The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-29

plain that he has split the Republican
party; he has. and he has split the
Democratic party, too When they
united the two party rings of the BIZ
partizan system against LaFollette in
1902. he went out after the voters
of both parties. and those voters com
bined; they beat Rose. the two rings,
and the system. The people of Wis
consin reelected LaFollette, the 'un-
safe and that is why the trouble is
so great in Wisconsin. The system
there is down.
There is a machine. but it is La
Follette's- When he was reelected, the
governor organized his party, and
think no other of his offenseS is quite
so heinous. in Stalwart eyes They
wanted me to expose him as a boss
who had used state patronage to build
up an organization. / reminded them
that their federal patronage is greater
than LaFollette'S in the state. and
explained that my prejudice was not
against organization; their kind every
where had been urging me so long to
believe that organization was neceS-
sary in politics that 1 was disposed to
denounce only those machines that
sold out the party and the people
And as for the 'bOss-it is not the
boss in an elective Office where ne Is
responsible that is so bad. but the ir-
responsible boss back of a safe figure
head; this is the man that is really
dangerous. Then they declared that
Governor LaFOllette had sacrificed
good service to the upbuilding of his
machine. This is a serious charge L
did not go thoroughly into it, Cases
which 1 investigated at Stalwart be-
hest, held, with one exception, very
little water, and / put no faith in the
rest But for the sake of argument,
let us admit that the departments are
not all that they should be. What
then? AS in Chicago. the fight
in Wisconsin is for government.
not good government; it is a nght 10
reestablish a government representa-
tive of all the people Given that; re-
move from control the Big Business
and the Bad Politics that corrupt all
branches of The government, and good
government will come easily enough.
But Big Business and Bad Politics are
hard to beat
s.The defeat of Rose did not beat
them. The stalwarts supporters OF
the systemO still had the senate, and
they manned the lobby to beat the rail-
road tax and the primary election bllls
But Governor LaFOllette outplayed
them at the great game he long nan
Deen studying the scheme Tor state
commission to regulate railway freight
rates 1t was logical. If their taxes
were increased the roads could take the
difference out of the people by raising
freight rates. Other states had such
commissions and in some of them, no !
bly, Iowa and Illinois, the rates were
lower than in Wisconsin Moreover, we
all know railroads give secret rebates
and otherwise discriminate IN FAVOR Oh
individuals and localities.
when then. the battle lines were drawn |
on the old bills IN the legislature OF IN9'
the governor threw into the fight a orisI- |
ling message calling for a commission 70 /
regulate railway rates. Inc erect h was
and they turned to rend this new bill |
They let the tax bill go through TO ngnt
held out against the primary election bill |
also. for, if that passed they feared the
Forever. me Even that. however. they let
pass finally, with an amendment for a
referendum. Concentrating upon the rate
bill, Big Business organized
business mems mass meetings lnrouSh-
out the state and with the help or 1aNoreo
or timid shippers, sent commlttee,SS, , 70
Madison to protest to the legislature Thus
this bill was beaten by Business and, with
the primary election referendum, IS an is
LAS I have tried TO show. however. the
DE Of Wisconsin understand this The L
Stalwarts dread the test at the polls. But
W hat other appeal was theree They knew
one When the Republican state conVen-
ton met this year the StalwartS bOlted:
whatever the result might have been of
a fight in the convention, they avoided
il and held separate convention IN an
other hall, hired in advance. The Half
breeds renOminated LaFollette; the Stall
warts put up another ticket To the Stall
wart convention came Postmaster Cen
Pr and Quarles. Stalwart congressman
and federal office hOlders-the Federal
system The broken State System was
appealing to the United States System.
and the Republican national convention at
l.
lid decide-for the System. I attended
hat convention and heard what was SAID
privately and honestly. The Republicans
who decided for -Pfister-
Babcock. etc. said 'LaFolette isn't really
a Republican anyhow. "
Which is just what the 'stalwarts" Of
Kansas are just now saying about the
of comm ercial interests in this
state. The federation, which is made up
Of business men and farmers of all PAR
ties. asked the Republican state conver-
lion to nominate men for railroad COM
missioners who would be fair to both
shippers and railroads. instead of being
owned by certain railroad interests. Next
winter the federation will also ask the
legislature to pass a railroad law which .
viii give the commission still more power (
in equalizing rates But the Republican ,
state convention turned the federation
down completely by nominating for "A ma
iOr1ty OF the commission men whom the
shippers do not want and whom the rail-
roads do want. Then the federation turn
ed to the Democrats and asked them to
place certain men on the state ticket for ,
railroad commissioners in order to give
the federation chance to vote for them
and because the Democrats dio so and the
federation is now supporting the men of
It's choice for two offices. the System. -
which is dominated by certain railroad
is saying that the fedora ton
IS only a Democrats annex and calling
upon Republicans to keep a way from ,
them.
Three Graces, but Which?
With the ar NavvDOrf Of :