The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-01-25
LaFollette In lel6-A NaturaI sequ.l

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The january American Magazine CON
tains an article By William Allen White
entitled, THE Progressive Hen and the
Insurgent Ducklings," in which the au-
thor points ont the difference between
Roosevelt methods and political prin-
cipals and those OF the insurgents. As
an incorporating type Of the latter,
Mr.. White mentions LaFollette whom he
calls a constructive agitator. He says.
Robert NJ. LaFollette always has
played the lone hand in politics. He
has regarded victory in any convention.
caucus, election, or Congress as OF sec
ondary Importance. First of all lie has
desired to educate the people. He has
believed that when the people saw the
truth, the politicians could not keep the
truth off the statute books. So LaFol-
lette has done many rash things from
the standpoint OF the man who regards
politics az series of maneuvers for
his personal triumph. In 1904 he CON
trolled the situation in Wisconsin, but
he did not control the federal machine.
In electing delegates TO the national Re-
publican convention, that year LaFol-
lette's friends elected an uncompromis-
ing group OF radicals. Senator Spooner's
people would have been glad to split
the delegation, and to give LaFollette
his share. But LaFOllette refused to
divide So Senator Spooner led con
testing delegation to the national con-
yentiOn; the contestants naturally We're
in sympathy with the national Republi-
aap ao,,,tyat tFsaa I a oEollnNtofr Iaf,.,n -,
was thrown out and Spooner won. But
LaFollette proved to the people of Wis
consn what sort of an organization the
national Republican committee was,
what sort Spooner was, and made it OBJ
vious that the federal machine in Wis
consn should be destroyed So it was
destroyed and LaFollette's delegation
came to the national convention in 1905
There the Wisconsin delegation refused
to compromise. The delegation had cer-
tain demands for the platform commit
tee. The demands were ignored The
delegation took the LaFollette plauks to
the floor of the convention, knowing that
they would be repudiated. and in the
row that followed the discussion Of
those planks was SO vigorous that the
people demanded these planks in the
Republican platform after the eonven-
tion adjourned. So Mr.. Taft wrote them
into his letter accepting the Republican
nomination. Moreover in his first mes
sage to Congress on the railroad bill.
President Taft wrote the IaFollette
amendments so far as these amendments
concerned railroads into his recommends
tions to Congress.
Certainly if mans face ever was
saved LaFollette's was saved then and
there. ANY other politician in the coun-
try would have made friends with Taft.
But LaFollette carried his fight for the
LaFollette amendments unto the floor
Of the Senate. Most OF these amend
ments are now in the railroad law,
placed there over the opposition Of the
administration, and when the next Re
publican national convention meets it
will point with pride to the enactment
into legislation Of those measures which
as q political program the previous con-
vention rejected by scornful majority.
The natural evolutionary progress for
the party that rejected first LaFollette's
delegation. next his creed. would be
20 reject LaFollette himself in 1912 and
then after he has written the platform
and dominated the political life Of his
party for four years to nominate him
for president in 1916. But when the
the party does take LaFollette- it
eventually accepts him as a presidential
leader it viii not be because be has
made successful combination in the
convention. Int because public sentiment
i ready fo- him, demands him. and viii
bc satisfied with no one else