Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-11-01
what Bob Said.

anu KNOWN Dy SeV6raI expectations
some complimentary and some not so
complimentary = spoke in Wausau
Wednesday evening before an audience
that filled the opera house from the
wings of the stage to the topmost seat
in the gallery. 1t was another demon
stration of the truth that advertising
pays. There was never a man within
the memory of the present generation.
who claimed Wisconsin as his home,
who has received the advertising that
Bob LaFollette has. Long before he
arrived at the opera house every seat
was taken and hundreds were turned
away by the police, who closed the
doors.
He was introduced by c. l. Warren,
president of the local LaFollette club,
who in an indirect way fiayed the
local stalwarts for the opposition they
have taken in some matters favored by
supporters of the governor, and also
paid compliment 20 the cherished idol
of the half breed hosts
The governor then began his ster-
eotyped talk, which continued for fully
two hours. 1t was for the most part
confined to one of his pet reform
hobbies-freight commission. And on
this he talked and talked and talked,
seemingly in a tireless strain. and when
he had concluded had said no more on
that subject than has appeared in the
columns of the Milwaukee Free Press
for the last several years Governor
LaFollettee has been antagonized by
men in his own party for great many
given reasons, and one of them is that
he desires that the state shall have a
commissioa to regulate railroads, the
members of which shall be appointed
by himself instead of being elected by
the people-a further strengthening of
his machine. There are few persons
who doubt that such a commission
would be good thing for this common
wealth if men were selected on their
capability and honesty If they are to
be chosen because of their political
zeal in maintaining a one-man power,
that is another thing, and during all his
remarks he gave no reasons or made
any defense of the position he takes for
desiring to name the commission him.
self. Indeed he could mot unless he
gave away some political secrets and
he is too shrewd politician for that
Of primary elections, which has been
another pet measure of his, he said not
word. That question is to be voted
upon at this coming election and it
seems strange that he did pour out
fund of theoretical knowledge on the
subject. Perhaps it was because he
has discovered other tissues" (he is a
great inventor of such) that appeal
more to the ''plain peepul'' Gods
patient poor
liz connection with his talk on rail
roads it is true he hit the trusts and
monopolistic interests of this naticn
some very hard raps, and repeated
some OF the truths that the democratic
party has told but which the big guns
of the republican party have so vigor-
ously denied. Such men as Rockefeller,
who have made millions in other fields
oes endeavor, are now directing their
attention to buying up and consoldat-
ing railroads, and as has been predict
ed by intelligent men or men who were
honest enough to admit the fact, the
railroads, if allowed unrestricted sway,
will, in very short time, be the direct
ing commercial power of this govern
commercial interests. LaFollette's
commission will undo all their power,
so he claims. Men have been corrupted
in all ages and civilizations. 1t is
human nature to better ones financial
condition-preferably in an honest way
but there are some men who will
accept brlbe regardless Of losing their
character or political honor. AS Shake
speare said, whats in name ~ And
| might not machine-made freight
rate commission become putrid to the
core by the acceptance of railroad
money, especially if its members were
kept in office year after year without
the people getting an opportunity of
investigating their methods or turning
them out
OF great many other tissues" he
was mysteriously silerM
The governor has built up one of the
strongest political machines ever or
ganized in this or any other state, and
is not the power behind the throne, but
the throne itself
The army of game wardens, oil in
spectors, factory inspectors, squirrel
pelice and other officious lieutenants
all take their Rourishment from the
same bottle, held in Bob's hands. He
has been charged with, and the charge
never refuted, of receiving campaign
funds from the school book trust, and
of many other things to which only the
crooked politician resorts. He has
howled himself hoarse over his desire
to enact reforms and not one reform
has been enacted He has even refused
to punish the members of his own
official family when caught with rail-
road passes in their possession, conclu-
sively demonstrating that he is not sim
oa,<, -, .nr raovau,anf fof. raforu a tion