The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1908-06-05
LAF0LLETTE'S METHOD.
PLAN OF WISCONSIN SENATOR To MAKE THF
government TRULY REPRESENTATIVE

IN full by every student of public affairs We have snace
nnv for Mr. Stefens description of La Toilette bor @
Judge is his avorite of all public It is as follows.
ROBERT NJ LA FOLLETTE
Senator La Toilette is leader He led the people
Wisconsin in fight which has lasted eight years to
recover segovernment in that state and though he got
results though he, like Roosevelt put through laws in
the common interest and aroused the people to vision
Of the SYSTEM the one great achievement Of La Foettes
leadership is this
The people of Wisconsin rule the state of Wisconsin
La Toilette has made them clear and selreant that
they won't let La Toilette boss them No. they have
representative democracy in Wisconsin. And that is
why have La Toilette United States senator who
tries to represent not interests; Wisconsin, not even
the people of Wisconsin, but all the people of all the United
States.
The inerv with Senator La Toilette was rapid and
easy. When | asked him what the matter was late one
night at his home, he said casually:
Politically, the trouble be summed up one
phrase misrepresentation government. Our Government
does not represent the people
And back of that?
He looked sharp but he answered
Back of that is the fact that government does repre-
sent privilege. don't of course such empty prvi
hges hear of in Europe honOrs and titles. mean
that government manned by the agents. sOmetmes
honest often corrupt of businesses which have want
to have what call special privileges which really are
just plain advantages other and other businesses
For eXanlple?
Franchises to run railroads; exceptional rights toI
land timber deposits of minerals coal-the natural rel
sources of the country"
But these must be developed and worked"
"Yes he said but in the public interest. And it'll
isn't in the public interest to have individuals or corpora
tos them with eye single to the profits OF the mono
poly That produces wealth. but not for the people; 1t
mpoverishes the people 1t increases the riches and the
power for good evil of the men who get It, and they
use it to corrupt government and Our courtS-o get
more resources more profits and more power For When
these the of privileges they seek more ana
50 we find them slipping through legislatures special laws
for private purposes and brbng the police for license to
break laws. These in general are the ends or
which good citizens corrupt their government
What do you propose to do about II!
What we did in Wisconsin, he answered. Restore
representative government redeem the democracy set
up establishment which will deal in Our interest WIN all
these forces
But how did you do that?"
First by propaganda We told the people what the
matter The railroads ruled and we showed tne
voters that this was So Then picked out gross LQ
privilege, like the non-payment by the raloauS ol %
Just share of taxes We proposed to tax them equaI{
The railroads fought thew always fight everything right
wrong they did the President rate Dill TC Sltr
see now in the railroads interest 80 IN WSGo W. w.
shey fought the railroad tax And ina ta' and the
showed the people Then pledged the parry ] la b f
candidates to the equal tax issue. Having oueleu
TO redeem the pledge refused to amend IT, we III
compromise; cor weren't after bill we wai,9 oLosed to
bill, and the reason we wanted it was that we PIoP
drive of politics the men who represented te
and leave only those who represented tne ne PeoP + We
we're beaten at first that IS to say our On + we went
mad taken vote and with that record OF V1e Ie Of
out and-we called the roll That showed the Al
each district what their representative reP[esel9ld
the people had to do then was to vote ana % ' % the Senate
SO that is why you read the ro-callS Oh 'l0
all over the country?' tho neope
That's why he answered i want Vlg Psope-
70 know whether their senators represent s1 Senate
thing else When they know that, the United 9;"'09
will represent the people of the United STATES ~ has tot
Then, Senator, every measure you you a. the bill the
pa purposes one to achieve the end deScIlO00 -
other to put the senators on record. is 70 nut r
Exactly he said "And my first Put4Ie fe Congress
the senators record, for, if we coud get teentafive
the other things would come Of themselves Not ope eed
two manged bills session. but all the legho hJrcb bill that
Bi you sad in yopf 6P6 Pa96h into mammoth
trust p