The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-11-15
IF STALWARTS WIN
Would Rejection of LaFoIIette
Lead to Political Rev.
olution?
FOLGERs DEFEAT IS RECALLED
Present Plight in Wisconsin Repub1i.
canism Decentralization Men
Among Economists.

Madison, Wis. Nov 12.-1t is be-
lieved here by some wise ones that II
the effort to 'do'' Governor LaFollette
succeeds, the CONFUSION will be so
great as to throw the state into Dem-
ocratic hands, and we shall have q
Taylor or Peck administration over
again The reasoning is this: The
people are already well stirred up, but
there will no doubt be a speaking cam
paign before the state convention-an
unprecedented thing in this state. Gov
ernor IaFollette will have his say IN
public from time to time as he gets
his strength and the stalwarts will
have no choice-they must answer
him. The result will be a fermentation
of Wisconsin down to the creamery
crossroads unlike anything since the
war. LaFollette will read the plat
form, which savOrs Of tax reforms and
other things which voters away from
the hotel corridors and the revolving
chair belt love to muse upon; and tell
the voters that the Milwaukee crowd
seek to throw him because he has
tried to redeem the pledges made by
the people in convention. The stall
warts will tell how disagreeably La
Toilette has treated them, and read
legislative literature and say he
is disturber. The people will
get weary and go out Of meeting be-
cause they think the talk uninterest-
ing. Tax reform and the curbing Of
aggrandized power they can under
stand, but they won't care Whit
about some interview between the
governor and a ruff1ed member up
north. If the governor is defeated in
convention the people will somehow
get it into their heads that right and
justice have been crushed by power
in the shape Of monstrOusly eXpen-
sive secret service in Milwaukee,
which makes little noise. strikes with
deadly power and no one knows who
pays the bills. The conditions may be
as New York state knew in 1882, when
the nomination of Folger for governor
was fOisted by the ring on the Repub-
licans. Folger was a good man, but
the people rose up in their might and
smashed him to the extent Of $4,000
majority for Grover Cleveland, Demo
Crat
Could LaFOllette or Spooner Stop 1t?
This is no dream: it is q concrete
fear, and Senator SpOoner's friends
are worried. The Milwaukee men who
don't care who holds the offices as
long as a tractable legislature on the
subject OF taxes and corporate matters
is in the saddle, may view the possibili-
ties with calmness; but great numbers
Of conservative Republicans who love
LaFOllette none too well, yet want
SpOOner to return to the senate and
object to Democratic ascendency in the
state are alarmed. There seems to be
no doubt the eleventh story cotorie is
determined to go forward regardless of
results.
The only thing I can think of which
would undermine the movement ana
make that movement look foolish is a
bold declaration on Governor LaFof-
lette's part that while perhaps he has
nc passionate love for John c. Spoon
er, he UaFOllette) is Republican and
citizen enough to recognize his powers
and usefulness and looks to see his re-
turn to the senate. Of course, the stall
Wart leaders might count that confess
sion as so much net gain and 90 ahead
with their effort to control delegates to
the state convention who are to vote on
the candidate for governor: but the eff
feet would be to discredit that move
ment (Which is ostensibly largely to
protect Senator SpOoner's interests
and it would appeal to the sense Of
fair play and reciprocity in Republic
ans who would feel compelled and
glad to vote for LaFollette delegates
Such an attitude, however, is unlikely,
as the governor is not emotional in
ways of that sort and it would in
y0lve the embarrassment of Mr.. Haug-
ell, who apparently does not regard
Senator Spooner very highly, but many
think it would be a winning stroke
Some, however, maintain that such Il
manifesto is no more to be expected
from LaFOllette than from Senator
Spooner. What the people who are
paying the bills for the eleventh story
for the defeat of LaFollette under COW
pr of Spooner's interests would say if
Senator Spooner said the effort was
uncalled for; | do not pretend to
know.
Prospect of Cruel War.
There has been some talk Of Re-
publicans taking the row out of the
hands of the rival leaders and settling
it themselves, for apart from a few
leaders, officeholders and personally