The Washington herald., 1906-12-06

His colleagues have observed that Sena-
tor Lafollette wears every sign Of good
health and prosperity after his summer
among the Chautauqua assemblies. He
entered the Senate chamber yesterday
with the brisk and elastic step of a train
ed athlete. His face was as rosy as a
boys. When he greeted other Senator's
they began to mention the powerful grip
of his hand and the strength of his bi-
ceps.
The Wisconsin Senator wore a hand
some waistcoat that one Senator noticed
with some admiration You look as If
you had dressed for a hazing party" he
suggested.
Il didn't dress especially for one. but l
suppose these clothes would do for one,
replied Mr. Lafollette. by the way
when does the hazing begin?"
The Wisconsin Senator spoke without
the least hesitation of the occasions where
he had Senatorial colleagues on the plat
form with him and newspaper accounts
made it appear that he had attacked
them savagely.
"ATI that" he said. was mainly in the
newspapers. Some who are against what
l stand for deliberately magnified what
occurred in order to hurt me, and, on the
other hand, some too friendly friends may
have been glad to magnify matters
What took place at Evansville lnd''
where I spoke was simply this: Senator
Hemenway came 10 my hotel. greeted me
cordially. and told me ne was to take me
A. 70
and introduce me- 1 realized at once
that in my speech or lecture, which dealt
with the interstate commerce question
I gave the record Of votes on what | re-
garded as measures that the country
wants
7 said as much to Senator Hemenway,
who laughed and said everybody knew
him there. and I could not hurt him II
tried. At once assured him that 1 had
no personal motive and urged him To
abandon the idea of taking me on the
stage and introducing me But he in
sisted and We went out according to the
arrangement. I kept TO my argument
and explained the various amendments
that I had offered TO the interstate COM
merce bill, and then he gave the record
OF votes by which they were laid on the
table. I put no emphasis on any name.
when Hemenway's name was reached
in the list the crowd groaned and hissed.
The Senator left the platform at one time.
but later came back. As We drove away
he said TO me that If he had known how
hot I was going TO make it for him there
he would have been inclined to take my
advice and not 90 out with me. That was
all there was Of that
The Salt Lake incident" continued the
Senator. was much like il, where Sen
atOr SmOot met me at the train. which
was very late and went with me to the
stage. on the way l told him, just as
had Senator Hemenway, what my
speech was and how I should read the
record OF the votes in the Senate on vari-
Gus amendments 10 the interstate COM
merce bill.
Senator Smoot did not introduce me.
The fact that his name was among those
who voted against the amendments was
taken by the Salt Lake papers 10 be an
attack on the Senator. In Kansas Rnd
New Jersey the case was essentially the
same, although in the latter State / went
under the auspices Of the Republican COM
mittee and Senator Dryden was not pres
ent on the platform.
7 there took occasion to say that I had
no apologies to offer for showing how the
New Jersey Senators voted, because the
country was a unit on this interstate
question, and We were as much Interested
in Wisconsin in how the New Jersey SEN
ators voted as the people Of New Jersey
could be.
Wherever I went I insisted that the
people should keep informed on the rec
ord and know whether their Senators
and Representatives actually do repre-
sent them. The lecture platform has
again come to be a power for good with
the people, and I have felt that my work
was to tell my audiences the truth where
their interests are so vitality concerned.
I did that, no matter who might be hurt
by it.
As the experiences Of the Senators who
were stuug by the use made by the Wis
.consin Senator of the Senate rOil-calls
are told about the Senate and all the
circumstances are known. the disposition
10 haze Weakens. II is realized that the
office OF the Toll-call is to give the peo-
pie knowledge OF how their representa-
ttves vote, and the logic seems TO drop
out of the criticism OF La Toilette.