The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-07-31
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS
INSTALLAIENTS

INSTAI1LMEN1S
La Toilette enters political life. i'm
consin political bossism; nevertheless Is
elected district attorney of Dane County.
makes good in this position. and then is
elected to Congress despite the opposir
ton of the Madison ring" Senator
Sawyer is at this time one of the domi
nant figures in Wisconsin politics. He
promises La Toilette place on the Com
mittee on Public Lands. Because. how
ever. he has shown too frank an interest
in Immigrant forfeitures. La Toilette
finds himself instead on the Committee
on Indians Affairs Now he undertakes
TO learn all he can about Indians.
soon found out why Sawyer
had secured my appointment to
the committee on Indian affairs.
1t was the first Illuminating
glimpse had of the inside
methods Of political organization.
Wellborn of Texas was then
chairman of this committee. He
strongly rcsembled Stephen A.
Douglas, was an able man and a
real orator. Cleveland appointed
him Federal Judge in California
where he made a fine record.
Wellborn appointed me a sub
committee of one to consider bill
introduced by Guenther OF
Oshkosh to sell the pine timber
from the Menominee Indian Re-
servation in Wisconsin. Guenther
represented Sawyer's congression-
al district.
When 1 began to study the bill
more closely. it seemed TO me to
offer unlimited opportunities for
stealing the timber from the In
dams. I concluded to consult J.
D. c. Atkins, the commissioner Of
Indian affairs. about it He read
the bill through; then he looked
at me over his glasses and said:
Mr.. La Toilette, I think this is
a little the worst Indian bill
ever saw"
will You write me a letter as
commissioner, saying SOP"
asked.
Gets Letter
In due time I got his letter and
A few days later Guenther came
to me and said:
Bob. why don't you report that
bill out?"
I told him It was a bad bill and
that I should report it adversely.
'Oh, don't do that" he said.
7 know nothing about the bill
Sawyer asked me to introduce 1t.
md he irtrRd,,Ca5 ooo oxoctIxy HIya
it in the Senate. He has passed
his bill over there and he wants
me to get the House bill favor.
ably reported and on the calendar
by the time his bill comes over"
When 1 insisted that 1 would
not report it favorahly, that ended
1t and the bill died in committee.
Sawyer never spoke to me about
the affair.
I was very soon to meet this
question OF political self-seeking
in another form. My first speech
in Congress was made on April
%, 1896. 1t was on the so-called
pork barrel bill for river and
harbor appropriations. 1 was then,
as now, heartily in favor Of gen
erous expenditures OF national
funds for waterways and harbors.
but the scramble for unwarranted
appropria tons was not short OF
scandalous.
The bill called for SIS, 900 900, the
largest amount at that time ever
appropriated. 1t ignored the
recommendations Of the Govern
ment engineers that sixty three
improvements already begun
should be completed, and provided
for completing only five OF these
unfinished improvements. This
recommendation was ignored in or
der to use the funds to start over
one hundred new improvements
to satisfy the demands for pork"
I argued that If the sums neces-
sary to complete unfinished work
were used TO inaugurate new I'M
provements, then the next Con-
gress would be compelled to set
aside still larger appropriations
merely to keep pace with the de-
struction resulting from the action
Of the elements upon the uncom-
pleted improvements.
argued that Congressman
should not contend as rivals for
these appropriations, each seeking
all he could get as a grab for his
district, but that they should re-
gard the river and harbor bill as
a great national measure.
I knew that the bill would pass.
as it did, but 1 felt that I ought at
least to express my convictions
upon the subject. I did not oppose
the bill; opposed the. policy.
This little speech-it does not
seem of much importance to me
now-was commented on. not only
in Wisconsin, but by the press of
the country. The New York
Tribune, the New York Sun and
other papers gave 1t favorable edi-
torial notice. This helped me in
the contest for denomination.
The opposition Of Boss Keyes
and the old-time politicians Of
each of the counties Of the district
in my first nomination and cleo
ton warned me of the enemy 1
would have to meet in the conven-
ton Of 1856.
If 1 ever expected to serve more
than one term in the House of
Representatives knew had to
fight for that privilege. 1t had
seemed to me in the very begin
ming that a public official should