Evening star., 1925-07-31
TOILETTE HEIR
FACES HARD FIGHT
Administration Forces Op-
pose His Ambition for
Seat in the Senate.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.
Reports from Wisconsin to the eff
feet tAat the Republican administra-
tidfsavquld swallow the nomination OF
RoRsrt La Toilette. ir.. if he enters
the Republican primaries and wins
the nomination for the Senate to MI
the vacancy caused by the death OF
Senator La Toilette were discounted
here today by regular Republicans
from the Badger State.
These reports, il was insisted have
been inspired by Democratic organs.
with the hope that La Toilette will
win the nomination. and that then
regular Republicans in Wisconsin un-
willing to vote for La Toilette will
swing over TO the Democratic nominee
at election time.
Butler Is Emphatic.
Attention was called to statements
recently made by Senator William NJ.
Butler. chairman of the Republican
national committee. denying that he
ever had any intention of supporting
la Toilette, and urging that regu-
lar Republican be nominated and
elected who would support the poll
cIeS of the administration in the Sen
ate. One of these statements, con
tanned in a letter to Benjamin Fuller
man, president of the Nineteenth Ward
Republican Club in Milwaukee, was as
follows:
Il wish YOU would take pains to
deny as emphaticaly as YOU wish that
/ have ever had or have now any in
tention of supporting La Toilette, jr.
On the other hand, I hope very much
that a real Republican candidate can
be selected to run for Senator in your
State
In a telegram 10 John f. Fitzgibbon,
also of Milwaukee, Senator Butler
said:
The selection of a Republican nomi-
nee for the United States Senate in
Wisconsin, if a special election is TO be
held. is for the Republicans of Wis
consin. I hope that real Republican
will receive the nomination. one who
supported in the last national cleo
tion the candidates and platform of
the Republican national convention,
held in Cleveland. and who will. if
elected, support the present admins
tration. The stories you describe are
not based on any statement, SuggeS-
ton or intimation of mine. nor do
they reflect my opinion or purposes. y
The announcement made yesterday
in Madison that Robert La Follette
jr.. would be candidate for the Sen
ate was expected here. His formal
announcements. it is expected, will
state his platform and declare Wheth
er he will enter the Republican pri
maries or choose 10 run as an indie
pendent. Some of his friends here
predict that he will seek the Repub-
lican nomination and that he will get
il. and later viii be elected.
Three -Cornered Fight Likely
In one quarter the prediction was
made. however. that if La Toilette
fails to win the Republican nomina-
ton at the primaries ne will still run
as an independent candidate for the
Senate.
on the other hand some of the
regular Republicans in Wisconsin are
planning to run candidate as al in
dependent against La Toilette if he
does win the Republican nomination.
The chances, therefore, for a three
rornered fight appear bright The
Democrats are hoping that this will
result in splitting the Republican vote
so that their candidate may slip into
the Senate. The Democrats. however.
are few and far between in Wisconsin,
and their best chance would lie. il
seems, in having only two candidates
in the field, one a Democrat and the
other either La Toilette or a stalwart
II. r
nominee of the Republicans, then the
regulars might vote for the Democrat.
on the other hand if the stalwarts
nominate, then the La Toilette people
might vote for the Democrat. At pres
ent the Democratic strength has so
dwindled in the State that only one
members of the Legislature belongs to
the Democratic party.
g. o. p. Backs Regulars.
Private advices received here indi-
cate that Senator Butler is entirely
In sympathy with the convention
which is to be held by the regular
Republicans Of Wisconsin to select a
candidate for the Senate. This con
vention, to which delegates have in
many parts of the state already been
elected, will be held in Oshkosh on
date soon to he announced The con-
vention has been called by the Re
publican executive committee, an or
saniZation of the stalwarts. The Re
publican organization of the state is
now and has for a long time been
controlled absolutely by the La Fol
lette people.
The candidate selected by this con
vention undoubtedly will receive the
support of the administration in the
primary election, and after the pri-
maries should La Toilette win the
Republican nomination. may still be
backed by the administration on an
independent ticket
The policy of Senator Butler and
other regular Republicans since the
last election has been TO handle the
Republican insurgents and La Fol
lette followers without gloves. There
has been no indication so far that
the administration now proposes to
temporize with the La Toilette people.
or 10 make any deals with them, it
was said today