The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-01-17
NO SUCCESSOR
FOR HUSTINC
WiscOnsin's Governor Refuses to Call
Special Election for the Purpose of
Electing a Successor to the Deceased
Senator.
POPULAR VERDICT is FEARED.
Peace Negotiation Rumors Occasioned
by the Presidents Message, are
Again Rife at the National Cap
itOl.

V0oAlhA6SohS ~ ~ oNA. L"~OS
ernor Philip of Wisconsin has m
phasized the fact that The war prof.
teers fear the verdict of the people
by his refusal to call a special election
to name a successor to the late SEN
ator Husting. Consequently Wis
consin will have only one Senator un-
til next fall, when Husting's success
sor will be chosen at the regular cleo
ton. y
Philip justifies this peculiar action
by stating that the result of such
an election might be misunderstood
by the outside world as a triumph for
the pacifists. The truth of the mat
ter is, that Joseph E. Davies, who in
tends to be a candidate, has announc-
ed that he favors higher taxes on
war profits and big incomes. If
Davies were elected on this issue,
Congress would have an unmistake-
able mandate from the people and
this would give an impetus to the
movement for more equitable war
taxation.
This is the last thing the profiteers
want, so Philip, always reactionary,
has put off the election. Philip also
fears that a LaFollette candidate may
be elected.
LaFOllette Denounces Action.
But Wisconsin has one Senator
left-"Fighting Bob" LaFollette, who
is very much on the job and he will
see to it, election or no election, that
the question of increasing the excess
profits tax is brought before Con-
gress. LaFollette led the fight in the
Senate for higher income and excess
profits rates in the first war revenue
measure-thus mourning the bitter
hostility of Big Business-and he in
tends to reopen the fight at the pres
ent session. Public opinion undoubt-
eddy is behind him in this fight, but it
is doubtful whether action can be for
ced upon Congress. Most of the big
newspapers and magazines will op-
pose any increase of taxation upon
the wealthy and will endeavor to cam
outage the issue by attacking La.
Follette's patriotism in order to d.
vert attention from the real facts.
Investigation is Delayed.
Speculation continues as to how
the Senate will dispose Of the LaFol-
lette expulsion petition submitted by
the Public Safety Commission of
Minnesota. Senator LaFollette is
waiting for the Committee on Priv
ileges and Elections to secure a
quorum in order that it may empower
its subcommittee to go on with the
promised hearing. When former
Secretary of State Bryan is called to
give his account Of the Lusitania af-
fair, the Wisconsin senator will de-
mand the right to question him. The
present indications are that the State
Department will intervene with a re-
quest that this cross-examination be
not permitted. That was the course
taken by the State Department when
the sugar probers at the Senate start
ed to ask about the Cuban sugar sit
uation and it's reference to the sugar
shortage. If LaFollette is denied
permission to question Bryan, then
the subcommittee and the whole COM
mittee will be in the awkward position
Of refusing an accused senator the or
binary right of trial. The only con-
ceivable outcome would be a report
asking that the matter be now dropp-
ed. The first point established in the
original hearing raj that the subcom-
mittee found nothing seditious in the
Senator's speech.
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