The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-03-09


/ Of course nlpst of us prefer Boss
La Toilette to BOSS Keyes, but why
need the peoplelhave any boss at all :?
Why need we be boss ridden? Aren't
!, We competent to do our own political
thinking and choosing?
There is another group in the state
which denies that Senator La Fol-
lette is the republican boss, or that
he is a republican at all. They, too,
will havesa 1hend-picked slate in the
choosing of which the people will
have not much more of hand than
they had in picking the La Toilette
slate. True ,they will hold con-
vention composed of delegates from
about the state, but these delegates
will be hand-picked by handful of
hand-picked men in the various COM
munities. They will be hand picked
because there is no other way of pick
ing them.
And, as we have done every two
years, the mass of us will go to the
polls on primary day with no choice
but to vote for one or the other of
two tickets hand-picked for us with
out our consent by the rival self-ap-
pointed bosses. Cad, what political
cattle we are. becoming. st. Peter
must be spoofing. Boss Keyes for
piker.
Now this isn't criticism of Sen
ator La Toilette as a senator. He
has won his own personal fights in
the open forums, and been elected by
free electorate who could have re-
jected him had they wished. He is
the creature of no boss, as are his
state candidates, for he is at the top
of the heap, and there is none above
| to make or break him..
But while we have elected Senator
La Toilette to represent US in the
United States senate, we did not
elect him to bcss Wisconsin. We
did not elect him to dictat5t6 us what
candidates we might vote for, or to
say whom we may notSelect. The
Senator becomes boss only when
he steps into our shoes to set up our
candidates. 1t is La Toilette, the
state boss, not La Toilette the sena-
tor, who offends by usurping the suf-
frage of free people.
1t is possible ito argue that We are
not confined to such candidates as
La Toilette and his opponents choose
for us, because under the primary
law other candidates have right
to enter the race.
Ha, ha! Mere words! They
laugh when they speak them "trip
pingly on the tongue"
Former Lieut.. Gov. Edward F.
Dithmar tried it two years ago, aid
what happened to Ed?
Politically, "the wild ass stamps
Ger his head but does not break his
Sleep"
Let us see what happened at that
LaFollette hand picked meeting
which hand-picked our republican can
didates at the state capitol last Fri
day:
Governor Blaine was selected au-
tomatically to succeed himself. OPP
position had buckled and collapsed
some time ago, and had not enough
gumption left to ask a hearing.
Herman Elkern was selected as at
torney general. Herman Severson
and M. B. Olbrich, who had permitted
newspapers to discuss their candida
cies without denial, were rejected.
s'Theirs not to reason why, theirs
not to make reply" Of course, glib
| ly, they can run in spite of the royal
lukase-as Dithmar did.
/ Lacelot A. Gordon was an avowed
candidate for secretary of state.
Zimmerman got it. Gordon felt that
he was entitled to a hearing. 1t he
got it, it was a last moment formal
ity after his case had been decided
against him.
| Dithmar and his Blaine, Severson
had his Ekern, and Gordon may pro-
!, fit
| But cries of 'Treason!" interrupt.
And who was it that decided that
Ekern may run, and Severson and
) Olbrich shall not? Who decided
that Zimmerman may run, and Cor
; don may not?
The people?
Not in thousand years!
: Senator La Toilette and hand
picked handful did it. The story IS
, written. The forms are closed. The
, edition has gone to press. All the
bosses want of the people is that
they shall mind their own business,
: and damned little of that!
| But we still have the primary, for
; sooth!