Devils Lake weekly world., 1912-02-23
LA FoLLETTE's RELUCTANCE.

LA FOLLETTE's RELUCTANCE.
In the address which he delivered at
the city hall on Monday night, which
was substantially the same speech that
he made elsewhere, Mr.. Houser, cam
paign manager for Senator LaFollette,
gave very interesting description of
the manner in which the senator came
to be candidate for president. One
feature Of the story was especially in
teresting to several people in the aud
ience. This had reference to the sena-
tors reluctance to become candidate
for such an important Office as tho
presidency. The speaker told how the
progressives were at a loss for a man
to lead them, how they sent to Roose-
welt and asked him to be candidate:
how Roosevelt refused and urged La
Toilette to take the lead himself, how
LaFollette, pleading the magnitude Of
the task and his own inability to i,-
vote himself properly to it, held back
and urged others of the progressive
group themselves to head the ticket;
and how, after great urging he yielded
regretful assent.
1t happened that there were in the
audience those who had very distinct
recollection of some of the events of
four years ago; who right in the city
of Grand Forks had been visited by
personal representatives of Mr.. LaFol-
lette in the interest of the campaign
that he was then making against Judge
Taft, who were urged by these agents
of LaFollette to work for him and do
what they could for his nomination.
These persons also remembered later
visit of other representatives of LaFol-
lette. who, having concluded that La
Toilette could not be nominated in a
straight issue against Taft, urged on
Grand Forks people the support of
Roosevelt for third consecutive term.
the hope being, as it was frankly ex-
planned, that Roosevelt would stick to
his refusal to be a candidate-which
he did-and that then Roosevelt follow
ing would be inherited by LaFollette.
And, remembering these things, these
people could not refrain from smiling
while the speaker almost tearfully de-
scribed the reluctance Of LaFollette to
become candidate for president.
The fact is that Mr.. LaFollette was
an open and avowed candidate for
president four years ago, and that he
worked then for the nomination as
hard as he was able to work. He has
been a candidate for, president ever
since, and all the country knew it.
Every person who knew anything of
political movements knew that at this
time LaFollette would be making a.
fight for the nomination this year. He
is not to be censured for this. He is.
an able man and a representative Am.
erican citizen. The ambition to be
president is an entirely honorable one,
and neither he nor, his: friends have
occasion to apologize forrit.s But when
the facts arc as they are, and when all
reasonably informed men understand
them, what sense is there I'M trying to
make it appear that LaFollette, shy,
shrinking and coy, was dragged IN,
willingly. from private life and forced
to make an enormous personal sacrifice
in order to take the leadership in a
cause, which, without him, would have
languished and died7 It would be
much simpler and perhaps equally Of.
fective, although not quite SO pathetic,
TO tell the simple; truth, which is that
LaFollette wanted to be president and
took the most promising method of
gratifying that ambition. Grand Forks
Herald. ~. : -,'s. '..''' .