The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-08-07
Younger Men Determined to
Crush Domination of
the Old Ring.
LA TOILETTE LEADS
BAND OF REFORMERS
Has Scored Many Notable Vic
tories, and Expects to Do More
With Allison Gone.
By I. c. WELLTVEP.

Welt squeezed from t;i2t reluctant DOuy
the almost unanimous vote by which
IL passed. a little more than two years
ago. the railroad rate law, is proceed
ing.
The rate bills passage was accom-
plished by processes Of moral suasion.
The conservatives Of the Senate, though
not liking the mcasU-e-and there were
plenty of such on both sides Of the
party line-were made 20 believe that
there was a public sentiment demand
ing the law, which it would be danger
Gus to ignore. So the bill passed, But
that struggle was not marked by any
particular evidences of the sort OF
changes which have taken place since
La Toilette had just come to the upper
chamber in time to take a prominent
part ia that debate. Defying precedent,
he entered the debate and made a
great speech, offering numerous radical
amendments, among them one Tor a
physical valuation of the railroads,
which received q respectable vote, in
GLIDING that OF half a dozen Repubii-
cans. But even then there was no evil
dence that the new TadiCaLsm was go
ing to have the direct effect Of making
many changes IN the personnel Of the
body.
His First Victory.
Now. however, It is plain that La
Toilette was building wiser than he
knew. for the purposes Of his radical
propaganda. The first senatorial change
attributed directly 10 la Toilette in
huence was that occasioned by the de-
feat OF John Fairfield Dryden, Senator
from New Jersey. La Toilette was in
league with the independents in Jersey
who made the fight against Dryden; he
talked for them and he was much IN
conference with them. They gained
power enough TO deadlock a close Leg
islature; Dryden was beaten; and the
drst senatorial scalp hung at the Wis
cOnsin mans belt
Meanwhile La Toilette had taken an
interest in behalf of Norris Brown, can
didate for Senator In Nebraska. Brown
was elected. The Wisconsin man early
developed a feud with Long, of Kansas,
and now Long has been defeated and
his defeat is popularity attributed direct
" to speeches by La Toilette against
him in Kansas.
La Toilette didn't approve of Senator
Albert B. Kittredge of South Dakota,
and La Toilette has talked much in
South Dakota, where he has a large 1oI-
lowing Kittredge was defeated this
spring, I'm the Statewide primary, and
Governor Coe I. Crawford, another of
the La Toilette type. was nominated by
the Republicans for Senator.
Invaded Oregon.
La Toilette also had invaded oregon,
and aired his reasons for believing that
Senator Fulton was an undesirable. Full
ton was defeated. and the State primary
named George Chamberlain, a Demo-
crat now governor Of the State, for the
succession. He Will be elected, under
the Oregon law, by the unanimous voice
Of the Legislature without regard 10
politics.
La Toilette and his Wisconsin coll
league. the veteran SpOOuer, did not mix
well. They represented the opposite fac
lions in the State, SpOOner stalWart,
la Toilette q hdlt-bTeed. SpOOnerr Tath-
er than make a race for reelection with
Ia Toilette certain TO fight him. re-
signed his seat and permitted Isaac
Stephenson, millionaire lumberman, 70
be sent for the short term 10 the Senate.
Stephenson had been the friend of La
Toilette, and La Toilette supporters in
the Legislature made him Senator. But
after ne had taken his seat he began
presently 10 affiliate with the COnseTVa-
tive crowd. it was charged that he con-
stantly INDUCED vicious and insulting
remarks about La Toilette. He didn't
vote with La Toilette, except rarely;
and in short, a breach developed which
led to open rupture.
Opposes Stephenson.
Now, Stephenson is out as a candi-
date for reelection, and La Toilette is
opposed TO him. It is set down as
reasonably certain that whoever may
be elected, he will not be Stephenson.
La Fouette's hold on Wisconsin is too
good for that.
During the last session La Toilette be-
gan to gather about him a few younger
Republican Senators, a nucleus OF or
ganiZaUOn for the future. BOTah OF
Idaho and Brown Of Nebraska were con-
sistenuy with him; Burkett was at
times but commonly for political rea-
sons relating 10 the sentiment of his
home State, rather than from liking for
la Toilette. For precisely similar rea-
sons DOlliver at times supported La
Toilette propositions.
Then came the big night for the four
battleship proposition. Beverage was
the leader of the younger and indie
pendent element this time. He organ
lied riue night, and, although ne did
not succeed in forcing the Senate 20
grant the Presidents demand for four
DTeadnOUghts. he Old go so far as TO
MAKE Instruction respectable.
That battleship fight showed the de-
termination of the younger element
hereafter 10 insist on its opinions, even
though they might interfere with the
designs of the traditional elder states
men.
Want More Progress.
It is not quite accurate TO refer TO
the insurgeut Senator'S as the younger
group" though in the main they are
thus accurately described. But the line.
Of division is not age; it related to
views on public questions. The insur-
gents are the men who believe the legis-
lative program has progressed too slow
"; who would much more rapidly ex-
tend the Governments controlling
power over corporations and especially
over interstate commerce; who indorse
and accept IN general the Roosevelt
policies and I'm the main the Bryan
program.
Somt OF them go with Bryan to the
extent OF favOring insurance Of bank
deposits. notably Brown and BOTah
They are arrGyed against the ancient
AIdrIch Hale 10 Gallinger Burrows Per
kins-Warren regime, which assumed TO
dominate the Senate, and for many
wears has succeeded. These men are
the conservatives, They oppose the rad
fcalisn. or whatever il is, Of the Roose-
Welt policies
AniHated with the Republican pro-
sreseiVes always has been a good share
OF the Democratic strength IN the Sen