The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-05-04
LA TOILETTE, THE PROPHET
Senate Seats Have Been Vacated as
He Predicted i'm 1906.

Unless this important ques-
ton is rightly settled" ex-
/ claimed Senator La Toilette in
the railroad rate debate five
years ago, when senators de-
serted the chamber while he
was speaking in order to show
their contempt for him, seats
now temporarily vacant may
be permanently vacated by
those who have the right to
occupy them at this time" The
remarkable fulflllment of his
| prophecy is commented on by
the Philadelphia North Ameri-
| can.
II was on an April day, just five
years ago, that a prophet arose in
the Senate of the United States
utterly without honor in the Cap
itol of this country. He was an UNI
usual man. He was a new senator,
having taken the oath only three
months before. Reckoned by inches,
he was not big man. But it is
lrecorded that to the tallest gren-
adler of France Napoleon never
seen ed less tnan seven feet tall
when the eagles advanced.
That day the new senator was
we'll aware that for the first time
| the courtesy of the Senate" was
to be deliberately abandoned. He
was man marked for ostracism
and destruction. And he knew the
scheme of rebuke and ridicule to
sneer him out of public life. A
rehearsed insult was to be put up
on him such as never had been
visited upon an American senator.
He was no arrogant amateur in
truder into public life. He had been
a governor who had gained the
attention, if not the admiration, of
| the entire country.
When he was 35 years of age he
had already served six years in the
House of Representatives. He had
won for himself a place upon the
ways and means committee of the
House, and as member thereof
had written the agricultural sched-
ules of the Mckinley Bill, which
did more to popularize that meas
ure with the mass Of people than
any other feature Of it.
If ever a senator from a SOW
ereign state had. the right to re-
spectful attention when he rose to
speak upon question of such
national moment as the regulation
of railway rates and services, it
was Robert NJ. La Toilette of Wis
consin. But what followed on the
part Of the "elder statesmen" was
first chorus of voices raised in
conversation, to emphasize con-
temptuous inattention, and then
a trooping from the chamber so
That the speaker might be left adj
dressing the empty walls.
They thought they had succeeded.
There followed the scene the de-
scription of which we leave to the
cold, stenographic, eolorless sem
fences of the Congressional Record.
| cannot be wholly Indifferent to
The fact that senator's by their alb
sence at this time Indicate their
want OF interest in what | may have
to say upon this subject. The
public is interested. Unless this
important question is rightly set
tied, seats now temporarily vacant
may be. permanently vacated by
those who have them at this time.
Applause in the galIeries.)
Mr.. kean-Mr. President. rise
TO question of order.
Mr.. La Follette--i do moi ask In
have senator's called back here who
feel no interest in what | have TO |
say. | know that the country will |
take interest in the discussion that |
shall make OF the defects in this |
proposed legislation.
In the present Congress La
Toilette, incapable of cherishing 4 |
personal injury, is surely bound to |
look back upon that Senate mem |
bership of eighty-nine who tried to |
discourage him into nothingness inst |
live years numbering now
fourteen dead, three beaten for re-
election before they died. forty
repudlated by the people of their
states, four-who five years apo
seemed all-powerful-retired in
lear OF foreseen destruction, and
only thirty-four of the eighty-nine
still in their seats.
We can recall no such resnonsa
to so bold challenge in all ;,ar,s
mentary history save that 10 Young
Dlsraeli, howled down the House
OF commons and shouting above
'he ciamor You will be glad to |