Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-18

islature pursuant to Gov. La Follettes rec
concentrations. many of his closest political
friends believe that he will serve as United
States senator where his many years OF
strenuous work for reforms close to the
people will be of great service TO the re-
publican party. There is another set of his
political friends also who are as strongly
opposed to La Follette's leaving the state as
1t is possible to be. They urge that there is
still much to do in the state, that unless
the governor stays among them-the man
whom all trust implicitly-the great reform
party. consisting of many democrats and
some socialists and other radicals. will go
to pieces and there will be no one strong
enough to hold the upper hand over rail-
road and corporation intrigue and domina
ton, SO all-powerful in all eastern states.
These men are timid and they are fearful
that they cannot control the elements
which made 1t possible for La Toilette to
achieve so much in the four and half
years that he has been governor. Even now
the democratic hosts OF Wisconsin are get
ting ready to hold love feast here on July
%. at which all the ladng democrats of the
state are to be present. They will be adj
dressed by Bryan and other leaders. The
hope Is that as they believe La Toilette will
leave the state as a senator they will be
able to wean away from the support of
La Follette's party enough democrats to Sc
cure the state for the democracy. They
expect Bryan to strike the keynote for
state campaign to elect a successor of La
Toilette. which will enable them to land
democrat who will stand upon La Fol-
lette platform In the governors chair
The Bryan Democrats.
The Bryan democrats are naturally La
Follette's supporters. because their ma
tional leader indorses all that La Toilette
has done for state reforms. and they ex-
pect to see the old stalwart branch of the
republican party In Wisconsin again swing
into the saddle and upset the newly enacted
reforms of the La Toilette regime when he
becomes senator. as they believe he will
be. This would, they hope. bring even the
half-breed republicans to the support of a
Bryan democrat for governor as against a
republican on stalwart platform. Bryan.
In recent Interview, given at La Crosse.
stated that La Toilette was the natural and
acknowledged leader of the national re-
publican party, and with a cordial feeling
of this kind toward the Wisconsin-La Fol-
lette republicans. the democrats are ex-
pecting a kindly feeling from the La Fol-
lette leaders for the Bryan candidate for
governor of Wisconsin.
These reasons. however are not urged on
La Toilette so much the assertions that
the Senate of the United States is hostile to
the Wisconsin statesman, and that the old
members of that body will take every
means in their power to make 1t as I'M
pleasant for him as possible. They urge
that the contempt with which the badger
convention at Chicago, in 1904. will be a
genial summer day compared with the
colder climate that will greet him upon his
entrance in the United States Senate.
This Is. OF course an extreme view. La
Toilette was for six years a member of the
House. in which he made his mark on the
ways and means committee. He is thor
oughly familiar with the customs and pro-
cedure in both houses. He Is not man
who can be ratified, f1ustered or otherwise
defeated, either in debate or in making
public speech. In addition to all that, as
the backwoods Wisconsin lumbermen say.
He always goes loaded for bar" He Is so
thorough in his preparation upon all SUBJ
jects with which he grapples that he Is al
ways ready.
Gov La Toilette in discussing the subject
today said: eff 1 make up my mind finally
to go to the Senate do not anticipate eX-
periencing any cold shoulder or any other
unpleasantness in the Senate. l am famil-
lar with the customs. traditions courtesies,
rules and methods of the Senate, and l am
sure that they would not be broken to spite
me or any one else" R. NJ NJ