The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-14
As Others See Us,

in big position, in their eager
Il ness to make the most Of stua-
tion, over-reach themselves and
end worse off than they began. While
t'Nre is no positive evidence as yet
that this was true of what is known as
the state administration group of lead
ers in Wisconsin,, when they tried to
dictate terms to friends of Sena tor
Spoorer, the suspicion to that effect is
rapidly growing. Former Governor
Hoard, one of the warm supporters of
present Governor La Toilette but Il
man of mental breadth and independ-
ence, makes no concealment of his be-
lief in the premises. He says:
THE recent state convention was
notable for a very conspicuous lack
of political wisdom on the part of it's
managers. Had they been wise to the
end of promoting caucus and taxation
reform they would have indorsed Sena-
tor Spooner Internationally, and thus
taken him as an issue out of all future
contests in the legislative districts.
No state convention can dictate
through it's platform or otherwise to
the voters of any legislative district
what their choice snail be for the
United States senate. They are the
masters of their own actions, and their
instructions to their legislative candi-
dates are paramount and final. This
is one of the elementary principles of
Republican politics. AS the situation
now stands, the administration finds
itself handicapped with a third and
most potent issue, that of the election
of Senator Spooner, when by the exer-
else of a little political sense it could
have been avoided. There Is work
enough ahead to secure a legislature
favorable to caucus and taxation re-
fern without being loaded down by a
third issue.'
Says the Milwaukee correspondent Of
the Chicago Record-Herald, an un-
biased authority: ALREADY the friends
OF Senator Spooner are organizing in
every legislative district OF the state,
and the first thing demanded of a can
didate will be his unqualified pledge to
vote for the return of the senator
Everything else will be subordinated
to this. Those who are opposed to the
reforms for which Governor La Fol-
lette stands and which are pledged by
the party platform will take advantage
OF this condition to secure as many
legislative candidates as possible who
are opposed to the passage of those
measures. In this way they may be
able to obtain majority of one or
both of the houses. which will effectu-
ally block all attempts at reform the
next session, the same as they did at
the last.
while the chances at present are
strongly in favor of the reelection of
Governor La Toilette there are stormy
times ahead. What the much talked
of stalwart bolt will amount to is a
question that no one can answer sat
isfactorily at the present time. Near
ly every man has a different opinion.
The chances are that If the Spooner
men, among whom are counted the
stalwarts. secure the nomination of a
large majority of the legislators it will
uQSC tittiC ciiSSis ihal WING VI TIE
party is Spooner to a man, and will
come out to vote for candidates for
the legislature who are for him. They
are also composed of men whose boast
has been that they have never bolted
the ticket. There may be few hum
dred who will go to the extent of yot-
Ing for Democratic candidate for
gqYernor, but they will be compara-
titely few. There will be many more
who will simply content themselves
with scratching the head of the ticket
while voting the remainder. In such
case the governor may be found some
thousands behind the rest Of the ticket
ass%as the case with Governor Scofield
In 1S9S, but so far there Is nothing to
show that his chances of election are
In danger"
The country at large-that is to say
the Republican portion Of it-has nc
quarrel with Governor La Toilette. On
the contrary, 1t desires to see the Wis
consin Republican ticket successful al
every point, and by impressive majori-
ties. But II has very great interest In
the return Of John G.. Spooner to the