Morris tribune., 1911-10-27
Believe PrOgressives Erred in
Endorsing La Toilette.
PUZZLED BY CLAPP'S ACTION
Politicians Who Claim to Have Eie-
waited Him to Senatorship Now
His Worst Enemies.
Especial Correspondence.

st. Paul, Oct. 24.-You have un-
doubtedly been following the progress
sive movement in Minnesota, and
elsewhere for that matter; the rather
cool reception given President Taft
on his tour westward and the enthu-
siasm attending the endorsement of
United States Senator Bob La Fol-
lette at the Chicago conference the
other day, So have the Minnesota
friends of President Taft, and, strange
to say, they are not disheartened
They have hopes, and the Chicago
meeting is the basis of the good
things they anticipate. The Taftites
look upon it as substantiating the one
thing they have charged ever since
the progressive movement was inau-
gurated-unstability selfishness and
absolute failure of purpose. While
the progressives are on the top wave
Just now the Taftites say they will
fall of their own weight and if any,
thing is wanting in substantiation
they point to William Jennings Bryan
and his hopes as an unfailing example.
=. - j.
No Minnesotan, politically ambi-
tious, can these days assail, without
hope of a comeback, the progressive
movement nor can the average pOlit-
ical writer treat the subject fiippantly,
but just the same, with all this in
mind, I am compelled to state that
quite a number who attended the La
Toilette meet in Chicago came back
with the impression that the cause
did not benefit from the conference.
In their opinion it has suffered. There
was too much La Toilette. 1t began
with La Toilette and ended with La
Toilette and when the fire eaters in
charge were not berating the govern
ment and some of it's time honored
policies they were booming the La
Toilette presidential ambitions. Learn
ing that other progressives were en-
route to the Windy City to contest
with Senator La Toilette the claim to
the Republican peerless One," Wis
consin friends and state officials
docked to the gathering in regular
mob and by their threats and numbers
prevented any other endorsement. 1t
was a packed gathering and all the
others could do was to submit quietly.
j. + +
Of those who attended the confer
ence from Minnesota was James Man
ahan, late of St. Paul, now of Mime
apolis, and at the present time much
in the Twin City prints as the result
of an effort to bring the attention of
Governor Eberhart to unbridled vice
In the Capital City. Jim at one time
lived In Lincoln, Neh., and the Peer
less One" recognized his old neighbor
to the extent of making him a mem
ber Of his working committee during
the last campaign. Mr.. Manahan, in
q tobasco saturated speech, tore the
governmental fabric to tatters, as
sailed the courts, demanded the ini-
tiative, the referendum and the recall,
and in a hot finish declared that the
only cure for the ills pointed out was
the election of Senator La Toilette as
president. Present and insisting that
Mr.. Manahan's utterances were those
of the inspired were Senator Moses
e. Clapp, James Peterson and George
Lotus, the two latter of Minneapolis.
Mr.. LOTUS was one of the promoters
of the Minnesota Shippers league
that fourished some years ago, while
Mr.. Peterson's latest bid for fame
was his activity in the suppression
of the "red light" district in Mime
Rpolis, Senator Clapp, in his en-
dorsement of Mr.. Manahan's speech,
said, referring to President Taft: "He
who the Gods would destroy they first
make mad" One of the bright say
ings that can attribute to Ralph w.
Wheelock, the governors secretary,
was, when reading the junior sena-
tors statement, he remarked, Chick
ems sometimes come home to roost.'
think I know your thoughts, dear
reader. You who have seen the nee
essaries of life rise until they are now
almost beyond your meager purse;
you whose efforts at financial advance
ment and some of the comforts of
this life have been throttled by polit-
1cally favored and combined capital;
you say this is fiippant; it is bias
phemous, and that my remarks sound
Alike those of the subsidized. l know
1t, but l have told the truth, 80 help
me. 1t is the riderless horse that the
selfish seek, and unfortunately there
are many empty mounts these days
We are all insurgents along some
line, but we generally finish by pick
ing safe leaders. The names and
deeds of La Toilette and Bryan are
honored throughout the land, but we
balk when it comes to some of their
lieutenants. There Is one consolation
though, this insurgent movement has
the regulars guessing. They realize