The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-08-15
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS
INSTALLMENTS

l;can boss tries to bride La Toilette to
talk to Judge Siebecker off the bench in
the interests of the treasurers. La Fol-
lette exposes him. Immediately he, La
Toilette, is denounced on every hand for
iniuring the party machine. In the
campaign Of 1896, La Toilette becomes
antl-machine candidate for governor. and
is defeated when the bosses buy off"
his delegates at the State convention La
Toilette prepares bill Incorporating
plan for direct nominations and gives it
wide publicity.
1 had been defeated in the State
convention through fraud and cor
ruption, but l went into the cam
paign with zest, and spoke in ev-
cry important city and town in
the State, closing the campaign in
Milwaukee before an immense au-
dience.
The bosses would have been
pleased had I bolted. the conven-
ton Of 1896 The desperate means
to which they were driven to con-
troll that convention convinced
Sawyer and his associates of the
growing strength of the opposition
to the machine and gave them
serious apprehension.
1t was said when it was over.
Sawyer drawing a long breath,
mopped his perspiring face and
said:
Il never want to go through so
hard a fight ag'in."
Years afterward, Stephenson,
who was then with the machine,
told me he stephenson had said
to them:
Sympathy for Bob
II can't help feelin' a good deal
of sympathy for Bob La Toilette.
We've got the newspapers, the
organization. the railroads, and
all the money, and he is fightin'
us all alone. If he'd had money
enough to buy few more postage
stamps, he'd a beat us sure"
think Sawyer. Spooner Pfster
and Payne would have been glad
to see me leave the party. Many
Of my close advisers. too, believed
we should break from the Repub-
llcan organization and try to build
up a new reform party in the
State
New parties are brought forth
from time TO time, and groups Of
men have come forward as their
heralds. and have been called TO
leadership and command. But the
leaders did not create the party.
It was the ripe issue Of events. It
came out Of the womb of time,
and no man could hinder or hasten
the event No one can foretell
the coming Of the hour 1t may
be near at hand. 1t may he other
wise. But if It should come quick
". we may be sure strong lead
ership will be there: and some Will
say that the leaders made the
party.
But all great movements in so
ciety and government, the world
over. are the result Of growth.
Progress may seem TO halt; we
may even seem 10 lose ground,
but II is my deep conviction that
it is our duty to do. day 10y day,
with all our might, as best we
can for the good Of our country
the task which lies nearest at
hand.
The party does not consist of a
few leaders or OF a controlling po-
litical machine. It consists Of the
hundreds Of thousands Of citizens
drawn together by a common be
lief in certain principles
And il seemed TO me then that
it ought to be in the power Of that
great body. the overwhelming ma
iority Of the party to smash the
machine, 10 defeat corrupt leaders
and to drive the officials Of every
rank who betray the majority out
Of public life.
Mckinley Wins
Mckinley carried the State by
1903 000 Scofield by nearly $4,000.
In the summer of 1897 I CON
cluded to try the experiment Of
campaigning for reform in an off
year. It had occurred to me that
one might obtain a better hearing
from people Of all parties when
they were not in the heat and
fever of a political campaign.
On the Fourth of July. 1897. l
delivered an address at Mineral
Point and took as my theme the
Dangers Threatening Representa-
tive Government.
delivered substantially tho
same address at Fern Dell, at the
Waukesha Fair, and at the State
Fair in Milwaukee.
The opposition criticised the fair
committees severely for setting
apart n day for the appearance Of
a "demagogue and disturber" upon
their grounds, but so long as the
supporters and patrons of the
association over the county were
satisfied, the protests awaited moth
ing. / was made, however, to feel
their resentment on various occa-
sions
On the Playground at Oshkosh,
which was the home of Senator
Sawyer, a determined effort was
made to stop my address,. I was
speaking from a farm wagon
which had been drawn on to the
race track between the pavilion
and the judges stand.
1 had scarcely gotten under
way with my address when the
bell inthe judges stand gave the
usual signal for starting the horse
races. Dozens of uniformed boys
distributed through the audience
began shouting, Score cards for
sale; score cards for sale"
This was followed by the appear
ance Of half a dozen or more
horses coming on to the track a
quarter of mile away, and
headed directly down upon the
audience. forcing those standing