The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-02
PRAISE IA TOILETTE
AS SECOND ROOSEVELT
Friends of Wisconsin Senator
Think Him Excellent Pres Z
idential Timber. ,
IF RADICAL rs NEEDED, -
HE rs MAN, THEY SAY
Enemies Take Little Heed of Pre-
dictions of Wonderful Ca
H.. reer for Badger.
BY w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jern,ane. -
tialities of politics are such that
every new man in public life,
more especially in the national field
as distinguished from the more cir
cumscribed state field, is closely
watched during the earlier part of his
service, for the purpose of ascertain
ing whether he promises to disclose
those traits and exceptional abilities
of which great. populars leaders are
made. During the session of congress
closed Saturday. Senator La Toilette Of
Wisconsin has been thus closely
watched The verdict is not unanimous
either way. His friends predict for
him a wonderful career, perhaps the
sistently to follow the course he marked
out for this session, while his enemies
assert that his career will not be un-
like that of many another man in this
country who has come to prominence
for a time and then been carried away
by receding tide far beyond sight
or hearing. It will not do, in this case.
however, as it has not done in numero
Gus others of a somewhat similar ma
lure, for careful men to have any hard
and fast opinion Men in Washington,
lie men, say frankly that La Toilette
is an enigma. They don t know where
to place him, or what his future is to
be. Meanwhile, his ability, energy and
courage are such as to entitle him to
respect and attention.
The most noteworthy thing about him
during this his first session in the SEN
ate has been his detachment from the
republican forces of that body. Him
self a member Of that party, he has
received scant courtesy or attention at
the hands of the party leaders, chiefly
because Of the violence of his opin-
ions on certain public questions, but in
part because of his temperamental in
ability to conform without chatting to
the rules of party discipline prevailing
in the senate. The result has been that
during this session, or from January 4,
when ne entered actively upon his SEN
atorial career, he has spoken and
voted with the democrats on nearly all
important questions and received sub
stantially all of his support from demo-
cratic sources. So far as purely party
matters are concerned, he was at no
time during the session counted as a
republican by republicans.
Revels in Conflict.
Singularly enough, Mr.. La Toilette
seems to enjoy being out of tune with
his republican associates, and to be
happiest when he is saying or doing
something which is provoking them.
Like many other men of his militant
type, he enjoys fight for the fight s
extends it. In a conservative setting
he would be strangely out of place. He
is a radical from head to foot, and
he doesn't care who knows it. What
makes him an effective figure in pub
lie life is the fact that his radicalism
thus far has found expression in an
Intelligent and well-sustained effort to
curb capital and monopoly and at the
same time extent the privileges and
opportunities of the people at large.
Unlike good many other radicals, he
does not seem to carry the handicap of
excessive impracticability or unwisdom
His head is pretty level and sets square
~ and securely in the middle of his
broad shoulders. He is no mere dream
er, but for the most part sane and with
the .poise that goes with sanity.
His friends maintain that if the re-
publican party is to nominate some
radical man as Roosevelt IS successor,
tEat man must be man Of the La Fol-
lette type. and they point out that La
Toilette stands on the same ground
with Roosevelt and heartily supports
his policies. This is true in the main.
La toilette is of the Roosevelt type,
but the Roosevelt type emphasized.
The difference between them is one of
degree rather than of kind, but it is
both significant and important. La Fol
lette: his enemies assert, lacks the pow
er of repression which is the one thing
which saves Roosevelt from being, a
dangerous man. Many of Roosevelt IS
friends have on occasion been fearful
that he, too, lacked this power, but
whether he has much or little of it, he
has considerably more than La Toilette
has. Roosevelt, La Toilette, Folk, Je,
rome, belong to the same school of
craftsmanship, but Roosevelt easily has
more of the strong points of that school
and fewer of it's weak points than any
of the other men named. In Other
words. he is better balanced than they
- Labor for La Toilette.
But whatever La Toilette may OF
may not be along these particular lines
he is the embodiment in Washington OF
much that the laboring men Of this
country demand at the hands Of the
sion of congress which closed today hi
was from start to finish their especial
champion, and in their name he put
lance in rest and rode manfully to the
fray against corporate interests where
ever they showed themselves on the
field of conflict.
His record as senator is almost
wholly confined to attacks of this sort
and it is record which frequently
makes its possessor a popular idol, OF
puts him into position to become such
It is also a record showing diligence
and energy of an unusual sort, coupled
with wide information and great
ability. -
He entered the senate, as already
stated, Jan. A. and was i'll for more
than month during the latter part Of
the winter. So far as systematic work
is concerned, his efforts have been con
fined to about four of the seven months
of the session, and yet he has identified
himself with enough issues to endea1
him to the hearts of large classes Of The
people the country over.
He exposed and stopped the sale an6
leasing Of coal and asphalt lands in In
dian territory.
5 He led the fight which prevented the
making the records of the Dawes com
mission final, and compelled the extern
sion of the tribal relations of the fvt
Continued on I'd Page, 5th Column.