Evening star., 1924-07-17
DAVIS UND|STURbED
BY WHEELER BOLT
Party Leaders Believe Sena-
tor Always Has Been La
Toilette Man Politically.
BY ROBERT II. SMALL.

NEW YORK, July 17.-National
Democratic leaders gathered here. in
cluding John w. Davis, the presi-
neither alarmed nor disturbed today
by the announcement that Senator
Burton X. Wheeler of Montana has
"bolted" the Democratic ticket and
would henceforth walk under the
banner of Senator La Toilette on all
national issues. The leaders say it
was a perfectly natural thing for
Senator Wheeler to do. for his mind
has run along with La Follette's ever
since he entered public life and his
being carried on the records as a
Democrat was just about the same as
La Toilette being recorded as a Re-
publican.
Republican leaders including Ma
tional Chairman Butler. were inclined
to be a bit jubilant over the Wheeler
announcement and contended it had
statements that La Toilette would
cut as heavily into Democratic ranks
as he would in the G. o. p. This, of
course. the Democrats deny. and they
say that when the so-called PRO
pressive Republicans" in the Senate
begin to quit the regular Republican
ticket and begin to cast their lots
with La Toilette, the single detection
from the democratic ranks in the
upper chamber will be all but for
gotten
Like "Red" Backing.
Senators Brookhart of Iowa. Norris
Of Nebraska, Ladd and Frazier of
he
Democrats expect to declare for La
Toilette before the campaign grows
much older. The Republicans say that
Senator Dill of Washington. a pro-
gressive Democrat, will also go over
to La Toilette.
This taunting back and forth be-
tween the leaders Of the two old par
ties is likely to go on for some time,
put, as a matter Of fact, they say the
La Toilette forces are developing ex-
actiy along the lines expected. He
mas gained no unexpected strength
from any quarter. but. on the other
hand. has been handicapped quite a
bit by the enthusiasm with which he
has been taken up by the Socialists.
The unqualified Endorsement of La
re roiietts by Eugene Y. Debs was view
ed with evident satisfaction in both
Democratic and Republican camps.
The "redder" the old party leaders
can paint the La Toilette movement
the better they will like it.
Relieved by Wheeler Action.
They will want to show it is merely
rallying place for all the discon-
tented elements in American life; the
abiding place of the "undesirabies.' .
ana In this way they hope to hold to
Repuollcanism and Democracy the
progressives who are not willing tn
associate with the radicals.
One Democratic spokesman de-
ciareo today the national organiza-
ton was glad to be relieved of the
responsibility of having to defend
Senator Wheeler's conduct of the
Daugherty investigation before the
B{ooknart committee of the Senate.
That investigation was conducted
along far different lines from the
oil inquiry in the hands of Senator
Walsh of Montana. Senator Wheeler
permitted any and every sort of tes-
timony to be brought in, regardless
Of whom it concerned. His chief
dependence in the inquiry was the
notorious CASTOR B. Means, interna
tional spy and investigator, who
boasted that although he had been ac-
cused OF every crime in the calendar,
he had never been convicted. That
proud record now has been broken,
however, for since the Senate ad-
journed Means has been convicted in
the Federal courts here and sentenced
to two years in the Atlanta peniten-
tiary. He is out on bond pending an
appeal.
All Look to East.
The Democrats feel now that the
Wheeler activities which went with
out the scope Of the original in
quiry can be laid at the door Of La
Toilette influence.
Meantime it is apparent that the