Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-10-23
Book Company Charges Answered.

Gov. LaFollette in straight for
ward manner has made reply to the
charge that he received money Of the
independent book companies While
addressing an audience at Lancaster
Friday be was interrupted by DR.. J.
NJ. Lewis who asked the following
question::
Governor. will you not say word
about the charges made in connection
with the book com panieS?'
Gov. LaFoiIette replied: 1T has
never been my practice to make
answer to personal attack. No man
! who aSSails corruption in the public
service need hope to escape calumny
and falSehoodS
whatever temporary harm person
experiences it tends most TO injure
those who engage III Il. The people
who are just will always judge right
eously of public men as they will Of
| public questions if given time enough
to get at the truth, but in the brief
weeks OF this political campaign some
men may be misled for the time being
| because CT the use now being made of
the statement published by the
| heSSTS. BuckSIdu anu SUOut.
lit would answer the purpose Of
| those who prefe.~to be Silent on rail-
road taxation to cOntine public atten-
! ton for the next four weeks to the
independent book companies or any
other subject, if this can possibly be
done, but it will not be permitted by
the people of Wisconsin, Most men
in this state we'll understand the
| of
taxation and direct nomination in
abuse diSplace discussion Of these
| issues.
The attempt is being made to
conduct this campaign chiefly upon
the statement that Mr.. Theodore
KrOnshage Of milwaukee received
money from an independent book
company ana forwarded the same to
me to aid in paying the expenses of
| the pre-cOnyentiOn campaign. This
pre-cunventiOn campaign Of the Re
publican party required the printing
and mailing OF considerable portions
of the proceedings Of the last legiSla-
ture, and other matters pertaining to
to get the facts before the people
|
platform pledges and to their readOp-
tiOn in state convention. The print
ing and mailing of these records and
documents entaied large expense.
| This expense was. not only legitimate,
but it was incurred in cause worthy
Of the support of any right-minded
man. This vas met by collection Of
such suns Us friends of the cause in
| n q n n 20
in carrying OF this party campaign. "
didn't conduct that campaign, nor
was | Informed dS to it's details. Had
my public duties admitted of it, I was
at no time able to have undertaken
the work ard the strain incident
thereto. During the spring and
summer ] spent as much of the time
as possible in the country and yet
meet the demands of the office. These
matters are stated because they are
true, and in view Of the false charges
made, it is right they should be stated
| in this connection.
81 had absolutely no knowledge or
information, either directly or in
directly, that Mr.. Kronshage. or any
other man proposed to contribute, or
| had cont ributed for campaign expenses
any money, received from any indie
pendent book company or any other
book company, or from any company.
partnership or corporation, either
directly or through any individual
acting for them, or either of them"
"From what | have since learned, /
state emphatically that not one dollar
Of money received from any source
whatever by anyone connected with
| the conduct of the campaign at Madi-
son was received upon any condition
that any individual should be noml
mated or defeated upon the state
ticket, or that any official should either
then or thereafter show any favor or
consideration to the contributor or any
one else for the contribution. No
such proposition was ever made by
anyone or in any manner. Had any
such contribution ever been offered
from any source whatever it would
have been promptly refused by those
who were conducting the campaign"