Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-02-28
Against Special Interests.


The chief and all inclusive demand
Of Senator bob" and the Progressive
league is that the special interests be
driven out Of politics. He believes
there Is a money trust which is the
progenitor of the other trusts In the
beginning our government was pure.
but the interests have corrupted it.
Now We must bring it back to the peo-
pie. This is all good doctrine. and no.
body can be found who will seriously
attempt to controvert it. Yet the SEN
ator is not always so general in his
statements. He can be quite specific.
and his remedies for these evils and
the brood of lesser abuses that have
grown out of them are worked out in
detail by experts. Nor are his laws
ever successfully attacked in the
courts. La Toilette is lawyer, and he
is not in the habit Of enacting reforms
only to have coach and four driven
through them by the first court before
which they are brought.
On the tariff the Wisconsin senator
demands a permanent commission re-
porting to congress and a downward
revision schedule by schedule to the
point that shall equalize cost Of produc'
ton at home and abroad. nor is he
especially anxious about assuring q
reasonable profit to American manu-
facturers." He believes that manu-
facturers should look after their OWL
profits. Moreover, he is in favor OF
making the revision speedily and Civ
ing the people relief.
Amended Railroad Law.
On the railroad question he believes
In physical valuation as basis OF
ratemaking. 1t was Senator La Fol
lette who was instrumental in chang
ing the administration draft of the
present rate law. After he and his
fellow insurgents were through with
it President Taft scarcely knew his
own child It had teeth.
The initiative. referendum and re-
call are among the strong cards play
ed by the senator, although these are
state rather than national questions
He makes it plain that he wants the
recall to apply to judges. He is like
wise an ardent advocate of popular
election of senator's. There would be
more Of his kind of senators in the up
per chamber If the people elected them
During his recent tour through Ohio
Illinois and adjacent states. Senator
La Toilette said that the government
could now be brought back to the PEG
pie by the ballot. but boldly intimated
that il left much longer it might re
quire a revolution. In Illinois ht
charged that the panic Of 1907 wa.
manufactured by the money power ant
said that If he had been Roosevelt
when Frick and Gary went to thu
White House asking to be permitted t.
absorb Tennessee Coal and Iron ant
threatening a panic II they we're re
fused. he, La Toilette. would have call
ed their bluff" He also made 1t .
point to denounce the ''jackpotters" IL
Illinois. That is his way. He usual!
prefers to denounce an abuse in it
stronghold or man to his face.
Senator La Toilette is farmer VIII
farms with his own hands. One o
the chief issues with people general.
is as to the pronunciation OF his name
Many accent it on the "lette."
even heard one man call it La Toilet
ty. IT is three syllable name and /
accented on the FOL"
Senator La Toilette Is not tall man
but. as previously remarked. ever
inch Of him ia fighter.