The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-08-04
Why Jefris?

electing a man to the United States
senate. No higher office in national
way is within the gift of the state.
Wisconsin has but two lawmak ers IN
the upper body of the national legisla-
ture, and these men should be chosen
after due deliberation. Personal am
billions should cut no figure in the Sc
lections, and the true citizen would
vote against his friend if his friends
opponent would make better United
States senator.
That brings US to the reasons why
The Reporter in common with other
newspapers in Wisconsin believes that
NJ G. Jeffries of GAINESVILLE should be
the choice of republicans of Wisconsin
this year for the office. Let US reason
together, and cast over these reasons,
and see if they are not based upon facts
and if they do not represent the posi-
ton a republican should take in the
coming primary election.
Mr.. Jeffris is opposing Senator La
Toilette for the nomination. To some
republicans-no nearly as many as in
former years-t that is reason why the
GAINESVILLE man should not be nominated.
But let US see if this conclusion is
drawn by our radical friends with
foundation of facts to support it.
Mr.. LaFoIlette has been honored by
the state with many offices, from dis
trict attorney, in his salad days, to
United States senator. He has thus
been honored as republican, and he
was a republican for years. He has
done many things, or at least has taken
credit for doing them, which have been
L. r.,
which were right. To be sure his acts
in office have ever been tinged with the
personal equasion, and his career has
been signalized by personal ambition
which knew no bounds. He has been
selfish in his desires. No one can gain
say that. At one time in his political
history Senator LaFollette was an I'M
assailable power. That was in the days
when he was republican, working
with the party and for the party, be-
lieving that political party was great
er than any individual.
But that day is past. Having been
elected to the highest office within the
lift of the state, his personal ambi-
tion drove him to thoughts of higher
places. He sought to realize the am
bition of any American the presidency
of the United States. He was accept
ed as such a candidate by his Wiscon-
sin following, and the national conven-
tion Of 1908 and again in 1912 saw him
with practically solid delegation from
his own state.
In the next four years he burned his
bridges behind him, declared himself
bigger than his party, and, after voting
consistently with the democrats, al
though elected as republican, emerged
in 1916 again candidate for the presi-
dency, on the republican ticket. The
people of Wisconsin did not take him
as seriously as before, but by political
trades he secured fifteen out of twenty
six delegates from his own state and
ten from North Dakota. The whole
state knows what happened at Chicago
in June, 1916.
Now Mr.. LaFollette is again asking
republicans to vote for him. He has
given Hughes an endorsement, but has
repudiated his platform and his running
mate. He goes before the people as
a republican with democratic voting
record in the United States senate. He
asks republicans to vote for him in a
primary which he violated two years
ago by bringing out an independent
candidate.
If Mr.. LaFollette believes in free
trade, for which he voted, he has a
right to his belief. But he should run
as democrat, not as republican. He
is not republican by any stretch of
the imagination.
If Hughes carries Wisconsin, and
there is little or no doubt of it, he will
expect that Wisconsin is for his plat
form. If Mr. Jeffris is elected he will
support Mr.. Hughes. If Mr.. LaFol-
lette is elected he will vote with the
democratic minority. 1t is important
that the democratic free trade major
| ity in the senate be turned into re-
publican protective tariff majority. To
elect Mr.. LaFollette would be to throw
away the votes of Wisconsin.
The time has come when it is the
duty of Wisconsin republicans to say to
Mr.. LaFollette: eve have honored
you in the past We have believed in
you. We are willing to give you credit
for the good you have done. We will
go further and allow you to assume all
the credit. But we have come to the
parting of the ways. You are no
longer a republican. We must have a
republican in the United States senate,
because we believe in republican prin-
ciples.'
And the logical thing for Wisconsin
republicans to do, all things considered,
is to elect Mr.. Jeffris to the senate.