Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-03-04
RISE AND POWER or Ia TOILETTE

lie IS little man about hve feet
six inches tall, bristling like most OF
the famous little men Of history with
human electricity. He weighs some
one hundred and sixty pounds, every
pound of which is good common sense
and common honesty. He has square
strong face, head of iron-gray hair
that looks like a clothes brush upside
down; blue eyes that will hypnotic
from one to ten thousand people at a
time, and clear, far-reaching voice
that will pull you up standing and keep
you there for five hours in July sun
or an April rain. He wears good
clothes, eats nuts, smokes nothing, and
drinks egg lemonade when making a
long speech. AS he talks, he bran
dishes his arms either in welcome or in
combat. He lives in Madison, Wiscon-
sin, hasn't much money, and is one of
the cleanest most vigorous things that
has ever happened to Senate in dire
need thereof. He is Robert Marion
La Toilette, senior Republican Senator
from Wisconsin, says O. K. Davis,
beginning most interesting article in
the March Hampton's Magazine, an
article which forms part of series
interpreting the Senate to the people
of the United States as the editors
of the magazine say.
La Toilette got into the habit of deal
ing directly with the people soon after
he graduated from the University of
Wisconsin.
He was farmers boy, born in the
township of Primrose, a few miles
from Madison, fifty-three years ago.
He had hard struggle for his Uni
versity education, and took his degree
in 1879, was admitted to the bar in 1880,
and married one of his classmates in
1881. The most pressing question he
had to meet then was how to make
enough money to keep himself and his
family alive. He set about it in char
acteristic fashion.
1t is often said of him that he is a
bulldog. He is but with difference
Bulldogs hang on and say nothing. La
Toilette hangs on and keeps talking
And he is at his best while talking. He
learned a good deal about the art of
oratory while in college, as a very
active member of one of the Uni
versity of Wisconsin's excellent debat-
ing societies, and he has a great deal
of native histrionic ability He would
have made superb actor.
In the crisis that confronted him in
1880 he decided that he would run for
Prosecuting Attorney of his county.
He went to the county boss and an
nounced his desire. The boss laughed.
Nobody had heard of La Toilette there,
except as college orator. He had no
experience in politics, and no record.
But he had bulldog determination and
persistency. He hitched up his old
Morgan mare, a relic of the farm days,
and made a personal canvass of the
county. He just told the people about
it and before the canvass was over the
boss capitulated He had to in order
to save his boss-ship. La Toilette was
nominated and elected.
That incident, which began La Fol-
lette's political career, has been repeat
ed at intervals throughout it. 1t set
him upon the Direct-Appeal-tp-the-
People line of thought that has found
fruit in both his State and the Nation.
After two years as Prosecuting Attor-
ney of his county, where he developed
sort of frenzy for putting criminals
in Jail, he concluded that he would run
for Congress- That necessitated a
visit to the district boss. This man
apparently had not heard of the ex-
perience of the county boss. He, too,
laughed at the suggestion of La Fol
lette. Again the old Morgan mare
came into service.
La Toilette was successful again. He
served three terms in Washington and
made national reputation as speaker
and an expert on tariff legislation as a
Senator to-day.
La Toilette desires one great reform
in legislation, the complete and effec-
tive federal control and regulation of
all interstate carriers and corporations
Already there are nearly enough Repub-
licans of his way of thinking in the
Senate to make it close question
whether a Democratic administration
could not secure the enactment of such
laws. And Congress is gradually get
ting more of them, to the selection of
whom La Toilette has been the chief
contributor.
He has taken his case directly to the
people, and slowly but surely he is
converting them.