Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-08-29
Word mo" Inserted in His Speech
Changed It Entirely
Apology Knocked Bottom Out of Accusations and
Senate Voted to VindiCate La FoIlette---Eyen
His Enemies Are Satisfied

SSIldIOI 1lCl(A actually SclOy VIC Illo
grievances against Germany"
The correspondent of the Asso-
ciated Press at st. promptly
evidently by the enemies of Senator
La Follette-had inserted the word
"No" thus completely changing the
meaning of the Senator's statement.
The apology by the Associated
Press was addressed to Senator Atlee
Pomerene, chairman of the Senate
committee, and was signed by Fred
erick Roy Martin, assistant general
manager of the Associated Press.
| The following quotation is -self-ex-
planatory:
'The quoted matter was not
read as carefully as it should
have been. For otherwise the
conflicting word mo- would have
been seen. The ST. Paul Pioneer
Press, from which our story was
taken, quoted Senator La Fol-
lette as saying: we had griev-
ances.'
"We can not account for the
disparity in any other way than
stated.
"The error is regretable and
the Associated Press seizes the
first opportunity to do justice to
Senator La Toilette"
This explanation and apology was
sent by the Associated Press to every
daily newspaper in the country which
received the Associated Press service.
Many of them did not print it. Others
concealed it on a back page among
the advertisements.
For example, an examination of
the daily newspapers of Wisconsin re-
veals the shocking fact that not one
of them had the decency to print the
Associated Press apology although
it vindicated their Senator from as
grave a charge as could be made
against a public man.
Of course, when the Associated
Press made this confession the bot
tom was knocked out of the case
against Senator La Toilette.
On December 2, 1918, almost fif-
teen months after La Toilette had de-
livered his st. Paul speech, Senator
Dillingham; of Vermont, standpat-
ter, speaking for the majority of the
Senate committee on privileges and
elections, submitted to the Senate the
report on the La Toilette case and
recommended the adoption of the fol-
lowing resolution.
"Resolved that the resolution of the
Minnesota Commission of Public
Safety, petitioning the Senate of the
United States to institute proceedings
looking to the expulsion of Robert M.
La Toilette from the Senate because
of a speech delivered by him in st.
Paul, Minnesota, on September 20,
1917, be, and the same hereby are,
dismissed for the reason that the
speech in question does not justify
any action by the Senate"
The resolution was agreed to by
so yeas to Fl nays.
Among those who voted for it were
such reactionaries as Kellogg of Min
nesota, who, as indicated above, ini-
tiated the proceedings; Lenroot OF
Wisconsin, La Follette's bitterest
enemy; Frelinghuysen of New Jersey,
Cummins of Iowa, Lodge of Massa-
chusetts, Moses of New Hampshire,
now chairman of the Republican ma
tional senatorial committee, Wads-
worth of New York, Poindexter of
Washington, Smoot of Utah, Weeks
of Massachusetts, now Secretary OF
War in the Coolidge cabinet, and
many others.
On the Progressive side it was sup
ported by Borah of Idaho, Kenyon OF
Iowa, Ashurst of Arizona, Norris of
Nebraska, Johnson of California and
many others.
Having adopted the resolution ex-
onerating Senator La Toilette the
Senate proceeded to adopt resolu-
ton reimbursing Senator La Toilette
on account of the expense he had been
compelled to incur in preparing his
reply to the charges of his enemies
This resolution was considered by
unanimous consent and it was pass
ed without dissenting vote.
In the face of that record the man
ayers of President Coolidge will fine
it extremely difficult to induce the
voters of the Middle West to give
serious consideration to their talk
about Senator La Follette's "war rec
ord"
So far as Wisconsin, Minnesota anc