The Washington times., 1910-12-29
LA TOILETTE LEADS
WISCONSIN BATTLE
Will Search 10 Learn Where Recent
Campaign Fund Came
From.
By JUDsoN C. wELLIvER.

II plans succeed which are now being
developed By Insurgents N and out OF
Congress, the Lorimer affair VII Be
made an issue In the Senatorial elections
n some States this winter, and In many
States two years hence
More than that, It VIII be made an
important factor in connection with the
fight TO control delegates 70 the national
Republican convention Of 1872
II is just beginning 70 be realized that
the contest for reorganization OF the
Senate along progressive lines has only
just begun Senator La Toilette has
been active for several years in efforts
TO defeat and retire Senators OF the
ultra-conservative persuasion: ana these
efforts are TO be pressed in the next two
years as never before
While the United States Senate Is
struggling with the effort 10 vhitezash
Lorimer and yet not unduIy offend pub
lie sentiment, the Wisconsin Legislature.
under the domination OF the La Toilette
wing, IS going to have a Senatorial IN
vestigstion OF its own, which IS prom
ised 70 be a sensation Of the first class.
This investigation is expected % have a
highly important bearing On national
politics between now and 1872
Incidents Of La FoHette's Campaign.
During the campaign last sumner for
The Senatorial nomination in Wisconsin.
the Taft Administration Used every
means at its command % help defeat
Senator La Toilette. The State Dc tron-
age was taken entirely away from La
Toilette and given 70 his enemies. Vice
President sherman was sent as Eookss-
man OF the Administration 70 address
q Republican state convention az MI
waukee, IN the effort TO encoura<Ss and
strengthen the snti-La Toilette move
ment By assuring II OF Administrator
sympathy
some highly sensational charges have
been made concerning this cooperation
OF the National Administrator with
the snti-La Toilette forces Ths prC-
posed investigation BY the Wisconsin
Legislature VII ain 70 develop s1 the
facts concerning this situation. and in
addition VIII undertake TO discover the
money that were used by the antELa
Toilette organization in the effort 70
defeat the Ponpadour Senator
So many sensational things have been
charged in connection with the effort
20 retire Ia Toilette, that the Wis
consin progresSives. having complete
control Of the Legislature, are now de-
ternined &c get TO the bottom OF the
matter.
Cost Of Recent Campaign
The sntt-La Toilette organisation re-
Gently fled at Madison a svyOTn state
nent showing that in the primary csn-
paign alone Il spent S114-25e IN the e.
fort 70 nominate samuel a Cook for
Senator. as against La Toilette.
Accompanying this statement there
was Med q list OF 1.9o0 names Of pSo-
PIE in Aiilyyaukee clone VINO we're Is-- al
legged 70 have received various SUNS
from S66T 10 500 each, to work against
what the Legislature wants 70 know
Who contributed 1T Why was there 80
much generosity about the effort %
bun q Senatorial nonfnaIt0nZ " lat was
actually done with the money, and were
F.; any laws violated IN the series OF big
rzsss.IIssI tra1saCuOnsZ
result Of this admitted eZpen5s-
Of $1,000. Cook got 4zyo00 votes
- Tollstte's committee spent q Mite
! over SS,ol0, and got 1i4.oO0 votes
| Rumor has for months past alleged that
bfar corporate interests some IN and some
outside Wisconsin raised q Dis sum OF
money TO defeat La Toilette No De
/ The expenditures Of the anita Fol
/ lette faction at the election Il ad-
rnits using $4,000 in the Republican
primaries, and the La F9lletIe 2 cope
| than this. as viii Be shown oy me 10TH
! coming investigation
After Other Candidates.
/ Bur that is not all Following the
| nomination Of Ia Fouette. the oppO-
sftfoa went right ahead with its fight
/ irving TO defeat legislative candidates
uIedred TO La Toilette, and 70 elect
| those who could be relied upon 20 OP-
pose him
| In this campaign. it is declared, an
| other vast fund was used Il IS stated
that in a single assembly district S1e-osS
was used in the effort TO beat a la
! Toilette candidate, who, however, was
elected
| Very specific charges concerning this
| big financial and political conspiracy
! have been circulated In Wisconsin for
/ months past It has been alleged that
on January 4, 1910, meeting was held
in Chicago, at which preliminary plans
for defeating La Toilette were discussed
| A former United States Senator-nOt
| from WisconsiR-is alleged 70 have as
s11u,ed to speak for President Taft.
| Among those named as present was Sen
ator Stephenson, once the ally. but lat
/ terly the bitter enemy, OF La Toilette
Another was E A. EdmOnds, at that
( time chairman Of the Republican State
/ committee Of Wisconsin, AZ d a favor e
/ al the White House. where he rad more
influence in the matter OF dispensing pa
| tronage than anybody else from the
/ State
/ The story gOss that at this meeting
/ pIaug were discussed for raising and
I Using money and employing the infiU-
fence Of the National Administration 20
I defeat Ia Toilette After the discussion
/ had continued for some time. Mr.. Ed
/ monds sounded a discordant note he
said that he believed the plan proposed
! constituted violation Of the law be
4 had. in fact. secured legal advice, and
/ vas Informed that TO assume u1an--5c-
ment Of such q movement and employ
/ the methods proposed. would make him
/ liable to prosecution He therefore. de-
clined 70 90 further in the matter.
ConnOT Selected to Lead.
/ WITH this refusal Of AR Edrron6s 70
go along. " D Connor was made head
OF the organization The former Sen
etor, Il is alleged. assured the gather
Ing that 3Ir- Connor's selection would
be particularly agreeable to President
Tat