Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-11-04
La FOLLETTE|SM
WINS APPROVAL
Chicago Tribune Presents
the Situation as
1t Is.
MEASURES THAT MEAN MUCH
Will Make the State Greater
Than the Rail-
roads.


government and proper regulation of
the railroad rates Governor LaFollette
has won the admiration and respect
of the best citizenship of the coun-
try. The leading journals and aga
zines of this country have stamped
his platform with approval, and thou
sands have been made acquainted with
the true facts concerning the strug
gle in this state. The Chicago Tri-
bune. one of the most conservative
and ably edited newspapers of this
country, tells what 'I4aFolletteism"
really is. 1t is worth reading, so
strongly and tersely is it presented.
The Tribune says:
When you ask a Wisconsin stall
wart why railways should not be taxed
he tells you that LaFollette is dema-
gogue. When you want to know why
direct primary law would not be
good thing he explains that LaFollette
is ambitious. The moral excesses
which led to this pitiable mental col
lapse are recounted by Mr.. Steffens in
the current McClure's.
"What LaFollette is fighting in Wis
consin is The SYSTEM The Sys-
tenn consists of big business dove
tailed and mortised into politics. 1t
is substitute for representative gov
ernment. 1t is what made it possible
for Golfers Weekly to say that Wis
consin was governed by four railways.
Naturally the only way in which
the stalwarts can defend The System
is by attacking it's attackers. TO say
that the railroads should not he tayea
and that the voters should not nomi-
nate their own candidates for Office
would require more courage than can
be found west of Philadelphia.
What the Issues Are just Now.
"In 1898 the Republican party in
Wisconsin rejected LaFollette for gov
ernOr, but adopted the LaFollette plat
form. 1t thereupon stood pledged to
railway taxation and to direct prI-
maries. 1t accomplished neither. 1t
preferred to repudiate it's pledge.
''The reaction against mendacity of
this kind nominated LaFollette in 1900
and elected him. Railway taxation
and direct primaries now had a gov
ernor as well as a legislature. But
they did not have barrel. All through
the succeeding session the barrel
flowed. Legislators bought railway
land at nominal prices. They also
were offered lucrative positions. They
also played poker with lobbyists and
won. Then they adjourned with the
pledge Of the Republican party again
repudiated.
"Whereupon the people of Wisconsin
reelected LaFoIlette in 1902. And La
Toilette opened the session Of 1905
with a message calling for a state
commission to regulate railway rates.
s'The stalwarts were kept SO busy
chasing this new and audacious foray
into their territory that they had to
abandon their old intrenchments. A
railway taxation bill was passed. So
was bill for direct primaries, though
with an amendment providing for q
referendum.
1.-THE issues therefore at the present
moment are these:
i
"LaFollette says that he wants to
complete and to fortify the work which
he has begun.
"LaFollette's opponents (and this is
no injustice to them) allow his work
| to pass almost without comment, but
say that he himself is a self-seeking,
srandstand playing dictator. Corrupt?
No. Likely to do what he was elect
ed to do? Yes. But whining,
| sniveling, demagogical hypocrite.
ut seems probable, therefore, the
people of Wisconsin will have to
choose between a. a whining, snivel-
ing, demagogical hypocrite, who will
keep his pledges and who will make
the state greater than the railways;
and (2) galaxy of noble, courtly, fr-
reproachable gentlemen who are in the
habit of repudiating all their pledges
and who will make the railways great
er than the state.
| "This is certainly dilemma"