New-York tribune., 1919-03-05

TOPEKA, Kan, Feb 23-If Boston is q
state of mind Kansas is a state Of soul. and
the soul of Kansas plunged harder on Presi
dent Wilson in 1916 than anv other SON, or
set or souls in the country. In 1918 Kansas
reacted further and harder than anv other
part OF the country. 1t turned the 81 600
wilson plurality of 1916 into 1854. 600
plurality tor Governor Allen. The House
delegation elected in 1916 contained five
democrats and three Republicans. The new
delegation contains seven Republicans and
one Democrat.
30 lar as any one can read soul the
hgures of this reaction represent very fair
~ the lnmost reaction of the Kansas heart
and mind. Kansas abandoned her historic
Republlcanlsm in 1916 in response to the
ideals of President Wilson. She was swept
off her feet partly by the phrase of his
party, "He kept us out of war;" but even
more by his own eloquent and progressive
words Kansas has found her feet again
and they firmly planted on progressive
Rcpublcansm.
AS for President Wilson, Kansas still
yields him much credit and every respect
But the "halo is off," in the words Of the
frst CITIZEN of Topeka. So far as her hero
Of 1916 is concerned Kansas is, for the fut
urc, from Missouri.
10 understand all this fully it is neces-
sary to understand just how Republican
Kansas essentially was and is. The stats
was born and bred in the faith. Misfortune
and hard times led the Kansas farmer
Of ho,,
the prodigal always returned to the Rcnuh
hcan fold little sadder and wiser Kansas
was colonizcd by free-soilers along with
the beginnings of the Republican party.
Soldiers of the North took up countless
claims IN the state after the war and the
q. A. r. has always been powerful in
f1uence in kansan politics. The Progressive
split went deep in Kansas and caused tragic
heartburnings. The old quarrel still rankles.
perhaps more actively than in any other
state. But it has not added materially to
Democratic strength.
Back in 1904, when Missouri first expert
mented with apostasy and cast its electoral
vote for Theodore Roosevelt, McCutcheon
drew cartoon for "The Chicago Tribune"
called THE Mysterious Stranger In
group on the Republican side of fence,
along with Massachusetts and Ohio and Ill-
nols, feeling much at home stood a strange
Southern figure, quite out of the picture
and distinctly i'll at ease-Missouri. Kansas
was "The Mysterious Stranger" on the
Democratic side of the fence in 1916.
All of this will indicate what an extraor-
dinary political achievement it was for Mr..
Wilson to win tho state in 19l6--or for Mr.
hughes to sose it, To add to the violence
of the upset, Mr.. Hughes has always been
popular favorite in Kansas. Her deega-
tion had leaned strongly toward him in
more than one Presidential convention All
OF kansan personal prediction was in his
favor when he was nominated. Republicans
still shake their heads mournfully over the
campaign of 1916 Mr. Hughes came and
campaigned and lost votes vsibly. Kansas
women still remember the Republican "mill
'onaIre special" which campagned the state
from end to cndnso losing votes while
you watched.
All these factors were necdeA to swing
tho state to Wilson. but undoubtedly tho