Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-12-27
HAS GONE TOO FAR
madison Journal

For the first time in his political Ca
reer Robert M. la Toilette is backing
up. 1t is perfectly obvious that he
realizes that he has gone too far. He
has A tidal wave of public protest
has enguIfed him and he is reaching
out now for floating timber in which
to ride back to shore. After contrib
ultima as much as he dared to the weak
e.ning of the armies Of our allies and
the spreading of dissatisfaction here
at home with our own fight for free
dom he now shouts: awe must stand
back of our boys"
Wisconsin stands Inundated today
simply because she is compelled to
claim La Toilette as her representa-
tive in the Senate of the United States.
La Toilette is a sad spectacle in the
eyes of the nation today and he has
put a permanent cloud upon career
that might have gone down into his
tory elorifed because of his fight for
freedom. But he has reversed his
FIGHT for freedom. Robert M. La Fol-
Iette is no longer great progressive
in the arena OF American politics. He
is consummate reactionary who has
declared that despotism has been pa
tient with us. Both before and since
he made that declaration he has by
speech, by vote, by propaganda and
by the use of his ranking privilege in
the United States mails, done all he
dared to weaken our defenses against
Germany.
Lonq before we entered this war, La
Toilette was urging the American gov
eminent to put an embargo on NUM-
tons. Such an embargo could have
but one effect-that of weakening the
Allies, strengthening Germany, and
giving autocracy an infinite advantage
over democracy in this war To adj
vocate any measure that would help
autocracy down democracy is not the
aft of a cear-thnking and sincere
democrat. 1t was the act of man
who modified patriotism to play poll
tics.
AS student of American history La
Toilette must know that our national
independence and every liberty we
have, was won on the field of battle.
In none of these wars did we have
enough munitions of our own make to
win.
Had other nations imposed an en-
barge on munitions when Washing
ton was fighting to give us independ-
ence we would see no Stars and
Stripes hoisted on our schooIhouses
today.
Had other nations imposed an en-
barge on munitions agains~ us when
Lincoln was trying to save this Union
we would have had flag much differ
ent from the one we know today. We
would be two countries and not one.
In urging an embargo on munitions,
Senator La Toilette urged measure
that, had it been adopted in earlier
days by other nations, would have de-
prived us of our very life. Had his
embargo gone through he would have
ham-strung France and England. Had
his policy, and not the wise policy OF
Wilson prevailed, this nation would
have been forced to put itself upon a
permanent military basis and becomes
Prussianized by adopting Prussian
methods and military manners. That
would defeat democracy's program. It
would not be going ahead; il would be
worse than going back into the middle
ages. 1t would be going back into
a highly organized and scientific bar
barism. 1t would not be progress, it
would be arch reaction. BY advocat-
ing such a measure as this at such