The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-12
HITS OUT HARD.
Senator La Toilette Speaks at
the Auditorium.
For Nearly Three Hours Holds
His Audience.
his LAST IN KANSAS.
Will Enter the Campaign in
Wisconsin.
Makes Only Slight Reference TO
Senator Long.


La Toilette, with its twinkling, genlai
eyes, and rich depth of dimples. you
know why people call him Bob
About the FIRST inclination person
has is to say Hello, Bob when tne
massive little senator from Wisconsin
extends his broad, firm hand for a cor
dial shake. Hello Bob" fits very wen
with the senator's handshake. It ls q
bifurated. double -barreled. double
action handshaSe with which Senator
La Toilette welcomes the stranger 70
his bosom. While he holds your rignI
hand In chancery, he swings IN MS leLt
to the shoulder. and gradually works u
around toward a half-Nelsons Wnlle ne
says with q deep, modulated voice. III
tones fairly oozing sincerity:
II am very glad to see you. sir.
Between US. 1t must be confessed that
Senator Robert Marion La Follette Is
not quite as imposing in private life as
his pictures would Indicate. He has
ruddy face which looks as thOugn ltS
owner might be engaged in the culture
Of farm products instead of busily pur-
suing the octopus on the lecture pial~
form and In the halls of congress. But
there is that about this stubby, broad
Shouldered little man that makes one
think Of section of granite wall,
against which the blows of battle might
fall in vain. Bob" La Toilette has the
build. the eye. the walk of fighter,
but the mailed fist is gloved with the
diplomacy Of the experienced polite
where did you get your fighting in
Ttinct- senatOr7" asked one of the peo-
pie that met La Toilette last night
Ny father was a French Huguenot-
My grandfather could speak English
only brOkenly- My mother came from
North Carolina. but her parents Were
Scotch-Irish. That must be where I
got it,
Are you going to keep up this fight
on Senator Long and other senator's -
I'm going directly back from Topeka
to Wisconsin. I want to get into that
campaign there Some of the things
there are mighty interesting to me. The
man who was nominated by the Repub-
Jeans for governor has been my friends
for Il years Though I did not support
MIN in the primary Z shall support ltlm
on the stump. believed that the other
candidate would follow my fight on
The public service corporations with
more vigor but both candidates are my
friends"
How does the new Wisconsin primary
election law work."
'.It's all right. My advice to Kansas
is to get a primary law just as soon as
it can. But don't get one just like
ours We ought to have some changes
made in OURS. For one thing 1t should
he arranged SO that voters might eX-
press q second choice for candidates.
The time of the primary as fixed by
law is not good, because it comes right
in the midst of the tobacco harvest We
will have to make the time either earlier
or later. We must also arrange to have
the polls open after o'clock in the
evening. The principal trouble with our
law in the recent primary was that the
vote didn't get out as It should
Have you met Senator Benson, the
new Kansas senator2'
I have met him, but am not very we'll
acquainted with him. I met him down
at Ottawa the time Lawson and and
other platform men were there By the
way do YOU remember reading that
piece that was written about my speech
al that time2 People had the idea that
was going to talk about the Standard
Oil company Ny subject was The
Worlds Greatest Tragedy AS 4 mat
ter Of fact the lecture is about Hamlet.
Some newspaper man wrote it up in
great style, and took Hamlet, Polonius,
Ophelia and the rest and showed their
connection with the Standard Oil COM
pany Oh, it was a great piece!" and
Senator La Toilette leaned his head
back and let out big. hearty laugh.
Senator, had you noticed the com
ment which Congressman Charles Cur
tis made in regard to the Union Pa
cific influence In the last senatorial
election in this state
yes, I read that; did Curtis really
say it2 I didn't know and La Fol-
Iette placed his hand on the reporter s
shoulder and commenced to hug him
Curtis denied that statement OF not.
If he didn't it certainly looks as though
YOU people are going TO have some fun
down here with your senatorial cleo
rare you making any attacks on
Congressman Curtis in any of your
speeche
"If you mean in regard to giving
Curtis record, I am not. I simply read
the roll calls in the senate on q few
measures.
you have endorsed Bristow for
United states senator from Kansas,
Il have said very frequently that I
believed Bristow would make an ideal
senator. hope he gets the Place
Senator La Toilette arrived in To-
peka about $50 Thursday afternoon.
He went to the Copeland hotel with
o. A. COons of the Slayton Lyceum
bureau. and took room on the third
floor. Not single one of the men in
charge Of Republican headquarters
welcomed him. la Toilette is not
regular" He doesn't stand hitched tc
the party band wagon, and the strict
partisan regards him as an enemy.
Have you been invited to visit Re
publican headquarters here in the
hotel?" was asked Of Senator La Fol
..No-do they have headquarter.
here 2" he asked
But the audience which greeted the
Wisconsin man at the Auditorium Al
o'clock gave Republicans. Democrat ts
and all a chance to find out exactly
what La Toilette has been saying tc
SO agitate the serenity OF certain Re
publican statesmen La Toilette SAID
to a newspaper man before the lee
sure.
There's no use In my giving out
newspaper Interview; I say everything
Continued on Page 12.)