OF II FOLLETTE
There are few men in American politics whose careers have been
more picturesque and vivid than that, of Senator Robert Marion LaFol
lette of Wisconsin, who has just about persuaded himself that there is
a call for him to preside over the White House.
A Republican by training and by name. LaFolIette is a fiery, fight
ing independent by preference and although he has borne the label of
the Republican Party, no man ever strayed oftener or further away from
the party premises. He has been off the reservation as much as tye has
been on during his stormy three decades of political activity.
LaFollette’s first experience in politics made him an insurgent.
Back in 1880 the •'boss’ of Dane County. Yflsconsiu. was one Colonel
E. W. Keyes, postmaster at Madison.
LaFolIette in the summer of 1880 was a short, thin, none too heal
thy youth of twenty-five. He had just graduated from the University
of Wisconsin, where he had been famed for his oratorical and debating
powers and had just hung out his shingle as a lawyer m his home com
munity.
The district attorneyship of Dane County paid $800 a year—a
princely sum in those days. It was particularly attractive to the strug
gling young LaFolIette. who had a mother and sister dependent up"n him
and was engaged to be married.
LaFolIette went to work quietly. He knew the Scandinavian and
German farmers, for he had worked with and for them as a. youne farm
hand. Some of his student friends pitched in and helped in the house
to-house canvass.
Rons Sends for LaFolIette
“Boss" Keyes suffered him to continue for some time. Then he
sent for th^ young man.
“He told me,” said LaFolIette, “that I was wasting my time. He
also told me the name of the next district attorney of Dane County—and
it was not LaFolIette.”
From then on. Bob LaFolIette was an insurgent. He was "agin”
the organization and the machine. And he pitched into his own cam
paign with .renewed vigor. In November he was elected by tbe narrow
majority of ninety-three votes. That was the first insurgent victory.
He held the office for four years. Then he decided he wanted to go
to Congress. He had a good record as district attorney and had made
friends. What was called "the Madison Ring,” at that time controlled
the district. It consisted of the Spooners. Keyes and a United States
Marshal named Oalffey.
“One day.” said LaFolIette, “I met Phil Spooner. He said: What
is this I hear about you running for Congress? Why haven’t you con
sumed Oakley. Keyes and me?' I told him I'd been out consulting the
people and saw no reason for consulting him.”
Using the same method that had won him the district attorneyship,
and aided by some friends. LaFolIette whipped the ring again and was
elected. It was another victory for Insurgency and further clinched
LaFollette’s youthful bent toward political independence.
Went to Congress at Thirty
He came to Congress at thirty years of age and. in Washington, was
caught up in the vortex of national affairs, when organization was more
solid and more impregnable than in Dane County, Wisconsin. He was a
“progressive” by Instinct and an insurgent by experience, and for three
terms in Congress he battled for what he thought was right.
The railroad problem particularly attracted him. As a boy he had
seen railroads go through his State; he had seen them control legislation
there and in the state capital at Madison, and he had seen the Scandina
vian and German farmers of his state fight against high freight rates
wtih the rutlllty of nnorsantzeii strength. Regulation ot the railroads
I became with him almost an obsession.
In 1890 after serving three terms in Congress. LaFolIette was re
j turned to private life.
I The machine in Wisconsin that had sought to frustrate his earlier
political career was still against him. The next ten jears were busy
I ones. LaFollette had his law practice, and he was the directing genius
| behind the anti-machine movement in Wisconsin Republicanism, meeting
I with varied success. But always Bob LaFolIette fought.
I Finally in 1901 he announced his candidacy for Governor. He
| served three terms in all. and the reforms and progressive legislation that
j were enacted in Wisconsin (faring this time gave birth to the so-called
j "Wisconsin idea.” which was much talked of in political circles twenty
years ago. He regulated the railroads; be reformed taxation; he regu
lated "big business." and it gained him a nation-wide reputation—and
IW*c»nnr Powerful as Governor
After three years as Governor. LaFoltette and his own political or
ganization came to Washington again—this time as Senator. Flashed
with the success of his reform movements in Wisconsin, he essayed some
railroad and business regulations from a national standpoint; but as he
confesses, he was "pretty much alone" in the Senate.
From 1908 on he was candidate for the Republican nomination for
the presidency. All the insurgency and independence that was in La
FolIette rebelled at what he construed as President Roosevelt's handing
the Presidency on to William Howard Taft. He didn’t Uke Roosevelt
any too well, anyway, and Taft he thought too conservative.
In 1912 LaFolIette thought he had a real opportunity. Taft and
Roosevelt had split, and Roosevelt was "on the fence” as to whether tc
run. LaFolIette always had believed he was "double-crossed" by some
of the most powerful progressives of that year. who. after persuading him
to make the race, finally threw their support to Theodore Roosevelt.
Probably I^aFoIlette's greatest trial during his long public career
was during the war. The country was swept with a patriotism that, in
retrospect, now is generally recognized as almost hysterical.
LaFolIette hated the war; he was opposed to America’s entering,
and he threw all his magnificent strength and ability into the cause of
keeping America out. He was one of those willful men who voted against
the declaration of war.
< oinehack Culled f to markable
LaFoIlette’s comeback into political power and prominence after
tin* war presents one of the most remarkable episodes in American pol
itics. Public opinion, in 1922. seemed running against both old parties,
and he capitalized it to the utmost. Never having to .worry about his
own state of Wisconsin, so solidly was he entrenched, he threw himself
heart and soul into the campaign in neighboring states. And to his ef
forts more than all else was due the defeat of Kellogg, ia Wisconsin; Mc
Cumber in North Dakota, and the subsequent election of two Farmer
Labor Senators from Minnesota, and of Brookhnrt from Iowa. and'Wheel
er. a Democrat, of Montana.
He turned up in the Sixty-eighth Congress in a position of power
such as he had never occupied before inCongress. He and his loyal fol
lowers held the balance of power in both Senate and House, so evenly
divided were the Republicans and Democrats. And he used his power
spectacularly. Unable to put over his own legislative program, he nev
er-rhe-less compelled both old parties to "play ball" and make concess
ions to him.
As an independent candidate for the presidency., his enimies con
cede that he p r abobaolywldcu ETAOIN '9HRDLU OMFWYP9HR DLU
ced that he probably would carry his own state of Wisconsin. Minnesota,
North Dakota and possibly South Dakota and Montana, as well as make
a showing in Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming.
LaFolletfe’s age is against him. He is sixty nine and of recent
years has been in poor health.
As a presidential candidate LaFolIette has the traditional advan
tage of having been born in a log cabin—and in comparative poverty.
He came of sturdy American stock—settlers who pushed up from Indi
ana and Kentucky into the virgin wilderness of Wisconsin.
His wife was one of his classmates at the university. She was the
l first woman ever admitted to the bar in Wisconsin, and as LaFolIette ai
: ways said, was "a better lawyer than I.” They have four children—two
sons and two daughters.
I’hot# By
Ixjmen Bros.
This is the nesting season of the Ptarmigan--Don’t Kill
these Birds until September First.
LAND SERVICE IN
THE NORTH
Bill Hat* Bmi Introduced In the
House Which Provides for
Consolidation in Alaska
Congressman Nicholas J. Sinnett
of Oregon has introduced a bill in
the ‘lower house by request provid
ing for the consolidation of the land
service in Alaska and providing for
the appointment of two additional
officials in the Territory—a super
visor of public lands and a Secre-;
tary of the Territory—and the ikea- |
sure has been referred to the Com
mittee on Public Lands.
The bill is supposed to have been
proposed by the Interior Depart
ment and its text in full 19 as fol
“Be ft enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the
United States in Congress assem
bled: That hereafter, for the more
direct, effective and economical ad
ministration of the public land laws
applicable to the Territory of Al
aska, the duties and powers now
vested by the statutes in and exer
cised by the Surveyor General and
the registers and receivers in the
several districts of the Territory,
shall be conferred upon and here
after exercised by an officer skilled I
in the public land laws, styled the I
Superintendent of Public Lands for ]
Alaska, to be appointed by the Pres- j
dent by and with the advice of the
Senate, who shall also discharge
such other and further duties as
may be assigned to him by the Sec
retary of the Interior iu connection
with the execution and administra
tion of the public land laws, and the
offices of Surveyor General and Reg
ister and Receiver in said Territory
are hereby abolished.
"Sec. 2. The compensation of the
Superintendent of Public. Lands
shall be $5,000 per annum, and the
principal office of such officer shall
be located and maintained at such
place In the Territory as may be
designated by the President: Pro
| tided, That the Secretary of the In
| terior may by suitable regulations,
establish such branch offices and
settle' the Teritorial jurisdiction
thereof as may in bis discretion, be
required for the convenient trans
action of the public land business in
the Territory, and nmy designate an
employee of the land service as offi
cer in chaTge of any such branch
office, who shall be authorized to
receive filings, accept payment
therefor, receive public moneys,
administer oaths and take proofs
and testimony in land cases, and
perform such other and further du
ties as may be assigned to him by
the ^Secretary of the Interior, for the
purpose of carrying out the provis-;
ions of this Act.
“Sec. That the duties ana
powers conferred hereby upon said
superintendent of public lands shall
‘be exercised under the direction of
the Commissioner of the General
Land Office, subject to the supervis
ion of the Secretary of the Interior,
and a bond in the penal sum of $30,
000 shall be executed and filed by
said officer before etnering upon the
d scharge of his duties.
“Sec. 4. That hereafter there
shall be appointed a Secretary of
the Territory by the President, by
and with the advice of the Senate,
who shall hold office for four years,
and until his successor is appointed
and qualified, unless sooner removed
by the President, at a salary of $5,
000 per annum; Provided that in
case of death, removal, resignation,
or absence of the Governor from the
Territory, the said Secretary shall
execute all tihe powers and perform
all the duties of the Governor dur
ing such vacancy or absence, or un
til another Governor is appointed
and qualified?
“Sec. 5. That the Secretary of
the Territory is hereby authorized
t-» perform any and all acta and to
make such rules and regulations as
may be necessary and proper for the
purpose of carrying the provisions
of this Act into full force and effect,
so far as Its terms may require such
♦-—«
1 :
| EXTRA COPIES OF THE |
NOME NUGGET \
ON SALE AT THE NEVADA. !
» I
♦—s—————-4
EMRSKMMKMMMMMMME
* JOHN A. WILSON |
* U.8. MINERAL SURVEYOR »
* Alufca. ■
Employees of the Chicago pack
ing plants have received a boost in
wages. You mijgbf reflect upon the
probable trend ot meat prices, while
pounding your next 40-rent cut ot
round steak.
Some shark, en mathematics has
figured out that a man ot SO has
spent three years tying his tie. Even,
so, it is better than wearing whta
in a long life time we hhve yet to
hear the winner claim, the umpiso
v-aa unfair.
Prof, "ttarner of the University
of Philadelphia says that the time
is near when animals and men will
converse. If this be true the littlw
dog that keeps people awake every
night is going to hear something
that will hurt his feelings.
New York is reported as highly
pleased with the new Chinese danc
es. We* hadn’t supposed that they
were as reprehensible as all that.
There is no question as to the
talue of mud baths; why, it is aft
most impossible to kill a turtle;
•The Dawes report has been ac
cepted in principle, but that is the
way most folks accept the Ten Com
mandments.
Blessed are the poor; they shaU
not be sued for breach of promise.
Kissing has been once more pro*
noun red dangerous—but who want*
to be called a coward?
Here is a little advice from one of
our leading garage men. It your
brake bands are loose, tighten up
on your life insurance.
- Give your fellow man a square
deal and then watch him.
Neither did Job try to get his
home on the telephone and was told
nine timds in succession that the
Some good friend should have
tipped off the Japanese Ambassador
to the fact that if there is one thing
the average American likes better
than any other it’s i<? call a bluff.
If you wish to locate a f&ke stock
promoter, don’t employ a detective,
employ a sucker.
The egg speculators are losing
money on the cold storage product
since the recent price slump. You
might weep awhile over that.
When a lawyer says he is going
to win, take his word for it. Any
way the case goes the lawyer wins.
‘‘The cantata given at the church
was well attended.” says an ex
change. ‘‘The oysters and ice cream
ar.d cake were much enjoyed.”
That’s the part we enjoy too.
‘‘Conduct Examinations to Pill
Vacancy,” says a headline. Lots of
men who could fill a vacancy could
•not fill position.
An eastern philanthropist has
presented a university with a “cool
million.” Why are millions always
described as cool? If we had one It
would become considerably agltat
In Portugal mail carriers station
themselves at the church doors on
Sunday mornings and distribute
mail as the people come out. If
that plan were tried here there are
men who would be ten years behind
in their correspondence.
One of our cherished exchanges
wants to know, plalattvelgr, what baa
ifeaome of the old-fash toned girl,
v ho thought that ehe ought to know
how to keep house before getting
narried. We don't know where she
is. Maybe she merited the cAd
fashioned young man who thought
he ought to have a job before pro
posing.
It might be well, before awarding
the Boli flOO.tOO to a peace plan
te teat it la Traland.