The Washington times., 1924-07-24

factorily they had q reward that
However, should the Fourth 81
March. 1925. find Mrs. La Toilette
the wife of the President Of tn,
United States, and Mrs. Wheeler
the wife OF the Vice President Of
the same country, there should be
for them no social "Beware!'. Fol
what they don't know-if there Ii
anything they are smart enough
to learn!
10 some extent Mrs. La Toilette
and Mrs. Wheeler have In theil
lives tread parallel paths containing
similar obstacles and similar pleas
ures and achievements-Mrs. La
Toilette having begun her pilgrim
age about two decades ahead Of
Mrs. Wheeler.
In these two women the President
ana Vice President would have, fol
the first time perhaps. an active
and open "feninence influence
For both are women, who have
estaken the stump" In the political
behalf Of their husbands ana in
whom political knowledge has come
to very fine fruition. In neither
however, has this been to the
AS48t
considered ''womanly," but rather
q contribution to the realization OF
q woman on the ''nobly-planned'
pattern.
La Toilette and Wife
Have Same Background.
Mrs. La Toilette met the man
who later became her husband
when. they were students at the
University Of Wisconsin, both hav.
ing matriculated the same autumn.
Both came from farm-Miss Belle
Case from Baraboo, Wis, and
Robert La Toilette from Primrose,
Wis. They had the same hack.
ground, though in worldly goods
the girl was better off.
Robert La FoIlette's father died
when he was a baby, leaving three
children, rundown farm, the log
cabin in which they lived, and
barely enough money to build q
new house. At fourteen the boy as.
sumed the managership Of the farm
and family, and at nineteen he en-.
tered the university, having rented
the farm and moved the family tc
Madison, the seat OF the university,
There his mother kept & college
boarding house to add to the SUP.
port OF the family and the educa,
ton OF her children. He worked his
work through college by teachins
the district school and running the
college magazine.
Belle Case always found Robert
La Toilette interestings-eo much &c
that they became engaged while II
college, but they were not married
tion.
They made the first year of their
marriage on $1,000. This amount,
Of course, was not so bad as ii
eounds-for at that time its value
was probably ten times what il Is
now. Always sighting some goal,
the head Of the house decided to be
q candidate for the position of prose.
month.
AS the young fellow had never
gone to law school but had 'tcram.
med" on his own and passed the
state bar examination under pres.
sure, he felt it necessary to have
more knowledge Of elementary law.
In this his wife, as in all things.
shared and inspired.
she became so interested that after
ner husband landed the desired posi-.
ton she re-entered the University
OF Wisconsin and took the Law
course. She only had one baby
then. so she had plenty Of time!
The same year that Mrs. La Fol.
1ette was graduated in law Mr., La
Toilette was elected to Congress-
Mrs. La Toilette had hopefully a..
pected to practice law, but residence
N Washington, put that idea n
the background, and she was hannv
20 help her husband by doing much
OF the clerical work incident to beine
q Congressman. At that time neither
secretaries nor clerk hire was eli
lowed the Congressman.
Mrs. La Toilette found life n the
Capital very pleasant and interest,
ing-she made her official debut
mere in the Cleveland adIninistra,
tion--and when her husband losi
his place in the House after his
third term, she returned reluctantly
ana sadly to Maple Bluff farm. neaY
Madison.
Progressive's Wife Writes
For His Magazine.
Mr.. La Toilette resumed his Law
practice ana Mrs. La Follette b6
gan to write for newspapers and
magazines. In the former She
wrote largely of her experiences IA
washington and In the latter she
ran corner entitled Thought FOR
1ne Day." which reflected her
pnilosophy as well as many help.
Lul household hint. Despite her
numerous interests and duties she