The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-08-07
ANAPPRECLA7 TON OF THREE AND
A HALF YEARS OF HARD WORK
Gardner Pays q Tribute to
the Faithful Service of La
Toilette, the Pioneer Peo-
pies Senator.
BY gibson GARDNER.

oV 0IISON GAhONeH.
Special Correspondence to The YFsss
WASHINGTON, Aug. For
three years and six months the
senate of the United States has
had a consistent and aggressive
minority of one. The minority's
name Is Robert M. LaFolIette.
The government of the United
states is a representative" gov
eminent.
A majority of the senate repre-
sents IS.
LaFollette represents people.
That Is the situation in a nut
shell.
When LaFollette came to the
senate three and a half years ago
he came free (poIiticafIy) man.
He had no corporation strings on
him. He did not owe his job to
money influence or favor.
And when he was elected,
Washington said:
Pooh. What's the difference?
In the senate he'll be like a mouse
in cat pound. He'll be lucky IL
they let him live
Three years and six months have
glided by, and it now appears that
the comparison was not well
chosen. 1t was no mouse that was
introduced into this feline aggre-
cation. 1t was more as If a small
bull terrier had been thrust into
the cage.
A bulldog is long on fight. He
has staying powers. He does not
mind punishment; he Is a faithful
guardian of what he is set to watch
and he does not care TOR cats.
The senatorial cats are strong,
wary, sharp clawed, well fed,
crafty, graceful--and they do hate
bulldogs. All cats would like to
kill all dogs; but their murderous
instinct is moderated by fear. Even
when 1t Is hundred to one, they
will not pitch in and Clean the
dog up.
And that is the way 1t has been
with LaFollette and the senate,
ever since his arrIva..
The cats all brushed up their
tails, and let out ominous growls
when they discovered him in their
midst, but they did not openly at
tack. The bulldog took his corner,
over in the Cherokee strip, and
waited for the shindy to begin.
Did you ever see a cat pretend
that the dog Is not there? The
cat will assume an attitude of most
deliberately studied indifference,
and walk slowly. sedately to a safe
retreat. The senatorial cats have
generally done that They seemed
to say: Its pity to have this
LaFollette present; and you never
know what he may do; but it will
be better to keep up appearances
of dignity and security py pretend
ing that he is design in the car
pet or a speck on the wall"
Wow! G-r-r-r-r-r! Snap!"
A cat has come too near, and the
fur flies. An amendment catches
a rate bill where the hair is short,
or gets to the neck of tariff
schedule.
There have been some mighty
sudden mixups between this bull
dog and the senatorial cats. They
have claws, and cat IN a corner
can put up nasty fight. But they
haven't had to fight that way yet.
Whenever one of the cats gets
close enough it reaches for the dog
with fine set of un,1ried claws
does If 1t thinks it can get away
with 1t. But this Is dangerous
sport, and the fate of a few adven-
turous ones in early days has made
the practice increasingly unpop-
ular.
OF course the dog has barked. It
is the practice of dogs to bark at
cats. 1t is the virtue also of good
watchdogs to bark when danger
threatens. 1t is a call for other
dogs, and a warning for the mas
ter. For more than three years
now LaFollette has kept up quite
a steady barking.
Just recently the public (the
careless MASTERY came and took a
look, and what did they find but
the big Aldrich Tomcat, and As spe-
cially well fed fellnes carrying off
the family roast, in the shape Of a
revision of the tariff upward. Gal
linger cats, Hale cats, cats from
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts,
cats from the intermountafn and
southern states, were keeping UP a
back fence chorus and trying to hold
the bull at bay, and to cover the
retreat of the roast.
Well, the cats got away with the
dinner, but the good dog did his
best. And finally some other dogs
were stirred up and came to help.
and before the fun was over there
were nearly dozen dogs baying 80
cats.
In all seriousness, LaFollette has
performed q very valuable public
service, during the three and half
years he has been member OF the
senate. He has not made a TOM
tom war. His blows have been real
blows. He has dealt in facts.
rather than in personalities. He