Evening star., 1924-07-27
MRS. La TOILETTE TO TAKE
PART IN HUSBANDS CAMPAIGN
Wife Has Been Real
Helpn,ate During Sen.
dtOrs Career.
Met in University Where
Both MatricuIated in
Sqnae autumn.


didates of the major parties will have
to look to their laurelS with the wife
of Senator Robert La Toilette OF
the list of running mates" for Mrs
La Toilette is as much a force to b'
reckoned with as is the senator II
the triangular presidential campaign
about to be actively waged.
With the possible exception of Mrs
William Jennings Bryan, there Il
hardly an instance in public lif'
where woman has been so entirel!
and efficiently the partner Of hel
husband. If Mrs. La Toilette doe:
does not take the platform in hel
husbands behalf during the cam
paign it will be the first time in some
years that she has failed to do so.
Like n Romance.
The story of the La Follettes' join'
career reads like romance. Thirty.
five years ago they met at the Uni.
versity of Wisconsin, where they
matriculated the same autumn. Both
came from farm-Bell Case from
Baraboo and Robert La Toilette from
Primrose, Wis. They had the same
background and interests, though ir
the matter of worldly goods Miss Case
was better Off Robert La Toilette.
father died when he was baby. leav'
ing three children, rundown farm
the log cabin in which they lived anC
barely enough money to build new
house.
At the age of IA. La Toilette assum-
ed the general managership of the
farm and family. He entered the
ing rented the farm and moved the
family to Madison. where they kept
college boarding house. He work
ed his way through by teaching the
vcrsity magazine, in which he later
bought a half interest.
Won rs Orator.
Writing and public speaking were
natural gifts. He was member on
the debating club at college, took
part in the local and general debates
and also in the interstate contest
He says he doesn't remember the time
when he didn't speak If he had the
chance.
Good literature was his delight and
recreation. He was great student
of Shakespeare, and while at the uni
versity wrote an Grafton on 1ago
(from "Othello".) He won the oratorical
contest against six other colleges
and there was so much enthusiasm
that .'Iago" was published as a
pamphlet and offered at local book
store.
This brought La Toilette his first
prominence. Playwrights and the
atrical producers got in touch with
him. He was offered Shakespearean
"Hamlet'' Biographers say that La
Toilette would have become a tra-
gedian but for his short stature: that
it was only matter of inches that
stood between him and fame on the
stage. However. his life ambition was
70 10 a npl IN q
he ever cut recitations was when
there were big law trials on at Madi-
son. Then he could always be found
on the front seat in the courtroom.
Pull Toward Stage.
There may have been strong pull
toward the footlights. but there was
a stronger factor which influenced
his decision to become a lawyer. He
was in love with Belle Case and he
could not afford to take any chances
They became engaged while at col
lege, but were not married for two
years after their graduation. What
first attracted Miss Case to La Fol-
lette was not his sense of power nor
his scholarly attainments. Those who
mistake the Wisconsin senator's in
tensity for grimness will be surprised
To hear that what won him his brill
liant wife was his keen sense of hu-
NOR. Through all the years there
never has been time when she
hasn't been able. through his eyes. to
see the funny side of life. A man
who can make his wife laugh for
thirty-three years has indeed missed
his calling. Though instead of a
tragedian he ought to have been a
comedian.
Read Lnw Together.
He is natural mimic with a gift
for dialect. He reads aloud as well
as he talks. his Interpretation of
characters making them come to life.
From fairy tales to Shakespeare and
the best of masters he has read to his
children since they were babies and
given them literary background
that has played an important part
in their lives.
he and Mrs. La Toilette read law.
Always pressing on to some goal, the
head of the house decided to be a
candidate for the position of prose-
cutting attorney, which paid sos a
month.
AS La Toilette had never gone
through law school at the university.
but had "crammed' outside. and
passed the state bar examination un-
der pressure, it was necessary for
him to have more elementary law. So
Mrs. La Toilette read law with him
and to him. She became so interested
that after the appointment was land
ed and her first baby safely arrived,
she re-entered the university at Mad
ison and took the law course.
Elected to Congress.
Just as she was graduated, Mr. La
Toilette was elected to Congress-"an
upStart of 90" This prevented Mrs.
La Toilette from entering active
practice. though she assisted her hus-
band and his law firm in the prepara-
tion of briefs and acted as index clerk
and research worker.
Back in 1855, when the La Follettes
came to Congress, there were neither
members. Mrs. La Toilette did most
of her husbands clerical work. AS
there were two babies then. this must
have taken remarkable management,
particularly when Mrs. La Toilette
entered into the social life of the
more brilliant than it is now
1t was during the Cleveland admin
istration, when there was a beautiful
bride in the White House. All off,
ctaldom kept open house, and there
was much more calling than there is
today. People really paid visits and
did not drop their bits of pasteboard
at the front door and drive off.
Resumed Writing.
Mrs. La Toilette greatly enjoyed
her social duties and life at the Cap
ital and, after her husbands third
term in the House. he went down to
defeat in the Democratic landslide,
she felt that the end of the world
had come when she had to give it all
up and return to Maple Bluff farm
at Madison.
However. Mr. La Toilette cheerfully
resumed his law practice, and Mrs.
La Toilette took up her pen. She
wrote for the magazines of her rich
experience at Washington. and also