The Washington times., 1909-09-26
LAFOLLETTE FACES
MUCH OPPOSITION
Bitter Political Fight Expect
ed in Effort to Retire
Badger Senator.

est political fight Wisconsin has ever
seen, according 20 Badger state polu-
clans who have lately been In Wash
inston. Already. preparations for the
struggle are being made in the State
The contest viii be Of national inn
portance and will attract national no
tice. Senator La Toilette has fine
crop OF influential enemies All over the
United states and they will lend com
fort and, perhaps, aid 10 the movement
to defeat him. Some of these enemies
are in Congress. Others are powerful
financial interests that Battle Bob
has sttacked
II IS possible the Administration will
be more or less drawn into the fray, in
view OF the seeming breach between the
President and Senator La Toilette over
the tariff measure. II is certain that
the opponents OF Senator La Toilette
IN Wisconsin are going TO try TO make
the night appear to be an Adm inistra-
ton and anti-Administration struggle.
Ihey expect to make capital with the
voters by portraying Senator la Toilette
as opposing the Administration. The
TACT that Senator La Toilette i'm his
weekly has lately refused to be read
out Of the Republican party by Presi-
dent Taft would indicate that he does
not intend to submit to any discipline
from the White House and that the re-
lations between himself and the Presi-
dent arc quite likely to get strained.
Blow to Insurgents.
II Senator La Toilette should be beat
en-. 1t would be a damaging blow to the
insursent movement in the Senate. It
would eliminate him in all likelihood as
a possible Presidential factor. More
over. the contest In Wisconsin next year
will be a test of the primary system OF
selecting candidates. Such is the Bit
terness Of the feeling aroused I'm Wis
consin between the La Toilette and anti
La Toilette forces that talk IS already
heard that the primary results will be
disregarded so far as the Senatorship
is concerned.
The SovernOrship is closely connected
with the Senatorship in the situation
which is developing in Wisconsin. 1t is
source Of embarrassment FOR Senator
La Toilette and his followers. The La
Toilette men talked OF In connection
with the governorship. which will also
be settled next year. are State Senator
Thomas Morris. OF Lacrosse: r. +. Nc
Govern. former district attorney OF Mil
waukee and a candidate for the Senate
in the last Senatorial campaign. and
John Strange, OF Neenah now lieuten-
ant governor. Strange is one OF the
strong La Toilette men, but is a stand
patter OF tariff. He has announced his
candidacy for governor. This does not
please some Of the La Toilette newspa-
pers, but Strange says he is in the race
10 stay. To the talk that the La Fol-
lette forces ought 10 unite on some one
man, he replies that II is not for any
set OF men TO say who shall run, and
that the primary is open TO all
Cook Wants to Run.
with the La Toilette men IN the air as
to who they will center on for gov
ernor. the anti-La Toilette forces are
also in doubt Gov James 0. Davidson
would like to succeed himself. s A
/ Cook. OF Neenah also wants to run.
/ Cook has been a sort OF neutral. He
/ has much strength. however. and. was
/ second In the last Senatorial campaign.
I One possible combination which is He-
ing suggested for the anti-La Toilette
forces is TO run Cook for governor and
/ Davidson for Senator. This plan Is open
/ to some objections, however. because
! there is a strong impression that w D.
/ Common, former lieutenant governor ana
/ former State chairman. is going to run
/ Tor the Senate against La Toilette. Con-
nor Is accounted by many the most
| astute politician in Wisconsin. lie f. a
millionaire lumberman. and was for
| merlv allied with Senator la Toilette
/ But they could not hitch. Conner mas
/ broken away from the La Toilette
/ forces, and is now fighting the Senator
1 A number OF other leaders who were
formerly with La Toilette have gone
& n q
| stslwart and half-breed lineup is not
/ preserved. The forces opposed TO La
/ Toilette include the old disorganizcd
stalvart element and such elements as
are back Of certain former lieutenants
| Of Ia Toilette who have become dis
gruntled.
The former supporters OF La Toilette
who have left him accuse him or being
intolerant and lacking in tact, and in
/ wanting 90 rule things with an iron
/ hand Senator Isaac Stephenson is one
| OF the original Ia Toilette men. He
! has gone completely over to the con
sentative side, and I'm the Senate now IS
one Of the regulars under the banner OF
! Senator Aldrich.
Edmunds Opposes La Toilette.
\ r. A. Edmunds. the present Repub-
licau state chairman, and Gov. James
10. Davidson are former la Toilette men
who have become opponents OF the La
Toilette element
On the one hand the Ia Toilette me-
say tire Senator will be reelected with
ease. on the other hand. il is asserted
that the anti-La Toilette sentiment is
strong enough TO defeat him. II IS ad-
mItied that the difficulty Of agreement
on a strong candidate on the part Of
the anti-Ta Toilette forces is lil.gly 20
allow Senator la Toilette to be re-elect-
ed with ease.
\ possibility or the situation is that
the Illinois Senatorial contest I'm which
Hopkins was defeated viii be duplicated
that the battle viii go 10 the Legtsla-
turc and the primary outcome viii be
iiSnuTe ed Conner is accused or planning
lust such 2 situation. lt thus comes
about 10 VIII mean such political Wran-
gle as even Wisconsin has never vel
/ Witnessed. II goes without saying the
opponents of the primary system would
DC glaI 10 see this happen
Not only Us there every prospect Tor =
merry row over the Sena torshlp and
ToNcuOrship. but a number OF shall
Congressional hzhts1 are assured.