The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-10-05
LaFOllette mt Hudson.

Robert NJ. LaFolette addressed the
attendants at the Street Fair at
Hudson on Thursday evening accord
ing to announcement. The address,
wh ch has been delivered at many Of
the count Y fairs in the state and has
e oked considerable comment, is a
forcible, earnest and candid presenta-
ton OF subject which IN the near
future is certain t o play q decisive
part in the politics of the State. Mr.
LaFoIette, although electt d to Con-
gress thirteen years ago, is still a
tions, whose motives cannot success
fully be questioned, although some
feeble attempts in that direction have
been made by members OF the press
in the state, who themselves are not
above suspicion. In fact, no answer
has as yet been made by anyone to
Mr.. LaFollette's presentation OF the
case Of the people VS. the political
.corruptionists, professional lobbyists
and corporation tools. He has been
called an agitator, a sOrehead and a
demagogue, but this resort to epithets,
where argument is entirely lacking,
can not detract from the force OF his
position with honest people or in
the least weaken his argument. 1t is
the favorite method of the profession
al lobbyists to impugn the motives OF
those whom they dare not and can
not meet in argument. There is no
more demagogical cry than that Of
s'demagogue." 1t is the last resort OF
dishonesty in public affairs, and has
become the stock argument OF the
corrupt lobby Any legislator who
endeavors in good faith to protect
the peoples interest, to circumscribe
the power of corporations, to enforce
against them the laws of taxation, or
to secure legislation to tax them
where they have formerly been ex-
empt, must expect to be called "a
.demagogue" or a CRANK by their
hirelings His motives will be i'm
pugned, his honesty questioned. He
will be slandered and maligned. He
must, indeed, be Of good mettle to
withstand the attack of Islander and
vituperation launched against him.
But such has been the experience of
the truly honest reformer, and the
TIMES desires to extend good cheer
and encouragement to Robert La
Toilette, confident in the justice OF
his ause and the paramount necessity
in this state of the work in which he
has engaged.
Mr.. LaFollette is not calamity
bowler. He is a republican, p pro-
tectionist, an original McKinleyite,
In fact, if anyone republican in Wis
consin can claim the credit of having
influenced the result of the contest in
favor of Mckinley, it is Bob La
Toilette Nor has he in the least, AS
we must conclude from his speech,
changed his attitude in those respects.
While the TINES does not agree with
him in his views Of purely political
questions we recognize the fact that
his very in innate relations to party
which received such overwhelming
at the polls in 1896 gives his endorse
ments on the topics which he has
chosen aid ,tiona force, and ought
to command for him q respect and
consideration which a man belonging
TO the minority in the state could not
expect. No onerould paint in bright er
colors than LaFollette the growth of
the republic, the enterprise of the
people, their industry and thrift,
their growth in wealth and that ma
terial prosperity which ought to IN
sure happiness. No, In Toilette is
not pessimirt. By disposition and
environment, political aud otherwise,
he never loses sight of the silverY
linin :. But La Toilette is a practical
man withal, and his speech is built
on q broad foundation of hist orical
facts that cannot be gainsaid. He