The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-07-30
GOOD WORDS FOR LA TOILETTE
A Republican who Knows Him Speaks for
Him

A Republican Who Knows Him Speaks TO
Him.
| Mr.. EDITOR: Among the aspi
rants for gubernatorial honors at thu
coming republican state convention t.
be held at Milwaukee on Aug. 9Th il
Robert LaFollette one of the mos
brilliant lawyers in the state, al
astute politician, but not in the sense
in which the machine" understands
astuteness, because he is honest, which
can hardly be said Of some of the bosses
who have manipulated the politics D
Wisconsin for years past. Mr.. LaFOl.
lette undoubtedly has the same right tt
pose as candidate for governor as
others who are seeking the honor.
He is man whom the best classes OF
our citizens, those who desire to see
good men at the head of affairs, can
endorse heartily He refused to be
made tool of by the machine, and
hence he has that faction opposed to
him in this race.
He goes into the contest fully aware
of the strength and standing of his
opponents, and lacks one qualification
which some of them possess to a tell
ing degree. He has no" barrel" which
fact is considered grave offence by
many people. He has any amount of
ability, and every qualification for the
office he seeks. His public services
both in and out of congress, makes him
stand head and shoulders above his
opponents. No one, certainly no young
politician, has come to the front rank
more rapidly in this country than
Robert LaFollette. His three terms
in congress, has marked him as a man
of the highest talent.
He has reached his present high
standing among public men, through
merit alone, and not by any favoritism
or mere ability to buy his way into
office with money, as have many of our
socalled public men.
He represents faction of the re-
publican party it is true, but a faction
that is composed Of men utterly oppos-
ed to the devious practices, which has
made the party lose much of it's old
time responsibility in this state.
Under his administration, should he
be so fortunate as to be the choice of
his constituents, warrant we should
hear of no such disgrace as "the loot
ing of the state treasury" by paid
officials.
Unfortunately in some parts of the
state Mr.. LaFollette is not any too we'll
known, and it is among the people Of
those parts that he has to bear the
stigma of being simply a man repre-
senting a political faction" without
getting the credit of being a patriot.
There is such thing as being an
honest politician. We have many of
them, men who have the real welfare
of their constituency at heart; men
who subordinate their own interests to
the good of all.
In the minds Of many people poll
tician is politician and nothing else;
no credit is vouchsafed for real patriot
ism, or an honest desire to raise the
standard of right and justice in the af-
fairs of state.
Mr.. LaFollette does not represent
the rabble, but the very best elements,
social, political and moral, in the COM
monwealth. Under his administration
we should get back something of the
grandeur which attached to the glory
of the old republican party, and what
ever the elements which might COM
pose the two branches of the legisla-
ture, we should at least have at the
helm a man who would be pattern of
uprightness and integrity, and bring
credit to the state.
1t is perhaps too much to expect that
such a man could break the record of
past boss rule" but it is nevertheless
the bounden duty of all good repub-
licans to throw their influence that way.
We simply want the man who repre-
sents as whole the most vital inter
ests of the state, and in Robert M. La
Toilette / believe we have the man
who will do this.
| believe the republicans of Kenosha
county will do wise thing in their
coming county convention if they send
a strong delegation to the state con-
vention at Milwaukee favorable at
least if not pledged to the support Of
Mr.. LaFollette.
ONE WHO KNOWS HIM.