The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-08-03
Why Jefris?

| Wisconsin has but two lawmakers in
the upper body of the national legis.
| lature, and these men should be chosen
after due elaboration. Personal am
bilious should cut no figure in the Sc
1ections, and the true citizen would
vote against his friend If his friend 4
| opponent would make a better United
! States senator
That brings us to the reasons why
the Evening News in common with
other newspapers of Wisconsin, believes
that M. G. Jeffris of GAINESVILLE should
be the choice of Republicans of Wis
consin 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 repre-
sent the position Republican should
take in the coming primary election.
Mr.. Jeffris is opposing Senator La
F, Toilette for the nomination. To some
! Republicans-not nearly as many as in
former years-that is reason why the
GAINESVILLE man should be nominated.
But let us see If this conclusion is
drawn by our radical friends with q
foundation of facts to support it.
Mr.. LaFollette 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 a Republican, and he
was a Republican for years. He has
done many things, or at least has taken
the credit for doing them, which have
been of benefit. He has led movements
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 a personal ambition
which knew no bounds. He has been
selfish in his desires. No one can gain
say that Many Of his followers have
excused this state of affairs by saying
that the ends justified the means. He
never has had close personal follow
ing, like other men in public life have
had. He has been an unloved leader,
but one who has had great following.
Many of his followers have been sell
fish, but the rank and file have believed
in the principles he professed. At one
time in his political history Senator
LaFollette was an unassailable power.
That was in the days when he was a
Republican, working within the party
and for the party, believing that poll
tical party was greater than any
individual.
But that day is past. Having been
elected to the highest Office within the
gift of the state, his personal ambition
drove him to thoughts of higher. places.
He sought to realize the ambition of
any American-the presidency of the
United States. He was accepted as
such candidate by his Wisconsin fol
lowing, and the national convention
of 1908 saw him with practically a
solid delegation from his own state.
He was not big enough man to
dominate nation or a national party
organization as he had done that Of a
state, however, and he was rank out
slider in the possibilities
He came back to Wisconsin, went
back TO his seat in the senate, still be-
lieving that he was presidential tim
Der. The convention of 1912 saw him
with a solid delegation. That delega-
ton, however, broke away from his
ambitions and he again cut a sorry
figure in the convention.
In the next four years he burned his
bridges behind him; declared himself
bigger than his party, and, after vot-
ing consistently with the Democrats,
although elected as Republican,
emerged in 1916 again candidate for
the presidency, on the Republican tic
ket. 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. 1t knows that
his delegation set up headquarters
apart from the rest Of the Republicans
of the nation. Hughes was the choice
of Wisconsin, but the LaFollette dele
gates took no part in his nomination
OF all the candidates LaFollette was
alone in refusing to release his dele
gates. North Dakota s ten voted for
Hughes without that release. When
Wisconsin was called twelve of the
LaFollette delegates joined the dele
cation headed by Gov. Philip and
voted for Hughes. Three LaFollette
delegates stood out on the principle
that LaFollette was bigger than his
party, and voted for him on the
last ballot.
Now Mr.. LaFollette is again asking
Republicans to vote for him. He has
given Hughes an endorsement, but has
repudiated his platform and his run
ming mate. He goes before the people
as a Republican-witha 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 in
dependent candidates. His Durposes