Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-11-04
ELECT Crown HART
DEFEAT BANCROFT

DEFEAT BANCROFT
All who have ever read the Arabian
Nights Entertainments undoubtedly re-
member the "old man of the seas. -
An ugly misshapen hairy skinned crea-
ture having the general form of man
came up out of the sea and fastened it.
self on the back of the hero of the
story, clinging to him with Ballinger
like tenacity. The best portion of the
hero's food were selected by the ''old
man." leaving the hero to pick the
bones and drink the dregs.
Without narrowing ,ur reade.s with
details of the story, we arise to remark
that the Republican party of Wiscon-
sin has it's "old man of the SEAS" Levi
H. Bancroft. Levi came up out of the
political sea, or one of the sloughs
thereof, when La Toilette was govern
or, and fastened himself on the Prog
ressive wing of the party, showing
thereby good judgment in picking out a
winner. He was given dish of what
he then thought delicious food, a job as
assistant attorney. This was shortly
after the passage of the anti-pass law,
and it was unlawful for state official
to ride on railroad pass. Disregard
ing the law, Bancroft continued to ride
on railroad pass, secured by reason
of being attorney for a railroad in
three by four town, where the princi
in compromising the claim of the I'M
fortunate citizen who has a calf run
over by hand-car. For this violation
of the law it is generally understood
that it was gently suggested to Levi
that he should amputate himself from
the job he was holding at Madison.
Angered at this rebuff, Bancroft man
aged to break into the assembly where,
during the 1909 session, he found things
fairly well to his liking.
A combination of the Stephenson
supporters, the Brewery interests and
the Irvine Trust elected him speaker,
and it must be said that here he serv-
ed his masters faithfully, acquiring the
not very enviable appellation of the Joe
Cannon of Wisconsin. He packed
every important committee with friends
of the interests; he bitterly fought the
effort to investigate the Stephenson
gilt edged senatorial campaign; he sup
ported every measure proposed by the
Brewers Association; he took the floor
in an impassioned speech against the
bill for completing the Irvine plant at
the state prison; in fact he opposed
everything that bore any semblance of
being in the interest of the people,
At the standpat convention held at
Milwaukee last summer for the avowed
purpose of encompassing the defeat of
Senator La Toilette, Bancroft was
quite naturally chosen chairman. AS a
reward for his faithful support of the
interests, he was made the standpat
candidate for attorney general. in which
race he was overwhelmingly defeated
by the shade of the dead Progressive
candidate. Defeated by the voters, he
appealed to the supreme court and
bare majority of the judges decided on
technical grounds that he was entitled
to place on the Republican ticket.
After being buried in an avalanche
of votes, Bancroft poured forth the
walls of his wrath in venomous speech
in which he characterized La Toilette
as the MAD Mullah of Wisconsin,
and Wisconsin Progressives as crazy
fanatics who followed political die
tator. Then, when four out of seven
judges ordered his name placed on the
ticket, Levi promptly reversed his en-
CINE, backtracked, jumped the locked
switch onto the Progressive track, and
proclaimed himself simon pure Prog
ressive. This latter action can gain for
him only the contempt of the intelligent
voter. A standpatter who stands by
his guns is entitled to respect, though
not to admiration, but the man who
turns at the eleventh hour In an at
| tempt to gain votes from both sides