The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-08
OPEN CAMPAIGN
 FOR LAFOLLETTE Congressman Lenro0t Com-
 mends Senator TAFT IS ARRAIGNED Banquet in Minneapolis Starts Min nesota Campaign for Insurgent
 Champion-Taft Charged
 With Unfaithfulness

Minneapolis, Minn., September I.-Sen- ator LaFollette found an ardent cham pion and President Taft another insur- gent in Congressman Lenroot of Wiscon- sin at d banquet of Minnesota progress sive republicans here tonight The Wis sin at a banquet of Minnesota progress sive republicans here tonight The Wis consin congressman and Prof. (. E. Merriam of Chicago, late republican can didate for mayor of that city, were the principal speakers, although State Sena- tor Oleo Sagen of Ottertail county an "original LaFolette man." stood in the lmelisht long enough to say that ''ciean democrat in all probability would carry Minnesota, If Taft were renominated.'
 The banquet formally opened the La Toilette campaign in. Minnesota for the nomination for president on the repubi- can ticket
 More than 300 republicans sat at the banquet table "The United States Sen ate for years" said Congressman Len root in the course of his address, has been looked upon as the very citadel of special privilege having paid exalted tribute to Senator LaFolette as a con structive sctatesman and as an indefati- gable foe of "the interests" The speak CT said:
 Great progress has been made, but it has been under difficulty
 Here ne arraigned President Taft for alleged unfaithfulness to the people Since March 1, 1909," he said it has been difficult to tell who was the Presi- dent of the United States or where he should be placed. Elected as progress reactionary cabinet Before election he condemned reactionaries and espoused the Roosevelt policies. After election he appointed Ballnger and retired Garfield and Pinchot. Every progressive republi- can in the Senate and House incurred his displeasure and Aldrich and Cannon be- came his advisers. He then attempted to punish the progressive republicans in the House and Senate by depriving them of all control over federal patronage. This act conolusively shows how little con- ception the President has for the char acter of the progressive republicans and what they are fighting for. If any pro- gressive republican had been coerced by this attempt of the President he woulu have been a traitor to the country"
 Walter l.. House, secretary of the Ma tioIal Progressive Republican league, in charge of the leagues bureau at Wash ington. attended the banquet. He vouch- safed the opinion that the progressive re- puhicans would control the next na- tional convention.
 MT. Merriam did not mention the name of Senator LaFollette. .anor President Taft.
 MT. Lenroot condemned the reciprocity agreement with Canada, declaring his- tory would record the attempted betrayal of 9,00O.000 of our farmers to the greed of great interests. He also condemned the President for signing the Payne-Ald- rich tariff measure while vetoing the re- cent tariff measuer-the product of in- surgency.
 Des Moines, Iowa. September 7.-Char- acterizing Senator LaFollette as a patriot with an eye single to the good of the country, and one to whom providence has given a strong mind and inflexble purpose, Senator Albert B. Cummings ad- dressed the Iowa Tippecano club here to- night in what was called the opening of the 1912 campaign in Iowa.
 Senator Cummings had not intended to discuss Senator LaFollette, but his opin- ion was called forth when a member of the club insisted that he state his opin- ion of the Wisconsin Senator His speech was devoted mainly to a discussion of the peace treaties pending before the Senate, and he particularly advocated the adoption of the proposed amendment which leaves to the Senate and President to determine whether any controversy is justifiable instead of to a joint high com mission provided for in the agreements. Mir Cummings prefaced his discussion to the peace treaties with short reference to the tariff problem, stating that there was no more ardent protectionist in the country than he.