The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-09-01
THE LA TOILETTE PLATFORM
INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM AND
RECALL or JUDGES.
Tells His Audience That Any Man Would
Like to He President. but He'd Rather
Be what He Is Than to Have the Place
Of Some Men Wh0've Becn President.

WILLIAMS GROVE. Pa. Aug. 3i.-Speak'
ing before farmers attending the inter
state grangcrs' picnic here to-day Senator
Robert NJ. La Toilette Of Wisconsin an
nounced his desire to become Presiden,
OF the United States and his ambition tc
inaugurate the policies Of government OF
which he is the champion.
In so doing he cast a reflection on the
administration OF some men who have
been President, but made no direct reply
TO the criticisms made by President Taft
in his Massac chusetts speech last Sat
urday.
Il had not intended to say anything
about the Presidency" said Senator
La Toilette. turning TO the newspaper
men. but will say just this: Most any
body would like to be President. most
anybody who has got a good big broad
conception Of the conditions that exist
in this country would like to be President
II he could work things out and bring
government back to the people Of the
United States. / would concede that
but l would rather have the little part
that am going to have. and nobody on
earth can take it away from me. the little
part that am going to have as one OF
the men who help to make this movement
at this time Of ours the great fundamental
thing in the life OF the American people.
] would rather have the place that it will
give me in history and what it will be as
o legacy TO my children than to have the
place that some men who have been
President will have in the history OF this
republic"
The keynote Of this campaign which
the Republican National Progressive
League will conduct in La Follette's
behalf was outlined when the speaker
reviewed the policies OF the organizat ton.
He urged the adoption OF the initial tive.
referendum and recall. the latter to in
clude Judges. declaring that the present
system of government is not representa-
tive.
He did not mention reciprocity. the
tariff or other national issues.
As an example OF the system Of repre-
sentative government he seeks for the
nation Mr.. La Toilette pointed to Wis
consin. declaring IL to be the one State in
the Union where government is entirely
BY the people.
-The reason why the middle West is
making history to-day. he said. lis be.
cause out of Pennsylvania, New York and
Massac achusetts the strong characters went
into the Mississippi Valley forty or fifty
years ago and laid the foundations for the
citizenship which is now the most pro-
gressive in the world"
Successive campaigns for the political
recognition in his State were reviewed
and later he touched on his career in
Washington. leading up to an attack
upon what he termed the money com
bina tion. which he declared is a great
menace.
Not many years ago. he said. less
than fourteen men controlled the capital
q this country. but to-day l find that
these fourteen men combined. who were
a short time ago all powerful, to-day dare
not cross the path or thwart the will of
two great names. Morgan and Standard
Oil. and Standard Oil acknowledges the
supremacy Of Morgan.
money has interposed between the
people and their representatives in the
Government" he said. -and has destroyed
absolute human liberty. just as long as
the men chosen by the ballots are faithful
to the trust committed to them repre-
sentative government is safe" he con-
tinued. but the success OF representative
government depends upon the fidelity
of the agents the people choose TO rep
resent them. If for instance the men the
people Of Pennsylvania send to the United
States Senate serve the Pennsylvania
Railroad and Wall street. il man you
send to Harrisburg betrays you, then they
are a menace to this system"