Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-21
Case of Senator La Toilette.


States senate on last Thursday dis
missed the disloyalty charges against
Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin.
The charges involved are those
which grew out Of alleged utterances
of Senator La Toilette before the
N9 Partisan League at st. Paul.
Minnesota, on September 20, 1917.
Seventeen Democrats and ss Re-
publicans voted to dismiss the charges
and one Republican and twenty Rem-
ocrats voted to let the charges stand.
This is as it should be, except that
we do not think 1t was creditable to
any Democrat to vote for the con-
demnation Of Senator La Toilette.
1t Is our deliberate judgment that
Senator La FolIete is as able and
patriotic man as there Is in the pub
lie life of the United States, and fur
thermore, we believe that every really
honest member Of congress. whether
in the house or senate, believes the
same thing.
\ Senator La Toilette was not In SYM
pathy With Germany ip this war. nor
in especial sympathy with England or
France: but his concern was for the
WELL being of the American people.
Knowing as he did from the lessons
of the past, the character Of the
elements with which he had to deal,
Senator La Toilette was willing to
risk mavtyrdem In an effort to pro-
tect the honest labor of this country
from the profiteers and money sharks
who were certain to consider the
war only as a means Of swelling their
own private fortunes.
It was the profteering clement, an
element that was not so much con-
cerned about the welfare of the coun-
try as q whole, as 1t was about the
anticipated opportunity to fatten at
the expense of the people that raised
the furore about Senator La Toilette,
and the charges were preferred more
as a means of getting such a trouble
some man out Of the way than any
thing else.
The Nom Partisan League Is COM
posed mainly Of Woodworking farmers,
who are generally content with an hon
est living: but who at the same time
are very much concerned because Of
the depredatioas Of q certain class
of parasytes who would take every
thing they have, even to the bread
out Of their mouths, IN order that they
themselves may enjoy lives, not OF
mere luxury; but rather Of wasteful
extravaganza.
This is no indictment, or even i'm
piication against the honest and
useful rich and prosperous; but
against those who take tolls from la
Dor. against dishonesty acquired ter
minal facilities. by means Of elevator
monopolies, by hog. cattle and grain
corners and the like.
It will be remembered that Senator
La Toilette wanted to take for war
purposes about 80 per cent Of war
profits. and goodness knows 20 per
cent. On a big investment is n plenty
for anybody, even in peace times.
Governor Burnquist Of Minnesota
is an autocrat of autocrats and q Bour-
bon Of the Bourbons. II he had lived
in the middle ages, or more recently
in Germany. everybody on his estate
would probably have been his slave
and very likely he would have had the
lash applied to anybody who was even
suspected of claiming the same right
to liberty of thought and action that
he exercised for himself.
La Toilette was a marked man al
ready because of the ability and pow
er with which he had already stood
for real Democracy in the nation, and
rival aspirants to the highest political
preferment that is offered under the
American government, had it in for
him-to do him" on the first oppor-
tunity.
The charges of Burnquist. who is
not only a Republican who is very
much in fear of what the Non-Parti-
san League may do to him; but govern
or of the state, and as such chairman
of the Minnesota Council Of Defense
furnished Just the opportunity that
La Follette's enemies had been look
ing for especially in view of the tense
conditions of the time, and they
were not slow to go after the man
who had been giving them so much
concern.
But it was not long after the filing
of the charges that the politicians OF