The Goodland republic., 1907-03-15
Ia BLLETTE AID HIS WORK
NAN WHO WATCHES INTERESTS
OF THE PEOPLE
Has Made a Remarkable Record Al
ready and Is Not Afraid Of
Senatorial Ozracism

says in the Kansas City Star:
In the session now drawing to a
close, Senator La Toilette OF WiscOn-
sin has been the most conspicuous
figure His record as a new senator
has been altogether unprecedented. He
violated all senate traditions By tax
ing an active part IN congressional
debates early in his term, and he also
did the unprecedented thing IN q new
senator OF refusing to follow the lead
ership OF the dominant group.
It was predicted by those who
wrote from the senate press gallery
that LaFollette would find himself
hazed, humiliated, and subdued be-
fore he had been in the senate twelve
months. The senators were quite sure
that all this was going to happen and
LaFollette himself himself must be
surprised at his own success. He has
done things not because Of any love
his colleagues have for him, or for
any favors which have been shown
him He has simply taken advantage
OF the senate rules and used them to
accomplish results in committee and
on the floor.
Everybody thought last summer
when La Toilette went into a number
OF states and read the record OF sen
ators, that he had killed his influence
in the upper legislative body Maybe
he has His influence cannot be meas
ured. But he hasn't killed his power
He can do more things now than at
any other time in his legislative ca
reer and he has grown more daring
as success has come to him
Territory Men Seek Him.
More people throughout the United
states look to LaFollette for results
than to any other member Of the
senate. There seems to be an under
standing east and west, north and
south, that LaFOIlette is a good man
to 60 to when there is a suspicion Of
crookedness in any department Of the
national government From the In
dian territory there are as many peo-
pie who seek him as who call upon
Long or Curtis, or the Texas senators
to help them out
LaFOuette's correspondence is larg-
er perhaps than that Of any other
senator. Every minute Of his time is
taken up that he can possibly spare
BY persons who wait upon him to
point out matters which are regarded
as questionable. He supports several
clerks and has q secretary who is just
as active as the senator himself.
All the while he has been in the
senate LaFOllette has sat on the
democratic side. He seems to be
thoroughly at home there and he
doesn't care a rap whether he accom-
pIfshes his results through democrat
ic votes or republican votes.
His methods on the floor are an in
teresting study. Nobody, unless it IS
Foraker or Hale or Lodge, watches
legislation so closely as LaFollette
I
when he knows the dominant senate
grouD is determined to outwit him and
that he has no senate sympathy what
ever for what he is attempting TO do
he wears a smile which won't come
of He observes the strictest par
Iiamentary prOprieties at all times
| He never offends any Of the senate
traditions or trespasses upon it
rules. He doesn't have to- TilmaT
sloshes about just to advertise him
! self LaFollette goes in only for re
/ suits.
His First Big Senate Victory.
Senator LaFOlIette's first cOnspicu
| Gus senate achievement was in pre-
venting the sale or leasing Of the Sc
| gregated coal lands in the Indian ter
rftory. He began with a fight agains
the Indian committee which ALREADY
| had decided upon q plan OF SALE anC
| losing there, carried his contest int
/ the senate. He won because he bold!
exposed the scheme for gobbling VI
the coal lands and public sentimen
| rallied to his support
By an overwhelming vote in tn
/ last session all Of LaFouette's amend
ments to the railway rate bill WeE
| defeated. LaFOllette took his amend
| ments before the people, that is a
i II 80 -a~rr n Fre1
| ed on a lecture tour. His main pre-
/ sentation was the advisability for in
/ corporating in the rate bill the amend
| ment. providing for the valuation o
/ railway property as a basis for rat
| making. Although defeated in tn
/ senate at the time, LaFollette has woI
| even in this case a most remarkabl'
/ victory.
/ The same plan which he urged hsl
/ now been accepted by the interstati
/ commerce commission as the onl.
| means by which q fair rate can o.
| determined and the president also ha
approved it Not only this, but at th'
only test vote on the subject in tn
/ interstate commerce commission thi
/ session, there was a majority for i
/ Fouette's plan. Owing to the late
| ness Of the session no attempt va
! made to TlrSs the amendment but 4
| viii 20 before the senate in the Six
/ Ifsth- conZre~5-
/ Other Things He Has Done.
LaFOuette securerd the passage o
/ the law fixing the liability Of common
/ carriers to their employcs when tn
/ employees were injured in their serv
] ice and writing into the statute IN
I doctrine cf comparative De- iGsoI-cS
/ He succeeded in passing through IN
/ senate against the united OppOsihoi
7 OF the railways an hours Of service
l bill He forced through the senate a.
| amendment to the District OF Colum
I bia appropriation bill compelling a.
/ annual report from the gas hgh
/ companies OF Washington, whicl
/ would be a basis for an equitable de
/ termination as to the price whicl
should be paid for gas. He took "a
/ the amendment prepared by Vtcto
/ LEurdock to determine the dali
\ kTefght Of the mails carried BY tn
j railroad companies and secured IA
/ insertion OF the amendment on tn
senate side.
These were a GeW Of the more con
! spieuous things that Senator La Fol
/ Iette has done. The line OF the legs
i lation indicates the trend OF his &C
/ tivity. He is the one man conspieu
/ Gus in congress who defes the cOrpo7