Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-01-27
The Original
"INSURGENT''
The Nan who Is Feared by The Spe Cial
interests In the United States
Senate. Tie Began "InSurgenCy"
IN the House OF Repre- ntativeS s
In 1884, 800.

LA Toilette is the original IN
surgent. That is one reason why
the special interests so hate him.
Another reason is that he has been
successful. He was an insurgeEt in
Congress from 1884 to 1890. Dur
ing those years. he opposed scheni
in Congress to steal vast quantities
of timber from the Indians. RE op-
posed another scheme to sive mil
lions of dollars outright to 4 canal
company which, To secure the nee
essary legislation. haC offered $IOc,-
000 To the Republican National Cam
paign Committee and the same
amount to the JaWot ratio National
Campaign Committee. He killed
tho bill TO give . railroad company
the title and control OF every town
site along the railway in Dakota.
For these high ofleGeCs, the young
insurgent, AT the age of ;hirty.five
was driven out of puolic life by Big
Business.
For the NEXT ten Years. from
1890 to 1900, he w9s TIE open and
a,owcd insureent. lla was now "up
against al the powers Of the stlte
and national government .le was
an iuaurecut agains the two Iait-
cl SgtDs Sen. t,Is G-p his state.
against am Tho thou. naa o.. .fsiriai
ami state cUice-ho.t. auF alliCt
politicians iu Wisoar-Iu and aeaia Q
the special Interests l..E oft sa"l off,
h,c-holiers ana politicians. Some on
at tho Time asked senator -paorcr
in ahiHpteH. 'H Dec .5 t.at man
Sd 'f.
is q tou, who .hi. Is ur can
buoA 5000 miles of railroads In
Nisoun in.'
"Frm 1900 i1 1905, he was gov
eruor OF Wisconsin,, bat he did hot
cease 60 De- au iuaureent. He wa
still opposed by the system which
has hcen agains. him for ten yeurs.
The interests foueht every proslos-
siyc measure which he forced through
and placed upon the statute books.
in 1904 he was clearly elected to
the Republican National Convention.
but he had been such an inaurgent
that the interests cOnlrulliag the
convention threw him out anl scat
ed his enemies. Senators spoon d.
and Quarles. who had no right there.
In January, 1906. he entered the
United States Senate. whore at FIRST
he was the only insHreeut. On the
occasion of his first speech, the SEN
ators for the special interests oi oil,
coal. steel, sugar. beef, railroads, etc,
tried to insult him by leaving the
chamber in a body. He said:
~ cannot be wholly Indifferent 10
the fact that Senators by theii abb
sence at this time indicate thea want
of interest in what | may have to
say upon tbs subject The public
is interested. Unless this import
ant question is rightly settled. seats
now temporarily vacated may be per
manently vacated by those who have
the right to occupy them at this
time.
AT the close of four years in ;he
Senate. he has been Joined by SIX
other insurgent Senators. others are
on their way, and formidable bahd
of insurgents in the House OF Ne-
presentatives is struggling TO restnre
representative government In That
House.
But the special intercS's dread
La Toilette most of all beCaus" he
is effective-that is constructive
They know when they moo Il lct"V-
mined enemy and La Toilette Is the
determined and impacable enemy to
every form of legislative grant or
gift to n special interest. lie be-
lieves in equality of opportunity. ia
the Senate. his motion 10 provide
for a physical valuation of the rail-
roads as a basis for reasonable rates
went to the foundation of the whole
question. His amendment To estab-
lish n permanent and EXPERT tar.E
commission would be just to legid-
mate business and destructive TO
trusts and combinations against the
public welfare. But in Wisconsin
while he was governor. he best de-
monstrated his constructive ability.
William Kittle in the Twentieth
Century for January.