The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-09-25
WHITEHEAD DEFENDS THE LEGISLA-
TURE
Charges of the Governor Answered by the
Records.

Records.
Senator Whitehead occupies the CEN
ter of the stage on the defense of the
people and their representatives in the
last two legislatures. Both at Beloit
and the Fond du Lac fair the Senator
made specific denials to the wholesale
charges Governor La Toilette has been
spreading broadcast over the state. He
opened by paying high tribute to the
patriotism Of the state. He then went
into the subject matter of his address by
taking the governor to task for having
spoken as he did of the senators and
members of the last legislature who OPP
posed his plans. He said:
1.-THE stalwarts were in control of the
last senate, and [ am proud of it. This
senate passed every single bill that was
recommended by the state tax commits
sion, and yet our friend talks about their
obstruction of tax measures! How ut
terly ignorant and misinformed he is
about tax legislation.
This same senate also passed bills to
carry out all the recommendations of the
governor in his biennial message relating
to taxation, and the acts are now on the
statute books. How ridiculous are such
statements then. 1t is due to the litera-
ture that has been circulated about the
state, and to the misrepresentation Of
the legislature that come from high
quarter. 1t is your business to find out
how much truth there is in such
statement as the one | have just read,
no matter who makes it, where it comes
from, or when it is uttered.
"You would be led to think from that
statement that every proposition that
was made to the senate by the governor
was rejected. Newspapers charge the
senators with seeking revenge. [ hold
in my hand extracts from the legislative
record which show that every appoint
ment made by the governor at the last
two sessions was confirmed by that body
without dissenting vote. Talk to me
of revenge when the governor exercises
his prerogative in making appointments
when they were all confirmed and the
men he named are serving the state by
the favor Of the senate!'
1t was not the purpose of the Senator
to discuss the legislation proposed; he
wished to be heard only in answer to the
charges of corruption made by the gov
ernor and in the defense of the official
integrity of himself and his fellow mem
bers. In his address he adhered closely
to this purpose.
Governor La Toilette has made these
charges openly and repeatedly, without
specifying persons, involving all mem
bers alike in the suspicion and in sweep
ing terms. Senator Whitehead answers
with specific mention, following the rec
rds. He represents definitely that the
failure to organize the legislature OF 1901
for the administration was due, not to
the stalwart hold-overs including the
Senator, but to one of the trusted lieu
tenants of the governor, who has never
in any public way been rebuked by Gov.
La Toilette, while the fact has been
charged against those innocent. !
The senator alleges that the drunken
members on whose conduct is based the
charge we're brought in by order of the
house and by an officer, and that one or
both of them voted steadily for the ad-
ministration measure and not against
the governors desires. If there is sin
gle line of truth IN what Senator White
head states, the governor must show why
he has imposed on the credulty Of the
people with sweeping charges and false
differences.
Senator Whitehead has spoken in de-
tense of the character of the legislatures
in reply to the repeated charges Of the
governor that they were debauched;
that legislation was forced by corrupt
lobby, overawed by intimidation, delayed
to public injury by intrigue and finally,
that men were brought in to vote while
drunk, in the interests of this bad work.
He has told this story of degradation in
such a way as to make it plain that the
bringing in of these drunken members
was the act of his opponents and to de-
feat his measures. 1t has been accepted
as such a charge by the public as we'll as
by the close adherents of the governor.
The whole truth is bound to come out
and he who has deceived will suffer for
it. The governor has lent to his state
ments he glamor of his Office and so is
doubly obligated to speak out frankly,
fully and specifically in defense of his
past assertions. An evasion will tell
against him.
THr CHICAGO Milwaukee & St Paul