Cleveland County herald. (Rison, Ark.) 1888-current, 1918-05-23


Let us lools into his career in Con-
gress little further. When the Sena-
tor forced his election to the Senate
and went to Washington, notwith-
standing his well-known aptitude for
political speech-making, he preserved
an ominous and consistent silence un-
til, as he imagined, the wrath of the
people he had betrayed had cooled,
and contented himself by drawing his
salary and appointing his kinsmen
and friends to office. But this could
not continue Indefinitely. The day of
election in Arkansas was drawing
near and something must be done. At
last the psychological moment arriy-
ed The war clouds were lowering
low. LaFollette made a speech that
nobody Endorsed, that the Legislature
OF his own State by resolution ex-
pressly repudiated, and that his own
people overwhelmingly condemned
The Senator cleared the deck for his
political battle in Arkansas. He de-
livered his philippe over the corpse
Of LaFollette, and mailed copies by
the tens of thousands among the vot-
ers of Arkansas at Government ex-
pense, campaign speech in the In
terest of his race for the Senate, and
at once his Federal appointees raised
the cry, "He stands by the President"
His dash into the limelight was as
bold and aggressive as his former Ca
reer had been passive and subdued In
view Of the fact that several months
have now passed since this widely ad-
vertised attack was made and we
find Senator LaFollette still occupy
Ing his place in the Senate, We must
conclude that the same was made for
the purpose of keeping Senator Rob-
inson In the Senate, and not to put
LaFollette out.
In my opening speech | charged him
with deliberately betraying the people
OF this State. | charged him with u.s.
ing the power of patronage to force
his own election to the United States
Senate, an offense which at the tims
It was committed constituted crime
against the public conscience, and
which was 80 fragrant and notorious
that the Legislature afterwards mace
It a crime against the statutes of this
State, punishable by Imprisonment In
the penitentiary. But up to this time
the Senator has been too busy to re-
ply; too busy to account to the people
Of the State for his conduct. He
had time to leave Washington
and come to the State Democrat
ic Convention, seeking to con-
tinue his control OF the State or
ganization, by re-electing his brother
in-law, A. J. Wallis, Chairman OF the
State Committee He had time to
leave Washington and go on the Chau
tauqua platform and deliver pleasing
platitudes for the entertainment of the
public and in the interest of his pri-
yate fortune. He has had time to
play golf i'll Washington and time to
play politics In Arkansas.
But the greatest camourage that
the Senator has ever pulled off Is in
connection with the Third Liberty
Loan drive in Arkansas. 1t was ar
ranged that Sousa's Band should tour
the State In a special Pullman, and
the Senator managed to get himself
invited as the guest of honor. A tele-
gram from headquarters ordered that
he and his wife be given stateroom
in the Pullman and taken care of fo-
ten days The idea evidently was that
he would star in the closing days OF
the campaign, the band would draw
the crowd and his impassioned oratory
be credited with pulling the State
cover the top" and thus make him
the hero of the hour. But he under
estimated the patriotism of his own
people. His Pullman train was not re-
quired In either of the former drives,
but the election was not so near. I'm
fortunately for him, the people re-
sponded before he could get his band
and oratory into action.
He Joined the party at Hoxie In
Lawrence County. Not needed there,
his next stop was at Newport Jack
son County was $4,000 over when he
got there. Thence to Pine Bluff. Lit
tie Rock, Conway, Russellville, and
elsewhere, for ten days, but over they
went ahead Of his train. The State
was "over," the second in the Union;
the whole st. Louis District, was over,
except Tennessee. Wonder why he
didn't. go where they were having a
hard struggle To abandon the trip
was disappointing. to continue it, alb
surd. But this band played on, and
the Senator called aloud to the people
to discharge a duty they had already
performed before he arrived.
don't know who was responsible
for this trip. l only know that thu
Liberty Loan fund pays the bill. Who
ever may have formally invited him,
those who are familiar with his politi-
cal methods can readily see the Italian
hand of the Senator himself behind 1t
all have no patience with such
methods | made a few Liberty Loan
speeches in the beginning Of the
drive in those counties whose chair
men requested it on the ground that
my services were needed, but not a
No.