Evening star., 1917-11-09
LOYALTY IS MADE
WISCONSIN ISSUE
Party Lines May Largely Dis
appear in the Election of
United States Senator.
LA Toilette FACES FIGHT

oharp augment along patriotic lines,
practically amounting to test between
loyalty and disaffection to the United
States, in the coming contest over the
senatorship in Wisconsin, is forecasted
in reports from several quarters. Some
of the accounts 60 so far as to hint at
the possibility of merging of party
lines and indicate certainty of disregard
in large degree of strict partisan
demarkation.
The issue will be drawn as soon as it
is decided whether a special election is
to be called to choose Senator Hust-
ings' successor. or whether Gov. Phil
lipp will be permitted to appoint a sem
ator and postpone election until the
fall of 1918. The understanding is that
he will recommend to the legislature.
which meets next month. that he be
authorized to appoint. The strict con-
struction of the state constitution now
would require him to call an election
Governor Would Appoint.
The first skirmish line will be in the
legislature over the question of pro-
cedure. many lawyers holding that the
governor may be required by the court
to perform what they allege to be a
purely ministerial duty in calling an
election. The governors friends are
appoint ad interim. this upon the gen
eral belief that the governor covets the
senatorship himself and would be a
candidate in 1918. II he should resign
now and enter the race he would have
to turn the executive office over to a
La Toilette lieutenant governor, which
would be undesirable politically. from
his viewpoint.
Feeling is running high in Wisconsin
over the disloyalty issue. all reports
masquerading under the guise Of pac-
ificism and socialism. but the straight
out Americans. who include many citi-
zens of German descent. are merciless-
ly stripping the guise at every turn
and exposing the wearerS as potential
anti-Americans.
The socialists are reported as being
in high feather and very aggressive.
They will unquestionably have can
didate for the senatorship ua and VIII VIII
democratic parties. They will get the
vote of German-Americans who are in
sympathy with Germany as against the
United States The Lutheran Germans
g.
and the Catholic Germans democrats.
"A 4aecticn of the German descended -Ele-
ment In both parties and Of both rec
Iigions will remain loyal and vote their
respective party tickets. the politicians
estimate.
La Toilette to Take Hand.
Senator La Toilette is expected to
take sides in the senatorship fight to
preserve his own leadership and to for
ward his own policies. A daily news
paper is to commence publication In
Madison December l., with which he
will be connected, which will preach
pacificism, it is said. Letters from Wis
consin say that the new publication
expects to disregard dependence upon
it's advertising columns and to seek
wide circulation through all the mid
Senator La Toilette. the reports say.
is losing former adherents. men who
have followed him through the smoke
of many fierce battles and believed in
war questions By the same token he
will gain followers from voters Of pro-
German sympathies who have opposed
him politically heretofore.
1t is said that Gov. Phillip himself
isn't any too strong supporter Of
Americas war policy to suit the down.
right loyalists. He Is classed as an
eleventh hour loyalist. in that at the
I,
the sending of men to France and IA
vored an embargo on munitions. But
now he is standing by the flag. Many
republicans are said to desire a more
outspoken defender of the country's
position.
To Take Advanced Ground.
The democrats are getting ready. it
is declared. to take advanced ground
in this regard and select a candidate
Of unquestioned loyalty, as we'll as
adopting a platform of unequivocal
and unmistakable adherence to the aims
of the United States In the war. invit-
ing the support of men Of all parties
who believe with them.
Some suggestion has been made of a
| fusion between republicans and demo-
! Gratis on a loyalty candidate, but it is
! not thought this plan will be followed
/ The consensus Of judgment al this time
ia fn OF 20 pdi6afeS smell he l.,