The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-02-06

shall become realities.
5IFcIIette ont.
ae repottsd physical and mental
Ibrea Of Senator Robert La
lett practically taken him
OH 81 ne presidential race. Ac-
spfdin newspaper dispatches,
the sment was made upon good
anti following a conference OF
Lar oifette Importers in Washing
ton that he stricken senator's
name would mot go before the
IGh3cago conYentlon, a formal an
MEASUREMENT of his withdrawal being
expected within short time.
q As5has been reported in the news
dispatches, Senator IaFollette COLI
Ilapsed in his chair after delivering
a speech Of two hours and a half
before the banquet Of the Periodical
Publishers Association of America
the other night in Philadelphia, at
which leading publishers Of daily
newspapers and magazines from all
parts of the country and other dis
tingulshed men were present. After
vigorously attacking various phases
of the national government, includ-
ing the courts. the senator wound
up with what was construed by many
fof HIS hearers as an insulting attack
upon the greater part of the news
papers of theicountry, declaring that
they were in the employ of the "in-
terests."
The senator almost Immediately
got on bad terms with his audience
Iby announcing that he would read
his speech. He also made bad
start by imputing bad faith to per-
sons not named, who, he said, might
mot report what he said correctly or
adequately. Then he kept right on
Iimputing bad faith to many per-
sons, and asserting that capital, in
combinations known as trusts, !"
was overriding the courts and was
about to complete the nefarious job
of enslaving the American people by
monopolizing the money and credit
of the nation.
Respectful attention gave way az
the end of an hour to confusion
and at the end of two hours the
confusion took on the proportions
of an uproar, composed largely Of
demands from various parts Of the
big banquet hall that the Senator
from Wisconsin "sit down."
Don c. seltz, POSTMASTER of the
banquet and business manager Of
the New York World, the leading In
dependent Democratic newspaper Of
tther country, believes Mr.. LaFollette
Suffered complete mental break
down. Mr.. Seitz declared:
waiter he had read an hour from
his manuscript his voice began to
fail. q thought he would collapse.
'fHe recovered slightly, but he
seemed unable to continue reading
what he had written. He repeated
himself continually. In fact, he
went oyer. one part of his address
seven times. Somebody started to
jeer, but stopped that.
Finally the senator launched into
his attack upon the newspapers.
When he finished he collapsed in his
chair and, placing his elbow on the
table, rested his head upon his hand
during the remainder of the ban
;quet. Il would not be surprised If
the man had been seized with q
complete mental breakdown
! Mr.. LaFollette is now in the
Province hospital, Washington, ana
all his platform engagements for the
next two weeks have been cancelled.
He has been ordered to stop entirely
all his work for fortnight.
Judging from the vitriolic denun-
Citations that have been recklessly
hurled forth by Mr.. LaFo11ette
lately, it seems he has become the
victim of frenzied decisions, the re-
suit of continual bitter attacks
against imaginary evils in a. desper-
ate attempt to stir up popular preju-
dice in behalf of his candidacy, OF
course. he is to he pitied, II it is
true that he is not mentally respon-
sible, and all the more so in view of
the disappointment that he has
met of late. His withdrawal as a
presidential candidate, however, will
not alter the political situation to
any great extent as the people had