The Washington herald., 1913-09-14
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER IA, 1913
THE POLITICAL SITUATION

The political events of the week
have been both numerous and inter
esting. The passage of the tariff bill
by the Senate, the election in the Third
Congressional district of Maine, and
- the alignment of Senator La Toilette
of Wisconsin with the Democratic
majority in the Senate, are few OF
the noteworthy happenings.
The vote of Senator La Toilette
has undoubtedly occasioned as much
comment as any other incident. 1t was
not entirely unexpected. In the last
campaign it was known that his SYM
pathies were with President Wilson.
He consorted with the Democratic
managers a..i placed at their disposal
the advance proofs of his book in
which he savagely attacked Theodore
Roosevelt, and he kept them thorough
" posted upon the trend of political
sentiment in Wisconsin. 1t was even
known that a large number of his fol-
lowers would vote for Mr.. Wilson
with his full approval, even though he
did not openly espOuse the cause OF
the Democratic candidate. All this,
however, was regarded as the logical
outcome of his antipathy 10 both Mr..
TAFT and Mr.. Roosevelt, and there has
been a disposition during the past few
months to regard him as a likely can
didate for the Republican nomination.
He represented the progressive ideas
and commanded considerable degree
Of support. not only in his own State,
but in North and South Dakota,
Idaho, and other Western States.
With d courage that deserves COM
mendation he voted for a measure
which violates all the Republican prin-
ciples Of protection, and which was
the product of a Democratic caucus. 1t
has been said of Henry Clay that he
might have been elected President if
he had remained true TO the Demo
cratic principles instead of becoming
a protectioniSt. 1t is not too much TO
say OF Senator La Toilette that what
ever hope he might have entertained
Of being the Republican nominee have
now been entirely dashed by reason OF
his vote for the new tariff law. He
has cast his lot with the party in
power. deserving his old political afili-
arions. If the tariff policies of the
Democrats as expressed in the pro-
posed law should prove a blessing to
the country, the administration will
receive the credit and be indorsed att
the polls. If the contrary should hap
pen, Mr.. La Toilette will be charged
with having chosen the wrong course
and aided in bringing the infiction
upon the country. II is impossible to
sec how he can escape either alterna-
tive. Rarely has the spectacle been
presented of a man in public life de-
liberatly sacrificing his. political am
bitions in order to satisfy his own
conscience. This Mr.. La Toilette has
done. He can nev"r hope to receive
a majority of the votes of Rcpub-
1ican national convention. even though
he may enter that convention with the
Endorsement of a State which, in the
past, has demonstrated its loyalty to
him. Neither can he, like Roosevelt,
organize a party OF his own.
This elimination of Senator La Fol-
lette from the Republican equation is
a matter of more than usual interest.
His attempt to Justify his action has
not reconciled the members of his
own party to his detection. They
have simply erased his name from the
list of Presidential possibilities and
will hold no more commerce with him.
They propose that hereafter he shall
tread the uiuc Oress a1One