Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-12
THE WISCONSIN FIGHT
LEGISLATORS, 1T IS DECLARED,
ARE PLEDGED TO sPooNER.
Comment of Assistant Attorney Gen
eral Pradt on Statement Of
LaFolIette's Lieutenant"

Louis A. Pradt, assistant attorney gem
eral, who is prominent in Wisconsin poll
tics, was asked by a Star reporter today
about a suggestion coming from Wisconsin
that Senator Spooners reelection may be
defeated by Governor LaFollette and his
friends Mr.. Pradt' declares this could not
be done, and says:
IF the recently reported interview with
a prominent supporter and lieutenant of
Governor LaFollette of Wisconsin could be
accepted as spoken by the card 1t would in
dictate a most extraordinary condition of
things in Wisconsin. According to this in
terview, there is possibility that of the
ninety or more republican members of the
next Legislature of Wisconsin who have
publicly pledged themselves to vote uncon-
ditionalIy for the reelection of Senator
Spooner in addition to being instructed by
the respective conventions by which they
were nominated to the same purpose, a
sufficient number may be found to violate
this pledge and disregard these instructions
to defeat the return of Senator Spooner.
In this connection, it must be remem-
bered that not one of these members would
have received his nomination If 1t had not
been for his explicit acquiescence In the
instructions of his nominating convention
to vote for Senator Spooner, and that thelr
subsequent election was in most instances
the result of their public pledge to the same
effect so that Gov. LaFollettes lieutenant,
in effect, charges these gentlemen with past
fraud and contemplated treachery. Such
wholesale dishonor could be brought abouE
only through the exercise of some most po-
tent influence and that influence conii pc
exerted by Gov LaFollette alone fae
baseness of the crime which this lleuten-
ant airily imputes to his chief receives es-
pecial emphasis in the fact that during the
recent campaign in Wisconsin Gov. LaFol-
lette everywhere and increasingly denouncsi
tot ionr nyrSh
state legislature for having disregarded ana
violated. as he asserted. not their individual
pledges, but the party platform. lake II
altogether it would have been difficult fer
the most malignant and ingenious enemy
of Gov. LaFollette and of the republican
members of the state legislature 20 nave
formulated against them charge involving
a greater amount of deceit and pertidy.
But the answer to this indictment is sim
Pile Among the republicans of the next
legislature of Wisconsin who have Volun-
tarily and openly made this pledge to I'M
conditionally support Senator Spoonef 1of
| reelection there is not one such creature
| as this lieutenant of Governor La Toilette
describes. On the contrary, they are TO a
man honorable gentlemen. There is not, IT
| should seem superfiuous to say, liar or
| cheat among them.
| LAS for Governor La Toilette, while there
| is no doubt about his hatred and Jealousy
| of Senator Spooner, he Is, in my opinion,
| equally incapable of instigating any such
| vileness But even if La Toilette were the
| hypocritical scoundreI that his friend makes
him out he would be powerless to carry out
any such scheme for subverting the will Of
| the people. The gentlemen who have vol
| unfairly placed themselves on record as the
unconditional supporters OF Senator spoon
er have in nearly every instance done SO
/ not only because of the expressed will of
| their constituents, but because OF their I'M
| qualified friendship and admiration Tor
| Senator Spooner, and it is simply impossi-
BILE to suppose that they could be lnduceo
| not only to break their word, but to do SO
| counter to their inclinations.
| LAS far as Senator Spooner is concerned
| the influence of Gov. La Toilette in Wis
| consin has been greatly overestimated. The
| majority Of the republicans of Wisconsin
| have apparently indicated in the recent
election their fealty to La Toilette. but the
party friends of Senator Spooner in Wis
consin comprise practically all of the repub-
licans in the state. with the exception of a
few besotted admirers Of Gov. La Toilette
who like the lieutenant who gave out
| this interview, seem to consider that even
falsehood and knavery have the odor OF
sanctity if practiced in their IDOLS name