Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1924-05-08
viii Senator La Toilette
Name Our Next President?
An. Independent Progressive Ticket
May Throw Election Into House Of
Representatives And Give Power of
Naming President to Wisconsin
Senator.
Written Specially for The Leader
BY EDWARD PERCY HOWARD
CThru Autocaster Service)

WASHINGTON, May s. While
the people of the country are puzz1ino
their brains to decide who is to he
the next President of the United Stat
es, there is a likelihood the question
could be answered right now bv one
man-Senator LaFollette.
LaFollette is in a strategic position
such as no man has experienced in
history. The political sharks here rec
ognize the fact. They know he could
not be elected to the presidency this
year, but they are really convinced he
can stop the election of Calvin Cool
ldge and block the election of anv man
the Democratic party may put into the
running.
North Dakota, South Dakota and
Wisconsin are absolutely sizzling with
third party sentiment. The wheat
growers and the industrial workers of
Central Northwestern States are in re-
bellious mood. The situation is so acute
that third party ticket is more than
likely. Once it is launched, the adds
are all in favor of the election being
thrown into the House of Represen-
tatives and if this happens then La
Toilette will be able to name the man
who is to live in the White House for
the coming four years.
LaFollette's Strength
those who watch the trend of ma
tlonal politics do not believe La Fol-
iette is sufficiently unwise to allow
himself to be led into heading a third
party ticket, but these same men are
quite agreed that he is more than like
iy to engineer such movement into
oelng' All eyes, of course, are turned
10 the Republican convention, however
because La Toilette has stated he is
wiling to run on an independent pro-
gresslve ticket in the event Coolidge
is nominated by the Republicans. The
sweeping victory of La Toilette over
Coolidge in his home state indicates
the ease with which the Senator could
gather in the electoral votes of at least
SIX or seven states in the fall cleo
ton.
Whether La Toilette runs himself
or engineers third party ticket with
someone else at the head of it, the
platform of the progressive element as
indicated by the Senator is already
written. Here are its salient features
The Progressive Platform
Destruction of the economic and po-
litical power of monopoly"
Recovery of the Navy's oil reserves
and prosecution of every person con-
nected with the oil scandal against
whom serious charges have been made.
Public ownership of railroads.
Public ownership of waterpower.
Recovery of hundreds of millions of
dollars stolen through war contracts
Action to collect the $,1,000,000,000
owed to the United States by foreign
powers.
A constitutional amendment provid-
ing that Congress may re-enact a
statute over Judicial veto.
Reduction in freight rates on agri-
cultural products.
Abolition of the injunction in labor
disputes.
Legalizing the right of farmers and
industrial workers to organize, bar
gain collectively and conduct cooper
ative enterprises.
Adjusted compensation for veterans
of the World War.
Direct nomination and election of
President
Initiative and Referendum.
Popular referendum on the question
of war, except in the case of invasion.
Denunciation of the Mellon tax plan
and revision of the Treaty of Versail-
les
This simple fact should be carried
clearly in mind If the election is
thrown into the House, the Wisconsin
vote would be necessary to. elect a
Republican president. Without the
Wisconsin vote there would be a tie,
and there is no doubt the Wisconsin
vote in the House would obey the
mandate of Lav Toilette.