River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-07-30
SILVER JOE" KONKEL
SCORES LENROOT.

er house of Congress they sign their
names to the register and after the
name they are supposed to state
their occupation. And, strange as
it may seem, nearly all of them have
an occupation-some occupation be-
sides professional politics. One
member is lawyer, another one a
banker, another one a farmer, and
SO on through the list.
Once in a long time however, a
member acknowledges that he has
no business outside of politics. The
late Senator German always wrote
after his name, Public Official, ,"
and it is said that Senator Allison
now signs his register that way.
And it is right and proper that they
should do so. Neither Senator Cor
man or Senator Allison ever had
any other occupation than politics,
so far as any one can remember.
Il have been wondering what r.
vine Lenroot would give as his &C.
cupation if he should be elected to
Congress. Would he write his &C.
cupation as steuographer, a law
yer or what? He could hardly make
it "stenographer," for that would
not comport with the dignity of the
office. He could hardly say law
YER" because that wouldn't be true.
AS he never has been in any kind of
business, he couldn't say he was a
merchant. The word lecturer
wouldn't do, either, because that
wouldn't be true. About the only
thing he could do would be to fol-
low the lead of German d Allison
and write Public Official" That
would exactly describe the occupa-
ton of Irvine Lenroot, but | very
much doubt if he would have the
courage to write it that way.
when the Superior Court was
created some seventeen years ago,
Irvine Lenfoot was made the Court
Reporter, which position he has held
ever since. That is to say, he has
continued to draw the salary ever
since, though he has done but little
of the court work for years-not
since he first went to the Assembly
some ten or a dozen years ago.
X X
Irvine has been devoting his time
to talking reform politics and try
ing to elect himself to almost every
office in the gift of the American
people.
After serving six years in the Wis
consin legislature. IT.
vine made up his mind that the job
was entirely too small for Irvine's
size. Then it was that he decided
to go after the governorship but the
field was too big and Irvine got
swamped in the mire of defeat.
"Soon after the close of this cam
paign Spooner resigned his seat in
the United States Senate, and Irvine
sized up the job and went after it
with both feet, but he didn't go very
far before he concluded to pull out
of the fight.
II have known Lenroot for about
eighteen years. His has been case
of chronic office seeking. First the
Assembly; then he wanted to be
| Governor; then he fixed his eye on
| the United States Senate, now he
wants to go to Congress, and if de-
feated he will probably try for the
district attorneyship, or Justice OF
the Peace. Lenroot would not be
Lenroot if he were not looking for
office. Will the time ever come when
he is not looking for Office?
"As have said, am getting tired
of this fellow. like to be loyal to
Superior at all times and / like to
support Superior men for office; but
| like to support men who have
shown, at some time in their lives,
that they are able to make their own
living-that they can live without
| having their shouts in the public
trough. For my part / will no. this
year support man for Congress
who would have to write Public
Official after his name if he were
elected.
81 am also getting tired OF these
Republicans who preach Democratic
doctrine-to get themselves elected
to Office. IF this district must be
represented by republican, pre-
| fer that his republicanism should be
genuine. Lenroot is no more re-
publican than | am, he is a demo
crat and breaches democratic doc
triue. If he wants TO run Tor Con-
gress, he ought to be running on
the democratic ticket. The only
reason under the sun he does not