The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-06-12

broader field, and in 1905 he wa
elected to the United States senate t
succeed Joseph b. Quaries, and tool
his seat January 4. 1906.
That La Toilette would be in
effectual as a member of the Unite,
States senate was the prediction
freely made by his numerous enemies
The powerful interests which he hat
antagonized in his own state feared
and resented his presence in tn,
United States senate.
Disappointed Enemies.
He has disappointed his enemies
no less than he has pleased hts
friends. Those who believed that he
would be content to make noise and
let it go at that have found that they
were mistaken. Others who thought
that he would render himself useless
by ill-adyised personal attacks or un-
dignified conduct have found they
were equally in error. On the other
hand, the smooth, diplomatic gentle
men who run the senate have found
III impossible to move La Toilette
from his regular course of action by
soft speech, promises or hopes of any
kind of reward. Neither Offices nor
rendered appointments on important
committees, nor pleasant social rela-
tons have been effectual in swerving
La Toilette from the course he had
mapped out.
Senator La Toilette, has constituted
himself a very important minority
of one. In this capacity he objects
to bad legislation and uses his OBJ
Jections to secure what is possible of
good legislation, and the fact that the
senate does business practically by
consent, has made La Fol
lette's legislative independence a po-
tent factor in the law making power.
The best speech on the administra-
tons railroad rate law was that de-
iYered by Senator La Toilette. He
Is responsible for more amendments
10 that law as it now stands ON the
books than any single member of the
senate. His long fight with the rail-
Dads in Wisconsin had given him a !
preparation to deal with |
his Subject intelligently and force
ully. President Roosevelt aeknowl-
'dged the assistance rendered by La
Toilette in this fight. and several of
he latter's amendments were adopt
ID by the administration before they
we're presented in the senate.
Senator La Toilette was pioneer
n the work of saving the public /
Utilities. In the fifty-ninth. congress
Re exposed an effort by the Standard
III company to acquire the oil and
mineral lands in the then territory of
oklahoma and Indian Territory. He
repaired, but was unable to secure
he passage of an excellent law tol
rotect the rights of the government.
nd thus of the people, in coal and
iineral lands which still are part of
ne public domain. He aided the
assage of the meat inspection law.
he pure food law, the employers
ability law and practically al, the
God legislation enacted in the Fifty {
NTH congress.
In the sixtieth congress la Fol-
ute single handedly defeated the
riginal Aldrich currency bill. He
ed that the bill was intended pri-
larily to create a market for rail-
bad securities which had been cor
llled by Rockefeller, Morgan. Ryan
nd few other New York capitalists
nd at Senator La Follettes demand
le socalled railway bond feature"
the Aldrich bin was stricken out
A record of this character had its | q
atural effect in drawing upon the }
Fad Of La Toilette the bitter enmity
nine-tenths of the members of the
mate. He found himself the object
conspiracy fOstered by the "O,d {
uard," the object of which was TO I
segregate' him. The leaders of the
mate apparently agreed TO speak to \
In once during the day, but other
Use to ignore his presence as a mem
er OF that body. This has, however, I
lade no difference to the Wisconsin |
snator, who has gone on with his /
task of being a thorn 8
the side of those who he believes
epresent the vested interests.