Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-04-27
THE MAN BE.
HIND THE Gun

Nearly score OF years ago faIn
sound was waited to our ears by TIT
gentle zephyrs from the South re
sembling to a great extent, the crow
ing Of cock in the early morn. Lit
tie did We think then that it wa:
the opening gun of political revolu
ton, that is destined to revolutionizt
the form of government of every ma
tion on the earth
We, probably the foremost nation
in this struggle have taken a Ions
step toward restoring our nation tc
the people. England, Russia, Mexi
co, Portugal, and even China, show
symptoms OF change, some of then
very violent symptoms, we would thinl
were we there.
| But what causes this revolution
Everything must have cause. If We
will pause for a moment, now right
in the throes of revolution and look
back, we can trace it down over a
difficult and crooked path to the
once obscure, but now illustrioua
Robert NJ. La Toilette, who has as
cended by that very path to eternal
| fame
How many remember the little pa
per he used to publish, some eigh-
teen years ago with such naughty
things about ''The Governors Cow, .
etc. Well that was the opening gun.
He had just started on the trail of
Special Privilege which he has beel
following ever since with the tenacity
of bull dog and the relentlessness
of an avenging angel.
Of course, naturally, we (boasters
that we are of being the only sex cap
able of understanding politics. rolled
up our sleeves and waded in to help
him out
All, but did We? / verify believe
some Of us would blush and duck our
head if we were questioned on the
stand we took, then of course a stand
patter, or a fool wouldn't
When We read his paper in which
he exposed corruption in the State
we laughed and called him a ''sore
head, "a muck-raker" and a back
bitter. Yet, he never wayered, he
simply smiled at our ignorance and
went in with redoubled energy and
rendering up the silent prayer, For
give them Father for they know not
what they do
He was first brought forcibly to our
attention in the GubernatoriaI fight
against the Forces of Darkness .
and we all remember distinctly how
dignified "a looked as he walked in
to the Executive Mansion over the
bloody corpses of corruption.
Then came his election to the SEN
ate, where he has gained a national
reputation, yes a worldwide reputa-
ton.
When he was elected Senator a
great many of US still believed that
he was simply trying to satiate a per
sonal ambition (but l believe the last
murmur of that sentiment passed in
to oblivion when Mr. Connor did,
We, (dreamers that We were) have
since the time that the memory of
man runneth not to the contrary,
been boasting of our great government
of the people. But OH how he has
shattered that dream by exposing to
view the glaring rottenness Of our
tered it to the four winds of heaven
and left us standing in the edge of a
precipice. Another step forward in
the course We have been pursuing
and this government of the people,
will perish from the earth. We must
go back, as our Ci-devant Assembly
man once said to the good old days
of Lincoln and Lincoln policies, q
guess he must have gone back ahead
of the bunch as l don't hear any more
of him)
| When La Toilette entered the Sen
ate none was so poor as to do him
reverence, how is it today?
Taft and his clique shudder when
they think of him The first years h,
was there he talked to empty seats
took to tall timber. He said he would
make those seats permanently vacant
Did he lie? Go to the Senate and
see for yourself. You will doubtless
miss such old familiar faces as those
of BOSS Aldrich, His Royal High
ness, Hale. The Great Pacificator'
Mr. Carter and Burrows, Depew and
Burkett and inquire for them. They
have passed in that political oblivion
from whence no politician returns
Even the man who said the present
tariff was the BEST Ever" shuddel
as he thinks of his depleted ranks
and as he stops to listen he can hea1
with ever increasing distictness the
waves of his Presidential boom fol
pieces on the rock bound coast o.
progressiVeism.
We all know of the valiant, bu
fruitless fight La Toilette made a
gainst the Aldrich tariff and railroad
bill and even some of US can remem
Der as far back as the time the Veer
land Currency Bill was up for passage
and was so strongly supported by ou
!; illustrious president, who did so lit
tie and talked so much, and Wen
hunting in Africa La Toilette tolC
them it could never be used. Did ht
tell them the truth? Is it in force
now?
In the present session of Congress
our attention has been called to sev
veraI issues namely: direct election
of Senators, Lorimer case and Reci
procity with Canada. We know hov
the two former issues We're settled