The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-23
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC ). HAsKIN. Dlrecsor.
Washineton, D. @.
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS.
Mr.. Bryan's Third Attempt.

| washington, u. u, oct. le.-Ine
presidential campaign of 1903 is worth
recalling as a proof that we have re-
| turned in at least one way to pre-War
| conditions. That is, we have returned
to the state of political apathy which
seems to be the usual state of the
| greater part of the American public.
In 1912 Mr.. Wilson succeeded in
stirring up certain amount of popu-
| lar enthusiasm. The people were led
to believe that the old game of pie
and piffle had given way to something
real. Then in 1916 the European war
gave everything a tense and interest
| ing character.
But back in 1908 the people viewed
the presidential campaign spectacle
very much as they view 1t today--that
is Titiliut strong feeling, and with
conviction that the differences between
the parties and the candidates are
hardly worth fighting over. =
1t is true that Mr.. Bryan came into
the fight as radical reformer, put
the platform on which he ran was not
really much more radical than that
of the Republicans. He whooped as
of old for all his pet measures, such
as initiative and referendum. but he
did not get the response he had pre-
viousiy won. The people seemed 70
have lost interest in these things. Even
| Wall street did not seem excited about
Mr.. Bryan. This is shown by the fact
| that it put DIP very little money 70
beat him. The Republican campaign
fund was smaller than it had been for
years. and smaller than it has ever
been since. In this way the 1908 cam
| paign was even more apathetic than
the present one. We have Mr.. Cox
word for 1t that some people are VIII
ling to spend money~to beat him, Whlen
is more than Bryan could claim. BUY
then the 1908 campaign was lapnched
| at the end of period of hard times,
while the present one finds the money
bags stuffed with war-plade profits.
A Tame Campaign
Albany rate, the 1908 campaign was
| Just such a carefully staged and mildly
applauded show as the present one.
&The candidates toured and illuminated
and the newspapers printed their full
limitations. Troops of orators were
shunted about the country in private
cars. as carefully scheduled and ad-
vertised as musical comedies, ana
/ modest crowds OF staunch partisans
| turned@otit at every town to yell at
Them. Nobody seemed at all sure that
| Mr. Taft was going to win, and no
body outside of political circles seemed
very much to care. One editorial
writer described it as an ERA or no
! feeling and remarked that there was
nothing about the candidates to in-
spire any. =.
"Mr. Tafts chosen role is good ny
NOR and a reassuring smile" ne CD
! BRYAN is that his fireworks Have all
been exploded before"
The result showed Exclusively that
a reassuring smile is better bet than
exploded fireworks. Mr.. Taft got Just
! about twice as much of the electoral
i vote as Mr., Bryan did. The Republic
can press decorously embalmed an9
buried the Democratic party for all
time. .s t.,
one significant thing happened N N
l1908. The American Federation OF
! Labor under Mr.. Gompers entered
notifies. 1t is true that it did SO 70
no avail. Mr. Gompers promised 10
deliver the labor vote to Mr.. Bryan IN
consideration of the fact that there
was an anti-injunction plank in the
Damhcratic piatforfn. He was about
as successful as he might have been
in delivering water in sieve me
l1atloT- vote spilled out of its, organlZa-
ltion and ran where it would. the cyl
dence ali tending to show tnat II "
| vided between the two parties mucn
as usual. a
Labor Enters Politics.
R,,t there was Significance in the
fact that organized labor had tried TO
enter politics and had do4F SO witnout
consriruors damage to Itself. Ever
since its organisation the American
| Federation had made it an announced
policy to keep out of politics the
of it's predecessors, the National Labor
Union and the Knights Of Labor, had
gone to smash in their efforts to enter
politics. So the campaign OF 1908
showed that organized labor could at
least go thru the motions of political
activity without having its integrity
shaken. In 1916 the federation got
very definite benefits for workmen
| during the war in return for its ppliu-
cal support. This year it is again in
politics, but with so little to choose
| between in the two major parties that
it promises to accomplish little. But
the organisation of a Farmer.Labor
| party is not to be forgotten.
An interesting; tho perhaps not i'm
portant phase of the 1908 campaign
/ was the conduct of the Republican
end of it by Mr. Hitchcock. His efforts
as a campaign manager really marked
| the end of the old era of loose methods
and prodigality in campaign manage
ment. and the inauguration OF the
strictly business system of making
presidents.
Mr.. Hitchcock may be said to have
elected Mr.. Taft with q card index.
Mr. Taft would perhaps have been
elected in any case, but 1t was general
ly conceded that the Hitchcock meth
DDS have figured in campaigns ever
since.
When the Republican headquarters
| was opened, the usual hosts of the
faithful gathered around. There were
the great orators who were accus-
4 toned to received one hundred to five
hundred dollars week each for sew
eral weeks before the election. to-
gether with all the expense money
they could expend. There was the
great brotherhood of political chair
warmers, who were accustomed to be-
| ing accommodated with soft jobs, and
who always had been so accommodate
ed before. There was the thfpIy dis
guised. blackmaiier who would throw
his county to the Democrats unless
4 he was promised a campaign job and
the postmastership in his home, town.
Ousting the Deadheads.
All of these got scant courtesy. They
ran into an organization which was
rigidly epartmentalized. They had a
hard time getting to the men higher