The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-06-05
Shall LaFoIIette Seek Il by Way
of the Gubernatorial
Officer
OR By PUTTING UP a FRIEND?
Bradford or Cook-Precedent of
Knute on-Mentionings for
Opposition Candidates.

pages OF all ordinary newspaper. Inc
public. is Informed of new enactments
through the publication of these laws
by the daiIips and weeklies Of the
state, which receive 500 each for the
service. TINS it costs the state
of Wisconsin about 5000 to promul-
gate the laws after they are enacted.
LaFollette and the Opposition.
1t is assumed that Governor LaFol-
Iette will be Il candidate for reelection
as governor. 1t is not definitely an
nOunced, but assumed The governor
is so mystic in his movements that
the rest of us must sit around and
speculate. And the fact is, that is
what many men do most of the time
If they could know LaFollette and
talk with him, they would find him
human and disposed to be reasonably
honest like the rest of us. But the gov
ernOr keeps out of sight, and where
there is ignorance there is suspicion.
No doubt, if Governor LaFOllette
cared to let down the bars and mingle
as man to man with his fellows, he
would seem more human. AS it is,
being "a man of destiny" whose pow
er is largely by imbuing the mass of
men with sense of the unusual and
remarkable. he must play his part.
He presents himself to most of us as
a brewing volcano, likely to burst out
at any time The location of the out
break and the time thereof being TN
certain it is perpetual guess.
How Reach the Senate?
The present guess is that Governor
LaFOllette plans to go to the United
States senate in place of Mr.. Quarles
and would prefer to go direct-that is,
he would like to be relieved of making
the race for governor again. There is
really not much sense in being
elected governor in November, taking
office in January, and in that same
month being elected senator, leaving
the big gubernatorial job for some fell
low who may happen to be lieutenant
governor. It looks like bad faith to
the people, who suppose they are elect
ING a governor for service in that Of
flee and it looks selfish to be planning
for two offices. Knute Nelson stepped
from the governOrship to the senate.
There are other precedents for this
succession, but not many. In Nelson's
case he served as governor from 1892
to 1894 and was then reelected. His
opponents say he pledged to give the
people another full term as governor
and he certainly appeared on the same
platform with Washburn. then sena-
tor, during the campaign. 1t was quite
an incident at the time and made much
talk. The Washburn men said it was
at Albert Lea that Nelson referred to
Washburn who was then present rs
his own successor. But in the JanU-
airy fOllOwinG. reelected and inaugur-
ated for the second time, Mr.. Nelson
accepted an election to the senate and
Clough, the lieutenant governor, sue
ceeded him as governor.
Will Out People Approve?
! Promotions of this sort are unob-
jectiOnable. if the people know exact
ly what is going forward. If Govern
or LaFollette can get reelection as
governor without his pledge to stay
governor. and if he can then capture
the senatorship away from MI.
Quarles, it will be clever politics and
no one can object on the ground Of
bad faith. 1t is a hazardous combina-
ton, however But will it not be haZ-
ardOus to fOregO the governOrship?
He can. of course. allow one of his
lieutenants to stand for governOr-Ira
Bradford, the assemblyman of Eau
Claire county; or Cook of Neenah,
who is man of property-but could
these men make the necessary resist
warts are putting up? LaFollette for
governor lis an Inspiring proposition
it means fight and OratOry and eX-
element But Mr.. Bradford is a quiet
little lawyer from Augusta. with q
pleasant smile and. as the new pastor
said at the funeral of the town butcher
whom the pastor had never known
The would not iniure a living thing
Even with the 'LaFollette machinery
back of another man, could another
carry the state convention and get the
nomination for governor and so let La
Toilette take the senatorship from the
ranks of private life? 1t is difficult
question in view of the big prepare
lions making to wreck LaFOllette anf
all that he stands for. In the back
counties voters who would stand
''pat'' for Bob" if asked to transfer
their allegiance to another for the con
venience of Bob would get con
fused, especially if there were a mum
Der of candidates as the stalwart:
would provide to lFeak the spell o.
LaFollette allegiamk<A 49, 49,, = Wa
No, LaFollette will likely have t,
run again himself. That being til,
case, the lieutenant governorship be
comes of the greatest Importance, TO
with LaFollette promoted to the sen
ate, the lieutenant governor becomes
cy0vnrnor