The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-07-17
Politicians Anxious to Line
up a Strong Candidate for
Lieutenant Governor.
MAY Be BLAINE OF BOSCOBEL
Man Who Went Over to Democracy in
the Last Campaign is Being Urged
as Republican Candidate for Second
Place on the State Ticket.

The political slate makers are look
ing over the field to find a suitable
candidate for lieutenant governor.
Owing to the fact that Lieut.. Gov.
Morris seeks promotion to the United
States senate, there is among the poll
ticians, an idea that the lieutenant
governorship is open for trespassing.
With the position there are certain
distinctions and the halo of officialism
which entice interest. In addition, in
the coming campaign, it is the only
position, practically, which is open, ex-
cept the governorship. The other state
officers as republicans, will be renomin-
ated without opposition.
In the present situation, the lieu
tenant governorship is not being over
looked. The LaFollette leaders want
one of their own kind in that position
and a few weeks ago, former Senator
John Blaine, of Boscobel, made a sur
vey of the field and following his
Madison visit, the press bureau route
was used to announce that Blaine
might be a candidate for this place.
Blaine refused at that time to con-
slider himself outside Of the republican
ranks notwithstanding his association
with the Spreckles annex to the demo
cratic party, organized particularly to
bring so-called progressive republicans
in line for Wilson. This glorifed task
in Wisconsin, fell to the lot of Blaine,
whether collusively or not with the
sanction of Senator LaFollette, can not
be stated. The fact is that for the
time being Blaine denatured himself
to that extent and now seems willing
to accept the votes of republicans in
case he concludes that the lieutenant
governorship is open.
Probably the most serious talk with
respect to this position is found among
a group of the senators who believe
Senator E. f. Kileen Of Washington
county, should be the republican can
didate for lieutenant governor This
talk started early in the session and
can be traced to men who take politics
seriously.
In times of peanut politics sub
servieney to the plans and program
of the leaders who control is a
prerequisite to being accepted in full
fellowship. During this session Sen
ator Kileen has not been stamped with
the hall mark of being owned, con-
troled and voted by the leaders on
every proposition. In fact, his opposi-
tion, always aggressively asserted
whenever expressed, has been about
the only application Of red pepper the
LaFollette leaders have found in their
political vaseline.
In the first place, Senator Kileen is
lawyer. Secondly, no man can right
fully assail him for lacking loyalty to
Senator LaFollette or his interests.
He is as progressive as any of the SEN
ators who make more pretense or noise
and in his two terms Of service has
voted and worked for most of the
measures which stand the test.
There are times, however, when the
program mapped out carried too much
steam roller weight, so Kileen would
nonchalantly back out of the highway
and tell the engineers what he thought
about things while the machine went
on its way. At other not infrequent
times, he has prevented the machine
fl ON running and when he fights, he
commands resources that command re
spect and attention.
In spite of the line up against him,
hlleen mas won DIS MANY VlcIOTleS IN
the state senate, this session, as usu-
ally come to any senator. With this
in mind, the peculiar feature is that
he has had to win them.
AS chairman of the senate judiciary
committee, the practice of attempting
to overturn the reports of his commit
tee, started early in the senate. For
time Senator Kileen took this pro-
ceeding as mat er of course and then
finally came to the conclusion that it
was matter of organization, or re-
prisals and of punishment. Kileen is
Irish and that fact tells the rest of
the story. In most fights against the
Irish in politics, the Irish win. Kileen
and Burke, two members Of the judi
ciary committee, both Irish, both good
lawyers and both ready debaters when
occasion commands, have not allowed
the senate to make ducks and brakes
Of the committee work. from the time
they discovered a set program to do
this