The Detroit times., 1909-02-20
IA Toilette AIMS
TO RULE j. s.
SENATE
PUBLIC INTEREST WOULD BE IN
SAFER HANDS-WEST WILL RE.
PLACE NEW ENGLAND IN GUio-
ING SENATE.
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS.

BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS.
WASHINGTON. Feb. ls.-The sur
face OF senate events is troubled by
n battle over the naval bill. Senator
la Toilette is leading the war against
the bill. The attack has been coolly
planned Also IL exhibits confidence
and strength. The war cry OF the La
Follettes is Economy" They pre-
tend that they want 10 squeeze the ex-
travagance out OF the bill
This is no war for position. IL Is a
war for supremacy. Mr.. La Toilette
has. OF coolest plan. resolved 10 be-
come master OF the senate. think,
too, he viii succeed also, | hope he
will succeed. The public interest
would then be In hands safer than
are those which hold IL now.
Consider the story OF Mr. La Fol-
lette. consider his strain and fashion
as man. IL may aid you In con
Guiding whether | am right or wrong
in saying that the present skimisn
Is but the beginning or struggle
which Will end by the west displac.
ing New England In the saddle of
senate destinies.
Mr. Aldricn and Mr.. Hale are, as
you we'll know. the present ruling
forces OF the senate. | say again. that
Mr. Toilette intends To shove them
both aside, and with them Mr.. Lodge.
Mr. Gallinger, Mr. Tillman. Mr.. Dan
lei and what others are among their
camp followers and take command
himself
You are surprised that name Mr..
hA hnt a
feet OF Mr.. Hale and Mr.. Aldrich for
what senate things he can get? Take
look at Mr.. Tillman. He is a vast
rmbug-full OF lip valors and YER
bal ferocities. or the whole senate
he Is the arch grandstander. He finds
his only strength In what his South
Carolina people do not know. Alto
gether oral, he would be hailed among
the Indians as the Big Noise" He
talks blood, but never sheds II. The
Hales and the Aldriches have little
or no trouble with him. For when
worst Is said there's no more peril In
Mr.. Tillman than abides in u Belgian
hare.
| Ia Toilette Fights.
The difference between the La Fol
lettes and the Tillmans is the differ
ence between dagger and drum.
| Mr.. La Toilette comes OF the HUI
guencts. The Huguenots seldom laugh
and always fight. Also, you can kill
hut you cannot conquer Huguenot
| MIR. La Toilette was born at Wis
consin CROSSROADS hamlet called Prim-
rose not a days walk from Madison
This was in June, 1855. His father
vas farmer Also. the latter died
when Mr.. La Toilette was hardly tall
enough 10 reach up 10 the plowstilts.
After the father died the boy la
! Toilette lived in the one-story log
house with his mother. and together
they did the best they could with the
farm. Nights he studied books.
| When Mr.. La Toilette was IS, his
mother sold the farm. They moved 10
Madison. There he went 10 the state
University. Also, he studied law.
Mr.. La Follette's lighter reading
took the form OF Shakespeare. The
French blood stirred within him and
he felt like coming CoQuelin. He
consulted John Mccullough That
TRACE dian looked him over, heard him
deC lain
You have genius, but not inches.
said Mccullough, and Mr.. La Toilette.
who hadn't seen Lawrence Barrett nor
heard Of David Garrick, turned his
convinced back on the stage and went
back TO law.
Mr.. La Toilette was elected county
attorney for Dane. He went to con-
gress and was OF the ways and means
committee that framed the Mckinley
| bill Also, he went down beneath the
I l.. ut x.A b. a
ure, plus a billion dollar congress
Now we are on the brink OF three
billion dollar congress" but nobody
minds.
| Three times Mr.. La Toilette has
been governor. In 1905 he caused him.
self to be elected TO his present senate
seat His term will expire In two
years. He will be reelected. for he is
dictator in Wisconsin's political affairs.
II is he who is making all the presen.
4, trouble for his colleague. Mr.. Stephen
son. He will doubtless defeat him.
or. falling that, he will make des-
perate attempt TO unseat him upon a
charge Of corruption.
Wouldn't stay Beaten.
How did Mr.. La Toilette come up
the Office ladder I've described? He
fought his way up rung by rung. He
fought Senator Sawyer. and was
beaten, but wouldn't stay beaten. He
fought Senator Spooner. and was
beaten, but wouldn't stay beaten. Mr..
Sawyer died Mr. Spooner grew weary,
and here still is Mr.. La Toilette as
tireless and as blood-hungry as one OF
Wlsconsins own black timber wolves.
Mr.. La Toilette has square.
smooth. hard. indomitable face. II IS
the face OF one who has seen trouble.
is looking for more trouble. and
would be unhappy II he didn't find
! trouble.
His eyes are level, hard, steady, un-
blinking There is no mercy, no kind.
ness, no generosity but a mighty reso-
luton second only to mightier ego
tism In those eyes. They never laugh.
they never weep. they never waver.
they never yield. And they are always
glancing about for something to claim.
something to take possession OF. some
thing 10 20 to war over.
Mr.. La Toilette. be 1t said, is money
honest. He wouldn't touch a dOlla:
with stain on II. Also he doesn I
care for money doesn't banker To be
rich. In this way he's a Wisconsin
Roosevelt The latter was born hum