Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-06-25

The people of the state of Wisconsin
believe in pure politics. They only need
the opportunity TO get at corruption IN
order to bring prompt and decisive ac-
ton.
The Republicans of this state have
ever been ready to correct abuses and
prune ont of their midst those who have
proved unworthy and unsafe leaders.
This condition was known TO Robert
NJ La Toilette several years ago when
he found himself out of office ana WIN
none too remuneratiye law practice.
He had an oyerweaning ambition for
pnblic office and the plaudits of the
masses. He had received good educa-
tion and had a ready flow of speech. La
Toilette is shrewd and industrious. He
studied the temper of the people and
sought their hopes, listened to their COM
plants and even "heart BEATS" and with
these resources he devised plan IN
which he set himself as the central figure
of glory.
"In dreams through camp and court
He bore the trophies of a conquerer.
The course seemed plain and clear. He
would expose some corruption in public
life. He would brand some of those
who held positions of public trust with
shame. He would seize the banner of
reform and bear it to the front and on
the pinnacle of fame would receive the
laurel wreath from a devoted and CRATE,
full people.
Such was the concept, and now that
his eye was upon the prize, every obstacle
in his path became odious TO him. lie
found the usual party organization in
charge of affairs. Old and tried leaders
were ready to welcome him to their camp
and even to their headquarters. But the
usual course of promotion was too slow
for this impetuous aspirant. If death,
resignation and removal from the state
did not create the vacancies he desired to
fill. he must set about TO create some
for himself.
One of his first strokes was at that
sturdy old leader of Wisconsin, Senator
Sawyer, a self-made man, rich in expert
ence, ripe in judgment and wise in coun-
sell
La Toilette was a lawyer. His office
was at the capital of the state and the
county seat of the county where the state
treasury cases were to be tried. The SEN
ator desired to retain lawyer at Mad
ison to assist in those cases, and offered
the opportunity to La Toilette. Here was
| La Follette's opportunity to strike down
one man who stood in his path and ingra-
tate himself with the people. He would
decline the retainer and publish a state
ment that the senator had tried to bribe
him to corruptly influence the circuit
| judge, who was the brother-in-aw of La
| Toilette Such was the little plot he
carried out. The true facts were given to
| the press by the senator and it became a
question Of veracity between the gray
haired and respected senator and the
youthful aspirant who pretended to have
no other proof than his own say so.
This was the beginning Of the pro-
gramme. 1t has been his plan of action
TO seize from the hands of others the
1
claim the victory as his own and to ele-
vate himself to the pinnacle of fame by
treading on the necks of Others Repu-
tations that have been the product of a
| lifetime were but incidents to him, and
if they fell in his way, to shatter and
ruin them. He has never hesitated to
put his sword into a wound and make it
deeper and wider.
No wonder he has enemies. No wonder
there has been opposition to some of his
measures, which have possessed some in
herent merit. No one could work with
him without danger of finding the stiletto
in their back. Every measure must be in
form and manner, letter and line, as he
down the Threats of everyone or not at
| all. He has proceeded ON the assump-
ton that every thing that differed from
his was corrupt. Such assumption is
rarely made except by those minds to
whom corruption is familiar possibility,
and it is usually followed, if not even
preceded, by the use of that which has
become familiar.
ADing what he conceived was the
method of Others he proceeded to accept
corruption funds of book companies to
run his personal campaign of reform.
and while he was prating to the people
about corporations and telling them that
Mr.. Paine was the exponent of all that
is corrupt concerning them he was caught
trying to ''neutralize" his interests with
MIR. Paine to the political advantage of
both of them.
We find his insurance commissioner
levying tribute on an insurance company
TO all the cause of reform, and while
he cries out against Mr.. Spooner because
he is retained by railroad companies. we
ma him soliciting a job Of that kind for
his most intimate henchman, Mr.. Chy-
noweth and we find his attorney general
ana two of his assistants confessing in
the press that they are retained by the