The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-04-06
SAYS PEOPLE ARE ljNNEUTRAL
Senator speaking to Crowd of -Four
Hundred People at Germania Hall
Declares u. S. Does Not Want Mex
ico--Vigorously Roasts Foes.

Neutrality and La Toilette are
words which would rarely be associated
by Wisconsin men who have been in
close touch with the political battles
of the state during the past fifteen
years, but on Saturday night the bat
thing senior senator spoke at Germania
hall and his subject was "The New
Neutrality. It was the first speaking
meeting that Senator La Toilette had
held in Kenosha since he came here in
the support of John J. Blaine, an indie
pendent candidate for governor in the
fall of 1914. More than four hundred
people were present at the meeting and
while Senator La Toilette showed little
of his old time vigor and evidently
suffered from bad cold which made
him very hoarse, his address was pune
tuated by rounds of applause.
The address of the senator on "Neu-
trality" had appealed to many people
on the north side of the city and the
crowd to which Mr.. La Toilette spoke
was "a different crowd than had ever
greeted him in Kenosha before. Sena-
tor La Toilette in discussing the ques-
tion of neutrality declared that the
United States was officially neutral in
the great war in Europe. He declared
however that the neutrality of gov
eminent could not be any greater than
the neutrality of it's people, and he as
serted that we were most unneutral in
that from all parts of the country mu-
nitions and arms were being shipped
to the European nations at war. He
spoke strongly in favor Of an embargo
on the "things that KILL The senator
insisted that the people of the United
States had right-morally and legally
to supply the nations of the world
with any supplies that they might need
with the exception of instruments of
death. He urged strongly that the ma
ton take charge of the manufacture
Of guns and ammunition and he de-
clared that when this was done the
question Of private interest in the
proper preparedness of the United
States to defend herself would be re-
moved. His references to the embargo
on arms and munitions was loudly
cheered.
The senator also discussed the Mexi-
can situation at some length. He de-
clared that the United States did not
want Mexico and that there could be
no idea of conquest in the invasion of
the territory south Of the border by the
American army. He declared however
that the United States must insist on
it's right to go into Mexico to get a
murderer of American people and that
it must be in no way hampered in
going. He declared that the problem
OF Americanizing Mexico would be a
greater problem than the United States
found when we sought to re-unite the
North and the South and found solu-
ton for the vexing question of the
mlngling of the blacks with the white.
He declared that fully fifteen millions
of people in Mexico could never be
brought to appreciate the conditions of
government in the United States.
The senator did not give all of his
time to the discussion of neutrality and
the Mexican question. In fact, he gave
but small portion of the time to
these topics and for nearly two hours
he discussed state issues. It was the
old story of Progressive movements. -
He started telling about the formation
OF the first Progressive club at Madison
and went all through the history of
the movement. He paid his respects
to the governor and Former Governor
McGovern in vigorous language. He
charged McGovern with being a politi-
cal bungler in his approval of appro-
prlatlon bills passed at the 1913 legis-
lature and repeated all the charges that
he has made about the state in regard
to the present state administration. IT
was nearly half past eleven O'Clock
when the senator concluded his address
The crowd was shifting one. Evi-
IDENTIFY the north side people have not
been accustomed to three-hour political
talks and the crowd was coming and
going most of the evening. The sena-
tor did not become annoyed by the
desertion of members of his audience
and only once did he take notice Of the
departure of nearer. eff you are a
Stalwart you better stay' the senator
shouted to one departing hearer. The
man went on without word and the
senator smiled and continued his adj
dress.
In introducing the senator Prof. Otis
u. Trenary gave high praise to his
work as the leader Of a great political
movement in Wisconsin.