The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-07
Ally STATE URNAL-THURsDAY EVENING" NOVEMBER Z 1915

lines in manner unknown in cam
paigns OF the last twelve years 1t
aroused a spirit of party loyalty and
fidelity that had been dormant thru
.ne years that Kansas had heard
and rather generously heeded-the
gospel of independence Viewed in
the light Of partisan politics. President
Wilson really contributed much to
Kansas. His appeal wiped away the
froth and foam arsumept-for ire
sponsibie government thru the oblit-
GRAFTON of party organizations He
drove the voter to his party banner
and there is an evidence that the voter
may now cease his wandering.
Since the days wheQ the primary
became popular whim and fad, par
tisan politics had been ADJOURNED
and Mayed adjourned. The village
blacksmith, tue huckster and the Mex
lean section hand became authorities
on the tariff and currency reform and
thru the agencies at hand nominated
and elected candidates and enacted
new laws The primaries of the dom:-
nant party were often dominated by
voters from the minority party. A
new brand of politicians appeared in
the land-anded and abetted by news
papers and seekers of place. And the
trend to break away from party gov
eminent became a frenzied rush. Par
ty responsibility was lost and the Of
flee seeker formed a habit of reading
the party platform and Immediately
basing his campaign on a personal
platform which was written to- deceive
a greater number of voters.
WerN Happy Days.
Them were the happy days" At
least they were happy for the politi-
clan with a big assortment of new
tricks. The rab:.e rouser became a
power in the land and the demagogue
was promptly elevated to office. The
man who raised his voice against the
primary, the initiative, the referen-
dunn and the recall. was a tool. a crook
and suspected of mistreating his fam
lily. The voter was educated to run
from party organization as he would
flee from a plague.
Then came the smash of 1912-the
division of the 1oaves and the fishes
which for years had belonged to the
Republican party by common right.
The power of the party leaders to call
back the voters was gone For six
years the state was fighting ground in
every election It might be fighting
ground now except for the presidents
appeal.
It was that appeal which aroused
the kansas voter from his apathy as
to party concern Something of the
old pride seems to have returned to
sands of men and women went to the
polls and voted FER straight Their
party was right It had been insulted
Talk Didn't Count.
1t made no differences which way
they talked. The result was the same.
The voter went to the polls and voted
for his party nominees from senator
to road overseer. OF course there
were split ballots. But the percentage
lower y,
Kansas in twelve years. 1t wasn't a
vote as to confidence or lack of conf
dence in the president. The vote
didn't settle the personal popularity
of unpopularity Of candidates. 1t was
just vote of confidence in party or
ganization and party leadership.
President Wilson's appeal did it all.
II brought Kansas to an awakening
that after all. political parties really
mean something, that a party is re-
sponsible for its acts and the acts OF
the people whom it places IN Office
And in that realization Kansas went
on record in the most significant cleo
ton in the state in twenty years.