The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-14
IA TOILETTE 4 DUPE.

IA TOILETTE 4 DUPE.
whoever has watched tho career of Robert
NJ L. Toilette cannot have failed to be i'm
pressed with the intensity of the mans be-
liefs In bis own state nc fought great battle
with dntrenched corruption and won 1t, almost
single handed. Promoted to the Senate, he
found In the intoxcation of this success the zeal
of n crusader. What others made the pretext
of oratory, he took with the dead seriousness.
the utter abandon of a man =eenseei :ised to
work He has talked for sixteen hours at
stretch but there was passion In every word
He has worked twenty hours a day, but there
was conviction and ambition and sincerity In
every moment of his labor. His ambitions
have SCARED, but he was carried on the bright
wings OF hts egotsm. IT has not been La Fol-
lette's fault II he recognized in his own head
the fulcrum which WAS to pry universal
destiny into place. We may smile at such
man. but we must perforce admit certain In
fcriority Of character and will while doing so.
/ Is easy TO smile. II is difficult. amid ridi-
| cule. to believe,
The passing OF La Toilette ia, therefore some
thing of a tragedy. They have done for him.
They have duped him. They have warmed
themselves Ia his fame, get his conceit and
ambition to working to utter exhaustion In the
interests or another and less sincere individual
But for all that, La -Follette's fall is the best
proof OF La Folettes honesty. A man smaller.
less confident. less vain, might have seen the
tram Ia F,o,Iette walked into IL with an al
| II ost God-liEe Innocence
When Clifford Pinchot teegraphed to the La
Toilette Club. OF 81 Paul Minnesota, that in
his Judgment La Follette's condition was such
| that further serious candidacy was impossible.
the final word spoken In what will go down
In history as one Of the most cruel jests ever
perpetrated in the cynical game of politics.
Pinchot 1t was who took La Toilette up. 1t
was he who provided the funds for the inde-
fatigabe campaign which ne has waged. 1t
was he who used this human dynamo Of energy
to create sentiment which was to be used for
another He who encouraged the hope only to
belittlc It. He who. while another wrapped him
self in Delphic silence, watched while La Fol-
Iette worked, smiled no doubt when La Fol-
lette sacrificed himself applauded every success
| which La Follettee achieved, because he knew.
and that other knew. for whom in reality the
work was being done. the ways made smooth.
II was Pinohot who created, nnrsed, and in
spired through La Toilette the insurgsnt senti-
ment---and who then, at the critical moment.
threw up his hands in mock SORROW and de-
clared, mo use" La Follettes candidacy Is no
longer "serious- simply and solely because the
hour has arrived when the real candidacy to
| which he unconsciously lent himself is about to
be disclosed.
h. Dssartea, dssrassa }augaef a., La Toilette n
plight doubtless causes extra display OF
ivory whenever Cir and Teddy" go out TO
count eggs and fell a tree. But We believe that
the American people like straight play and fair
fight, and we believe that. skilfully as the game
| was worked. the audience saw what went with
| the rubber pea