Evening star., 1924-08-31
WISCONSIN c. 0.P.
IS RENT BY CLASH
La FoIIette's Dual Position
Producing Friction, With Per-
sonaIities as Feature.
Special Dispatch to The Star

MADISON, Wis. August 3o.-Com-
pilcations have developed in the con-
tests to be settled in the Republican
primary September that promise
TO disturb the even tenor of Wiscon-
sin politics. perhaps for several years
10 come. 1t has not been practica BILE
for the dominant wing of the Repub-
lican party in the State-which is the
La Toilette wing here, despite the
fact that Mr.. La Toilette himself is
an Independent presidential candi-
date-to conduct it's domestic Affairs
without considerable friction. Fore
casters predict that more fighting
Will be required to settle some of the
issues OF personality that have arisen.
That there will soon be an open
break between Senator La Toilette
and Gov. Blaine, who is a candidate
Tor third term with the indorse-
ment of Senator La Toilette. is one
OF the predictions. This prediction is
based on the circumstance that Gov.
Blaine has not needed Senator La
Follette's wishes with respect to the
State candidates.
Prior Quarrel Cited.
year ago Gov. Blaine and Secre-
tary OF State Fred l.. Zimmerman
quarreled over State and political
polcy. The result of this quarrel was
that Gov. Blaine brought into the
held new candidate-Theodore Dam
mann of Milwaukee-to defeat Mr.
zimmerman. Blaine's move was dis
tasteful to Senator La Toilette, who
IN the same statement in which he
lnoorsed Blaine for reelection also
indorsed Zimmerman.
what the governor would do was
speculated on for only a few days,
because he replied with new In
dorsement Of Dammann, and the fight
went merrily on.
No sooner had Blaine defad tho
senator than Lieut.. Gov. George F..
Com1ngs, running against Blaine as a
La Foilette supporter, announced that
II Blaine could urge the voters to
disregard Senator La Follette's in
dorsement Of Zimmerman, so could
Comings urge them to disregard SEN
ator La Follette's Endorsement of
Blaine. With that announcement
Comings put fresh speed into his cam
paign, witt. some effect, according to
indications.
The spirit of revolt continues to
spread. Speaker John Dahl Of the As
sembly, another La Toilette leader, an
nounced that he could not support
Blaine. He indorsed A. r. Hirst. the
third candidate for goverenor. as the
candidate who stands the best chance
10 defeat Blaine.
An interesting fact is that Mr. Hirst,
whom Speaker Dahl is supporting, has
announced his support Of the Coolidge
Dawes regular ticket, while both
Blaine and Comings are for La Toilette
for President
Outward manifestations are that
Blaine has lost a considerable number
of votes, some to Comings, some to
Hirst, a result of the split. The
outcome is believed to depend on the
extent of the vote to be received by
Mr.. Comings. Should the Comings vote
reach the neighborhood of 100. 000-all
his votes will be drawn from Blaine
it is believed that Hirst, the more con-
Servative of the three candidates, will
win the Republican nomination. That
would mean the control of the State
situation by a Coolidge Dawes candi-
date.
Upset to La Toilette Plans In Seen.
Such a development would throw La
Follette's plans into confusion, with
the likelihood that La Toilette would
be compelled to exert himself to pre-
vent a worse disaster in November.
Gov. Blaine. who is held RESPONSE
ble for the development of crisis
where none was wanted, is undertake
ing his third-term candidacy this
year with view to succeeding Irvine
L. Lenroot in the United States Senate
in 1926. Close students Of Senator La
Follette's methods say that Blaine
will not reach that goal unless he is
able to do so on his own resources.
The vote for Hirst will in a measure
give clue to the Coolidge Dawes
strength in the State, while the COM
bined Blaine-Comings vote will indi-
cate the number Mr.. La Toilette will
receive for President
In some congressional districts hot
fights are being waged on representa-
tives friendly to La Toilette. In the
first Charles Pfennig, Kenosha mer-
chant. is opposing Henry Allen
Cooper Victor l. Berger is urging
first district Socialists to go into the
Republican primaries and rescue
Cooper. Mr.. Berger has extended the
same courtesy to Representative Ed
ward Voigt Of the second district.
In the seventh district Merlin Hull
is giving Representative ]. d. Beck a
hard fight on the prohibition issue,
Hull representing the dry element.
Beck, who succeeded John ]. Esch,
one Of the authors Of the Esch-Cum-
minis law, has lost much dry support
he had two years ago.
j. C. RALSTON.