The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-31
THE PLANS OF
Ia TOILETTE
Hundred-to- One Shot He Doesn t
Pull String on the Sen
atorship.
WON'T LOOSEN GRIP ON
HIS STATE MACHINE
New Governor a Good Man
Future Of the Stalwarts
Seems to Be Absorption.

Future Of the Stalwarts
Seems to Be Absorption.
From Staff Correspondent.
Madison, Wis, Jan. Ex-Governor La
toilette has mystifed the politicians a
little by attaching string to his &C.
ceptance Of the senatorship, but it is
! considered a hundred-to-o one chance that
| he will not pull the string.
! The statement he made is regarded as
notice to the legislature that he will
continue. to be active in shaping the
! fight for the primary law, he is now
; centering his energies on reduction of.
railroad rates. He will bend every en-
ergy to get law passed clothing the
state railroad commission with full
power. ". -Eaz. g.
not sure he will take the senatorship.
Everyone else feels morally certain that
he will. Before the senatorial election,
it was said he was not candidate. In
a sense that, was true, for he never
asked single member to vote for him.
just the same, the entire force of the
Ia Toilette machine was employed on
nothing to stop it. ! Some Of his friends
were supporters of the favorite son can
didates. They had nothing against La
Toilette, and he was their second choice
if the election of their own man was i'm
possible. They, caucused with the
day to head off La Toilette. The after
noon before the caucus they counted
noses for the last time, and found that
their majority had melted away: The
caucus itselfwas "band-wagon' affair.
Now everyone understands that the pro-
| hoe qrox hoa 81 ~ - lon
Quarles with La Toilette, and then to
| beat Spooner four years from now.
La Toilette will 90 to Washington,
i but he will not relax his grip on the
state situation, by a single pound. He
holds it together by the power of his
leave state matters to his friends, the
La Toilette forces would begin to dis
integrate. No other man could main
tain the disciplin he .wields. He has
some able ieutenants, and some one of
them will be agreed on to run against
I Spooner in 1905, but none Of them will
succeed him in the active leadership of
i the party. 4 s...a- sz.t@s. 4:.r u. &
All Right, With Limitations. Rs b
James %. Davidson, the present lieu.
tenant governor issa clean, capable and
Inexperienced man, and he will make a
g9e43d goygan11a or But But ne IS not La fbt
for twelve years past. At home he is
! proprietor of genera! store, and from
the store he went to the assembly, serv-
ing at the sessions of 1898, 1895 and
/ 1897. There he introduced a bill to tax
express and telegraph companies, led
the fight for it, and secured its adoption
in 1897. He was nominated and elect
ed state treasurer in 1898 and again in
1900. In 1902 he was nominated and
elected lieutenant governor, and again
so honoredin 1904: La Follette's shadow
lay athwart Quarles path then, and the
lieutenant governorshlp was plainly
stepping. stone: to the governorship. But
in the disciplined camp of the "half-
hreeds' there was not word Of oppo'
sition to Davidson. -..-
There are a number Of able and ag-
gressive men in the La Toilette camp,
Among his lieutenants Attorney Gen
eral Sturdevant and Speaker Lenroot
are looked on as coming men. And
there are numerous other active young
fellows coming to the front.
One story, which is here branded a
"pipe,' had it that the governor was
going to turn down the senatorship and
give it to Isaac Stephenson of Marin
cite, the veteran lumberman, who has
been the heaviest contributor to the
La Toilette compaigns. According ia
this story the seat had been promised
Stephenson, who was represented a!
5 being very SORE The facts, as under
> stood by well-informed men here, arr
: that Stephenson gave up his senatorial
ambitions some time ago, and is entire
ly satisfied to see La Toilette win. HI
> wanted it badly when Quarles wal
3 elected two years ago, but he is get
ting old, and if La Toilette had wantec
have controlled the members to tina
= | extent.
;, Future Of the stalwarts.
4 One of the questions of the hour is
What will become of the stalwarts9 Thu
e stalwarts themselves are wondering
!, When they bolted last spring, they
e maintained their convention to be: tn,
e convention Of the republican party
g The national convention Endorsed tina
e claim. The supreme court Of the stat
e refused to indorse it, but without goin
5 into the merits Of the case. When the
n came to the polls, they mustered onl
g corporal s guard compared to the Ii
e Toilette candidates. It is absurd nov
: republican party. They failed to max
e good and Republicans outside woul
/ laugh at the handful of voters settin
o themselves up as the only true reput
i lican party. s.a.s
! Apparently the only thing left flo
= them to 90 IS to give up their separat
= organization, come into the main ten
= side by side with the hated Hhal1
q % Breeds hoping for brighter da
e when they can once more get voic
q in party leadership. 1t is either tina
= or turn democrats, and the time is no
7. propitious for changing politics. S
y the less violent stalwarts seem prepal
i ing to bow to the will of the majority
and act as republicans with the La Fo
lette organization.
A plain sign of this was seen in til
/ vote for senator, when several sta
y warts cast their votes for La Follett,
4 Among them was Senator Whitehea,
I who was the stalwart candidat
against La Toilette i'll 1902.
y Charles B. Cheney.
l. REPUBLICAN CAUCUS CALEB
IS Washington, Jan. 3I.-The republica
n leaders of the house have decided t