The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-10-10
LAFOLLETTE REAL
PEOPLES MAN
Has Been Staunch and Vail
ant Defender of Public
Interests.
BY ALBERT o. BARTON
Author of "LaFollette's Winning Of
Wisconsin,"

LaFollette took his seat In the sen
ate in January. 1905. He has three
times been reelected, in each instance
by Overwhelming vote of the people of
Wisconsin.
He had been in his seat but a few
weeks when he made one of the long
est and most notable speeches of the
session on the Hepburn raifrpAd rate
bill. which revealed him as ohe Of the
authorities on the subject, and fore
shadowed the leading part he has
taken In railroad legislation since. In
an active part in legislation on the
great problems relating to tariff,
finance, transportation and conservn-
ton, with an eye single to the public
interest as opposed to special privi-
Iege legislation.
True Friend of Soldiers
II was on the outbreak Of the World
war that LaFollette proved himself of
the mold of heroes who can remain
true to their ideals In hours of su-
preme trial. He opposed the precipi-
tate entraDce of the United States into
the war; which was demanded by the
money-lenders, the munition makers
and protiteers. He foresaw that this
war, like most wars Of history, would
lead to the setting back OF the wheels
of progress, TIE losing of the ground
gained for popular government, the
probable loss of thousands of lives and
milliops of dollars In property, the III
rQkation of freedom Of speech nj
press, the imposition of crushing hlr 1
dens of taxation, and an era Of hatred.
violence and intolerance, with dicta
torships and yateasified national jei3
ousies- against all this he counselca
moder0,lon. He believed congress
sho1d have the power to declare war
and that 1t wW the duty Of its mem
hers to vote their honest convictions
for or against It. AS the leader of tie
group that dared to stand out against
immediate participation, he had TO
hear the brunt of storm of abuse,
and misunderstanding such
as seldom has descended upon the
head of a public servant.
Son Goes to War.
With war declared. however, he
urged It's effective prosecution and
sent his son into the service. He op-
posed the declaration of war, the draft
act and the espionage law, inveighed
against the censorships and arbitrary
arrests, but held that a law once
made must be obeyed until repealed.
TaFollette favored every bill to bet
ter the condition Of the soldiers and
sailors. He secured an appropriation
of S2000,000 for the benefit Of soldiers
and their dependents during the Mexi-
can troubles. He voted to increase
the pay of soldiers sent abroad; fa-
vored every appropriation bill to sup
port the army and navy, He fought
the hardest fight of his life to make
war profits bear reasonable proper
tion of war taxes. and 1t was largely
through his efforts that taxes on the
poor mans table-tea, coffee, cocoa
and sugar--were defeated.
Activity increases.
LaFOllette never was more active In
he senate than he has been In the
past year or two. The investigations
nto the Teapot Dome and other oil
steals of the Harding administration
md still more recent ones into the
'rices of sugar and gasoline were
argely set on foot and directed by
him. He led the fight defeating the
s300.00O.00o proposed exemption of
foreign trade corporations in the 1921
ak bill, and he ha1ted the move of
he Harding administration for legis-
alton to pay S5OO,000000 of the gov
money to the railroads be-
ore the railroads had paid what they
WED tie government on account of
-aluabIe new equipment bought for
hem oy the government during war
ime operation.
LaFollette is emphatically a peo-
lies man. He has been proof against
ny temptation to be anything else
lie has put sA6a the allurements
which ease and privilege have offered,
nd has borUe inevitable abuse and
Misunderstanding in order that the
ause of Riman freedom might be ad-
anced,
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