New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-02-04
Senator. in Serious Physical
Condition, Cancels Speak
ing Engagements for
Two Weeks.
PHYSICIANS ORDER REST
Attack on Press in Philadelphia
Speech Believed to Have Killed
His Presidential Boom-Will
Not Retire, His Campaign
Manager Asserts.
From The Tribune Bureau.

NJ La Toilette, on the verge ol pllH ST.
,sI breakdown, has cancelled all his
,nsskirg enga gements for the next two
weeks. at Trenton, jersey City and else
chere. and will seek a compiete rest
ue has decided to drop all his work for
fortnight.
Following a conference of his closest
advisers at the La Toilette home here to-
night it was announced that the Senator
1, in such 2 state Of mental and physical
dsnression that absolute rest has been
ordered by his physicians. 1t is now the
Intention cf Senator La Toilette To lay
aside all thoughts Of his Presidential
boom for two weeks. or possibly
month In the mean time he Will at
terpt 10 recover his health
With the knowledge that Senator La
Toilette had made q serious hlunder
vhen he attacked the newspapers at the
publishers dinner in Philadelphia last
night the managers Of the Senator's
campaign gathered tonight AT his home
here At the close of the conference II
Was said that the Senator needed rest
ard that a cessation of his Presidential
activities had been ordered by his physi-
eians II was even intimated that ne
vas not mentally responsible for the at
tsck he made on the press last night
and was unable to remember anything
about II.
So serious IS the physical condition ol
Senator La Toilette that some OF ms
supporters were expressing the fear TO-
right that he may be forced to retire
from the Presidential race. This was
denied however, by Walter /. HouSer'
his campaign manager, who was one Of
.bosa in the conference. Mr.. Houser
declared that the Senator viii remain in
the race.
"If the condition n Senator La Fol
lette is as described said one Of the
Progressives tonight, he may be forced
70 retire from the race"
1t is admitted by Mr. La Follette's
friends that he made a serious tactical
mistake in his Philadelphia speech last
night. ana his rambling address -is con
strued as the rule or ruin policy fol-
lowed by the Senator since he became an
sspirant for Presidential honors
Mr. Houser gave out the following
statement in regard to the Senator's
physical condition:
In addition to the Senator'S official work:
which in view Of the pending trust and |
tariff legislation. In which he is intensely |
Interested, has made a severe draft upon
his strength and energy his campaign
work and the strain upon his nervous syS-
TEN incident to the necessity for CriucaI
surgical operation upon one OF his chiidren
simply oyertaXed even his almost super
human powers Of endurance.
For some time his friends have urgcG
upon him the necessity Tor temporary ang and
absolute rest They at last have prevailed
lpon him to WELD to their solicitations.
end he finally has cancelled his speaking
engagements for the next two weeks anu
will drop all work to Ike a complete rest.
want 10 assure his friends throughout
The country that there is nothing alarming
IN his condition AS above stated, ne
reached and overstepped the limit OF hu-
Senator la toilette has worked unre-
r1ittingy for years without rest or Vacauon,
having remained in Washington curing
the entire summer. working from i"eiEe. ~
eighteen hours a day. No man could IN
definitely endure such oYerdratts on MS
strength His physicians assure MN mat
q short rest will fully restore his heaIth.
Senator La Follette's youngest daugn-
ter Mary. twelve years old, submitted to
surgical operation on her neck to-day.
and the Senator remained at her bedside.
Her condition was found more serious
than was expected, and she was under
the anasthetic more than two hours.
TRv Telegraph to The Tribune
Philadelphia. Feb. 3.-Members and
guests who fingered in Philadelphia this
morning following the banquet OF the
Periodical Publishers Association last
night, are a unit in declaring that SEN
stor La Toilette. by his open attack on
the press OF the country has eliminated
himself entirely as "A Presidential posi-
hility. aI G in this wsy has strengthened
the position Of other alleged "progres-
fives"
Many of those at the dinner believe
MT. La Toilette takes himself too serl-
ously. and fails TO understand that an
annual BANQUET is a love feast and not
place 10 make attacks on pretended
foes
La Toilette consumed more than two
w ItdulIR bPNCNtb 49,
finished at 80 o'clock this morning.
The Senator. by many regarded as the
reader Ci the Republican progressive
movement, glowered at his audience, at
o'ner times sneered and wound up with
"nat was construed by many OF his
hearers as an insulting attack upon the
ereater part of the newspaper press of
ne country. in effect declaring that 1t Is
:" tne pay Of the interests"
Don c. Seitz, of the American News
paper Publishers Association. who acted
'oastmaster, retaliated by character
"ms La Follette's reflections on the
full
"hat seemed TO incense hundreds
eseht most was that Senator La Fol-
'.@ should have talked at such inter-
unable length, reviewing facts and as
'ohs that have appeared In the public
H's Tor several years past.
SENATOR La Toilette, speaking of the
eed venallty Of many newspapers,
s'sfed that he had learned while Gov
OF Wisconsin that the newspapers
wat state had inserted editorials
~. go aor by the railroads" He further
nsse''ed that he had secured proof of
NJ. 00ruption OF many newspapers IN
/, eonsln and had published the proof
(" pamphlet form.
senator, veering from the news
continued on second page.