose Republicanism and
fealty to the party IL not and never
has been open to question.
In this day of grace q man must
R0oW ~ nn1ftlNnI Rn3P1u ~ q
hopes to win. And 1t would appear
that Joseph L. Bristow of Salina has
been accorded no moro nor no less
than he has courted.
Senator Bristow IL a conscientious,
hard working. industrious man Of UNI
questioned integrity. His long resi-
dence in Kansas and activities in this
state and Washington have earned him
this reputation. He Is. nevertheless. a
political eccentric.
Whether his political usefulness IL
over or not depends largely upon his
future action.
Having gone into the Republican pri-
mary to contest the nomination with
former Senator Charles Curtis. Major
Harvey and H. H. Tucker, it was the
duty Of Senator Bristow to abide by
that decision and support any honorable
man who las nominated. To give the
public to '1--derstand. as he did a few
days before the election, that IL Senator
Curtis should be nominated he would
bolt him and not support him, was
hardly straight politics. although many
statesmen consider this sort Of thing
permissible. Whatever effect It may