Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-01
WISCONSIN, PRIMARY FIGHT
CONFUSED AND DOUBTFUL
Both Republican Factions Are Badly Split
Democrats Believe Their Prospects
Have Greatly Improved.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
MILWAUKEE,, Wis, July 31.-The
most confused and doubtful primary
| contest in the history of Wisconsin
began Tuesday, when the last of the
candidates filed their nomination
papers. Four weeks are left for cam
paigning. The primary is held on
September Z. Both factions of the
republican party are split.
| When the La Toilette wing swept
| the spring presidential primary 1t was
| believed the result in the fall was a
| foregone conclusion. But the great
victory provoked rivalry among La
Toilette leaders. The La Toilette vote
will be divided between Attorney Cen
! eral John j. Blaine, who has Senator
! La Follette'S personal Endorsement
and Lieut.. Gov. f. +. Dithmar. one OF
| the senator's most devoted followers.
who claims service gives him the best
right to promotion.
| The split in the La Toilette ranks
gave an opportunity to the conSerVa-
| tive wing The opportunity was so
used as to make the result even more
doubtful. Conservatives are also sup
porting two candidates. Col Gilbert T..
Seaman of Milwaukee, and Senator Roy
| P Wilcox of Eau Claire. There are
also TWO OtneT larry StIoHS eah''
dates in the field. Secretary of state
Merlin Hull, pronounced dry, and j.
n Tittemore. president of the Society
Of EQUITY, who is backed by rural
following.
Non-Partisan League Action.
Mr. Blaine and James Thompson.
the La Toilette candidate for United
States senator, together with complete
slate of candidates for state offices,
were placed in nomination by the state
convention of the non-partisan
league The candidates adopted the
league platform. The announcement by
Senator La Toilette that he would
the La Toilette movement in the re-
publican party, and the non-partisan
league in Wisconsin, have been
merged The active manager of the
league in Wisconsin is w F. Zumach.
a socialist senator representing Mill
waukee district. MIR. Zumach man
aged Victor l.. Berger's congressional
campaign last year, when Berger de-
feated H. H. Bodenstab. the fusion
candidate. The alignment is signif-
cant as showing the range of radical
affiliations in the state.
The announcement that Senator La
Toilette had Endorsed Blaine stirred
resentment in the Dithmar camp. La
Toilette is the only leader Dithmar
has ever known Two years ago
Dithmar desired to be a candidate for
United States senator. but he with
drew when Senator La Toilette indi-
Gated a preference for James Thomp-
son. Friends of Dithmar claim he
then received promise OF the
governorShip. but when the cam
paign opened he was again pushed
aside.
Feeling of German Voters.
Although the belief is prevalent
that any man Endorsed by La Toilette
will carry the primary, it is admitted
that the Dithmar candidacy is pecu-
liarly dangerous because of feeling
among the so-called German" voters.
to whom Dithmar will appeal
strongly OF German ancestry edu-
Gated in Lutheran schools. and identi
fled socially with the German ele-
ment. Dthmar is in a position to
attack the La Toilette wing in vital
spot.
His stand on the war brought to
Senator La Toilette the overwhelming
support of the German counties.
whether republican. democratic or
socialist. The question now is
whether La Toilette can hold the af-
lection of this new-found following
Once aroused. the Germans demand
more than the opportunity merely TO
cast their votes for prediges'ed
slate of candidates. Dithmar offers
the objective for independent political
action.
| The German vote is now the back