The Washington times., 1915-11-15
SPENT $500,O0O
ION LA Toilette,
SAYS STEPHENSON
Former Senator, in ReooIlec-
tions, Tells Of High Finance
in Wisconsin Politics.

AZ the age OF eighty-six years. for
mer Senator Isaac Stephenson, one OF
the last OF Wisconsin's lumber mer-
chants. has issued a volume OF rccol-
iections which for the first time sets
forth alleged secrets OF his relations
with Robert NJ. La Toilette and with
,f. the tumuituous political movement
WITHIN that State which resulted In the
genesis OF the wisconsin idea"
Former Senator Stephenson, accord
ing to an article In the New York Sun.
discioses the details OF his financing OF
lays before his friends all the facts
which he steadfastly refused to give
out when La Toilette turned on him
from the United states Senate because
he had spent more than 100000 In his
campaign for election to that body.
Million For Party.
Tho venerable former Senator relates
how he spent more than s5OO,OpO on La
Toilette and his political iieutenants
and how he has contributed probably
100000 to the Republican party. lie
describes La Toilette weeping with 10Y
when his (Stephenson's) agent handed
him the first S2.JD.
Senator Stephenson makes the in
teresting assertion that La Toilette
tuThtu dsdlnst MIN, HHhIly tTyIHk 10
have him removed from the Senate
soon after he refused to put up $3.50
900 to back La Follettes candidacy
for the Presidential nomination. Mr..
Stephenson does not seek to connect
the two events or to draw any deduc-
tions from them. He merely states
them as facts. s.'
Interesting History.
How the movement for the wis
consin idea" began. how the Half
Breed" faction within the Republican
party came into being as the control
ing political power and how La Fol-
lette rode the crest Of the wave Of
popularity as Battling Bob"-aiI
these questions are answered in Mr.
Stephenson's valedictory OF his long
political career a valedictory which
he has prepared only for distribution
among his friends.
Ever since the Progressive move
ment in Wisconsin set the pace for
other states the methods by which 1t
gained its impetus have remained n
mystery. Politicians generally believe
that Senator Stephenson. whose
wealth had enabled him to make gem
erous contributions to the Republican
party. knew. But he did not decide to
break silence until his term of office
had expired last March and he had
definitely made up his mind to turn
81" coNH upoh thS Vi pOItlCS.
Check Book Worked.
The mystery. according to Mr..
stephenson's narrative. Is no longer q
mystery at all. The campaigns Of the
"Half-Breeds," or Progressive Repub-
licans OF Wisconsin. long supposed to
have derived their force entirely from
the spontaneous uprisings OF the people
against the bosses. did not differ great
ly from other campaigns, II Il inti-
mated In the statement. Neither were
the Progressive battles won by the
any more than are the battles of the
European war won by the generals
In the Wisconsin campaign. as in the
European battles. it seems to have
been largely question of ammunition.
While Senator La Toilette was work.
ing zealously on the firing line Isaac
Stephenson in the background Is de-
clared to have been keeping the bases
intact and by frequent drafts upon his
check book providing the weapons with
which the old order IN the Republican
party was being overthrown and tho
new established.
Moral For Others.
For almost seventy years." says Mr..
Stephenson In his autobiography, II
had dealt with all sorts and conditions
| of men. ! had blazed trails with them
through the forest. spread my blanket
beside theirs on snow. logged with them
IN the winter camps and shared with
them the dangers of log driving and
| sailing vessels on the lakes
1T remained for me in those later
days to discover how quickly. in the
come and 20 of politics. convictions car
| he discarded principles abandoned. and
| obligattons overlooked. and how readily
the gauge of political Progress veers tc
the currents Of political animosity ant
| ambition.
| ITO sum up. ] had laid the plans ant
given the impetus which resulted In tn,
organization of the half-breed faction Il
which was due the sanely progressiv.
legislation enacted In Wisconsin. I ha1
contributed to the campaign funds Of Il
Toilette and many OF his lieutenants
| most OF whom. ! believe. would navel
have held political office II left TO theil
own resources. In the aggregate I hat
expended approximately 100000. FoI
this I have been assured that withou
me the history of the achievement woult
have been a blank page.
THE moral OF this narrative I leAv,
for others to draw"
His Last Fight.
On his last fight he says:
Here I might moraliEe At SOM
length IL were so minded upon tn,
rectitude Of political maneuverins. Tn
expenditure of money seems to be {
relative thing. the moral turpitude de
pending upon not how but for what 1
was spent. For all Of the money I de
voted to the upbuilding and promotion
of the Half Breed faction. the cleo
tion OF La Toilette as governor and tn
smashing Of the old inner ring Of tn
Republican party, in direct campaig1
contributions and donations to candi
dates and for the establishment of
newspaper to give voice to the cause
the great cause Of which, I had bseI
told, ! was the source Of unfailin
power l was commended in terms q
fattering that ! hesitate to set ther
down here"
New Assistants Secured