Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05

Like Blaine, they say he never forgets
face or the name that goes with 1t, but
card index system containing the name of
every Wisconsin man he has ever met.
La Toilette is forty and of French Hugue-
not extraction. He was born In a log cabin.
Thus he comes near being of the old-fash-
toned type of statesman. He had to learn
to make his own way when thirteen, Tor
then his father died, and the boy had to
run the farm and get what education he
could at district schools.
Was a Great Declaimer.
His strong bent was in the line OF decla-
nation, and from early boyhood he was
in demand at spelling schools and church
sociables. "Spartacus to the Gladiators'
and 'Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight" were
favorites in those days, and young La Fol-
lette could recite them better than any boy
in the county. In 1875 the family moved
to Madison, and three years later he enter
ed the University of Wisconsin. He worked
his way through college, and at the same
time assisted his mother in supporting the
family. One winter he earned money by
teaching a country school ten miles from
Madison. Part Of the time he edited the
university paper.
Shakespeare was his favorite author and
he devoted hours to the study OF the char
acters Of Iago and Hamlet He took
a prominent part in the literary and de-
batting societies. and won the oratorical
championship of the university in 1879 with
an grafton on "Iago." Using the same dec
lamation, he next captured the champion
ship of the state, and later the interstate
championship, in which he was pitted
against the premier college orators OF In
diana, Illinois, Iowa. Missouri and OHIO.
When he returned to Madison the students
of the university carried him on their
shoulders from the train to the campus. lit
bonfires in his honor and hired band 10
add to the impressiveness OF the occasion.
J0ffo rQt
than eat, and his militant political career
bears out the statement. But he has
sense of humor, too His daughter. Miss
Fola who is an actress In MISS Rehan 8
company, tells this story about him:
Found Carpet Tack in Pie.
During his congressional career he Lived
In a boarding house. One day at dinner he
found carpet tack in his mince pie.
"Mary," he called, addressing the wait
ress
What is It, sor?" she asked.
He held up the bit of misplaced hard
ware.
IF you'll bring me a hammer" he said,
gravely, "Ill nail down the lid of this pie
Shortly after returning to Wisconsin he
began his long struggle against the repub-
lican state organization. In 1894 he prom
ised Nils Haugen, candidate for governor,
the delegates from Dane county Haugen
ton. The night the first primaries were
held La Toilette did not secure single del
egate. To win he must carry every remain
ing primary in the county. His friends all
threw up the sponge and told him the ngnt
was absolutely hopeless.
Boys" cried La Toilette, I'm going to
carry every remaining primary in Dane
county, If I have to crawl there on my
hands and kpees!' He carried them.
One remarkable thing about La Follette's
success is the fact that during three of the
most strenuous and critical years of his
fight for the governorship he was fiat on
his back in bed at least six months of each
year His malady was a peculiar stomach
affection, and physicians seemed unable to
help him. His enemies felt confident that
he was going to die. Most men would have
deem discouraged but La Toilette pushed his
campaign with tireless persistence cured
his stomach trouble by a regular daily rou-
tine of exercises, and won the coveted gov
ernorship.
ernor Wisconsin ever had He will be
watched with peculiar interest because of
his well-known views on railroad rate legs-
lation.
A Family Long in Public Life.
Noteworthy In his own state of Massa-
chusetts because of his own personality,
and sure to be regarded with expectation
the country over because of his ante
cedents is Gen. lockwood Hoar, who will
take his seat in the House of Representa-
tives for the first time this week.
Gen. Hoar is the son Of the lamented
Senator George Frisbie Hoar, and is de-
scended from long line of colonial strong
men. There is something in his face that
shows kinship with the Sherman family OF
Ohio, which gave the country two remark
able brothers, one of whom William Te-
cumseh, was one Of the greatest generals in
the civil war. and the other, John, con-
temporary statesman of the first rank.
lockwood Hoar was named for his uncle
Judge Ebenezer lockwood Hoar. Elbenezer
lockwood and George Prisbfe EIoar were
sons OF Samuel Hoar, patriot of revolu-
tionary days and a member of the Massa-
chusetts legislature.
Ebenezer lockwood Hoar held many Of
fees. the most important, perhaps, being
membership in the joint high commission
that passed on the claims Of the United
States against Great Britain on account of
the depredations of the Alabama during the
civil war He was a member of the House
thirty years ago.
If the present lockwood Hoar lives up
to his ancestry he will be of some conse-
quence in the House.