The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-03-28

He has not been Republican for many
years, that is to say, an honest one notwithstand
ing the fact that he has repeatedly been elected
to office under the banner of that party.
1t has been the practice of the Associated
Press, as well as special political writer's to etern-
Ially classify LaFolette as Republican. This has
been calling and distasteful to the real members
Iof that party for the reason that LaFolette has
made it his business to thwart any constructive
Legislation offered by Republicans in Congress
for many years. He has been an obstructionist
Ia radical, red at times, in every move he has
made.
At one time he appeared to be a great
chum of the late lamented A. c. Townley, and at
about the time Mr. ToWnley was giving utteranc-
es to certain disloyal ideas LaFollette appeared
with him upon the same platform ToWnley later
served Jail term for his talk
LaFollette has been SO long associated with
people like the Berger family, Ham, Lin, and
Victor, that he has grown to think the United
States to be all wrong and in a topsey -turvey
state Victor Berger has been kicked out Of Con-
gress several times but his high-stein supporters
in Wisconsin have sent him back again, as often,
and finally he stuck In the opinion of many
people LaFollette should long ago have been Civ
en- the same dose by Congress that was administ-
cred to Berger
Speaking of LaFollettes attitude toward the
government of this country and its, to his mind,
disordered condition, together with his plan for
destroying the Republican party the Chicago
Tribune very sensibly makes these deductions:
He ascribes this condition to the quality of
thought and leadership in the two old political
parties under which the best democratic govern
ment in the world has developed and has been op-
Grating for generations. From that point he rea-
sons simply.
First he will destroy the Republican party, of
which he is theoretically a member, by withdraw
ing from it and setting up a rival. Then he will
destroy the Democratic party by allowing it to
come into power and hang itself. Then his pri-
vate organization, the third party will swing into
Iascendancy in the succeeding election. In other
words, being on the verge of chaos, he would
complete that chaos in order to rise, personally
triumphant, from the ruins.
"'That line of thought is based upon the as
sumption that both the old parties will be conser
Ivative in the next campaign. In his radical mind,
to be conservative, is to be damned He is convin-
ced that if conservatism is not abhorrent to the
majority of Americans, the majority is mentally
deficient SO can have no hope to control the
nations destinies Because the Dakotas, Mime
sofa, Wisconsin, and some elements in Nebraska
and elsewhere have revealed strong tendency
to radcalism in recent years, he deduces that the
nation is eager to upset the two party system.
THAT is confidence which is due for dis
Iillusonment, partly because of the inherent good
sense and stability of the American people, and
partly because of the spectacle which radicalism
has made of itself in recent years in these states
in various foreign lands, and to small extent in
congress"
The Muckrakers Still Busy