The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-10-30
La TOILETTE REAL
PEOPLES man
Has Been Staunch and Vail
ant Defender of Public
Interests.
BY ALBERT o. BARTON
Tor Of "laFollette's Winning

Author Of "laFollette's Winning Of
Wisconsin,"
LaFollette took his seat in the SEN
ate in January. 1906. He has three
times been reelected, in each instance
by overwhelming vote of the people of
Wisconsin.
He had been in his seat but few
weeks when he made one of the long
est and most notable speeches OF the
session on the Hepburn railroad rate
bill. which revealed him as one of the
authorities on the subject, and fore
shadowed the leading part he has
taken in railroad legislation since. In
that and the sessions following he took
an active part In legislation on the
great problems relating to tariff,
finance, transportation and conserva-
tion, with an eye single to the public
interest as opposed to special privi-
lege Legislation.
True Friend Of Soldiers.
1t 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 entrance of the United States into
the war, which was demanded by the
mOney-lenders, the munition makers
and profiteers. He fcresaw that this
war, like most wars Of history would
lead to the setting back of the wheels
Of progress, the losing of the ground
gained for popular government, the
probable loss of thousands of lives and
millions of dollars in property, the alb
rogation of freedom of speech and
press the imposition of crushing bur
dens of taxation, and an era of hatred.
violence and intolerance, with dicta-
torships and intensified national jeal-
ousies. Against all this he counseled
moderation He believed congress
should have the power to declare war
and that 1t was the duty of its men,
bers to vote their honest convictions
for or against 1t. AS the leader of the
group that dared to stand out against
immediate participation. he had to
bear the brunt of storm of abuse,
vilification and misunderstanding such
as seldom has descended upon the
head of a public servant
Son Goes to War.
With war declared. however. he
urged Its 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made must be obeyed until repealed.
LaFollette favored every bill to bet
ter the condition of the soldiers and
sailors. He secured an appropriation
of 100000 for the benefit of soldiers
and their dependents during the Mexi-
can troubles. He voted to increase
the pay Of soldiers sent abroad; ia
vored every appropriation bill to sup
port the army and navy. He fought
the hardest fight of his life to make
war profits bear a reasonable proper
lion Of war taxes, and It was largely
through his efforts that taxes on the
poor mans table-tea, coffee, cocoon
and sugar-were defeated
Activity Increases.
LaFollette never was more active In
the senate than he has been in the
past year or two. The investigations
into the Teapot Dome and other oil
steals of the Harding administration
and still more recent ones into the
prices Of sugar and gasoline were
largely set on foot and directed b!
him. He led the fight defeating thu
S3OO.OOO,OOO proposed exemption Of
foreign trade corporations in the 1927
tax bill. and he halted the move OF
the Harding administration for legis
lation to pay $500 100000 of the gov
ernment's money to the railroads be
fore the railroads had paid what the,
owed the government On account of
valuable new equipment bought fos
them by the government during war
time operation.
LaFollette is emphatically peo
ple's man. He has been proof against
any temptation to he anything else.
He has put aside the allurements