The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1915-05-28
GREAT AUDIENCE
HEARS LA TOILETTE
DELIVER LECTURE
NOTED WISCONSIN REFoRMER
INsTRUcTS PEOPLE IN "REPRE-
SENTATIVE GOVERNMENT"
IS NOT A POPULAR ORATOR
Many Who Expected to Be Entertain
ed As Well AS Instructed Were
Plainly Disappointed-Lacking in
Elements Desired on Platform.


While not a popular orator as we
understand one to be in this section,
lacking in perfervid eloQuence so
pleasing to the ear of the Tonnes
scans, without the ability for word
painting so common with the speakers
of the South, lacking in humor and
anecdote, Senator Robert M. LaFol-
lette, of Wisconsin, nevertheless
pleased, instructed and convinced
the large portion of a great audi
ence that heard his lecture on Rep
resentative Government" at the Chau-
tauqua on Tuesday night.
Senator LaFollette is desperately
in earnest He is impressed with the
Importance of his mission. 1t is to
him too sacred for levity or for graph
ic description. He showed little ev7
dence of the demagogue in his dis
course, appealing to the reason of his
hearers. He knows the history of his
country, the underlying causes for its
advancement and development He
deals in cold facts from which he
makes deductions and draws conclu-
sions that are, to his mind absolutely
not to be controversial In other
words, Senator LaFollette believes
implicitly in his doctrines. He is a
crusader, a reformer. He has a mis-
sion, gospel to preach. He is so
impressed with it that he is too ear
nest and too serious to be diverted by
the usual side plays that catch the
popular crowd.
Senator LaFollettes address was
full of splendid matter. He could
quote from the great English and
American authorities on our system
of government. He knew its good
points and exposed its weak ones. He
traced the government from it's foun-
dalton to the great war between the
states. He showed when with the
coming of great organizations corrup-
ton began to be a matter of business.
There is no disputing the facts as
presented by the able Wisconsin
statesman, al though, of course, there
is and always will be a wide differ
ence of opinion concerning his conclu-
sions. For example, very respecta-
BILE number of people who never own
ed and never expect to own a cent of
stock in trust, refuse to believe that
great combinations are wholly bad or
that there has not been profit to the
public in the elimination of hurtful
and wasteful competition.
Senator LaFollette is courageous.
He absolutely fears no party or fac
tion. He did not hesitate to criticise
both the leaders of the regular and
progressive factions of the republi-
can party. He very aptly said that
there was little difference between
the rank and file of the democrats
and the rank and file of the republi-
cans, that both were sincere and hon
est. That he is receptive, if not an
active, candidate for president is
plain from his speech. He firmly be-
lieves that had he been president dur
ing the formative period of the great
trusts, that under his direction the
Sherman law would have proven an
remedy. OF that he has no
sort of doubt and he proclaims 1t
from the housetops. II
IT would probably be far from the
truth were one to say that a majority
Of Senator LaFollette's audience was
pleased or delighted with his effort
The majority went to hear him, to at.
end the Chautauqua to be entertain
ed. He is plainly no popular
But for his sincerity,
his earnestness, his courage and his
patriotic devotion to principles as he
sees and believes them, there is and
can be no ground for doubt,