Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-10-15
Interview Shows Bob
Chip of the OIb Block
LaFOLLETTE'S SWEEPING VIC.
TORY FOR SEAT IN U. S. SEN
ATE SHOWS HIM A'FIGHTER
BY Edward Percy Howard

by Edward Percy Howard
Ten minutes spent in the society OF
young LaFollette is calculated at least
to leave the average person convinced
OF one fact-that the boy Senator can
not be tagged simply as 1.-The son Of
his father"
Robert M. LaFollette Jr., has a per
sonality all his own. If he~wins for
himself any soubriquet in the public
mind it will not be that of Fighting
Bob IL, but rather Diplomatic Bob /.
Not that the young man is of thai
suave persuasive type found in dip
lomatic fiction that confounds itself
out OF its own mouth. Far from it.
The LaFollette diplomacy seems
rather natural bent for the making
of friends than any studied effort to
be agreeable. Nor is there anything in
his attitude that indicates weakness
What might be taken for timidity as
fact is inherent modesty. There is
not, however, a glimpse in those calm
poker eyes that bespeaks anything but
fixity of purpose.
Surface judgment of young LaFol
lette is likely to prove inaccurate. The
young man is destined to grow into
our national life in manner that will
have to be reckoned with by the grey
boards. Quiet in manner, clear cut in
thought, well rooted in conviction, but
with a mind open to conviction, this
youthful Senator-the youngest man
to occupy this distinguished office,
save two-cannot be considered either
as Eyes" man or a mo" man.
Grounded in the beliefs of his noted
father he carries with him all the ten
acity of purpose of his dad, all his
political acumen, all his courage, but
all modified by the influences sur
rounding the younger generation of
thought, which when we'll balanced
sees the uselessness of havoc created
by those who seek to emulate the
famed bull in the proverbial china
shop.
Youngest Of his sons, the elder La
Toilette trained this boy for his place
in politics. He started his education
when little more than a lad-he is.
only thirty one now.
Graduated into the position of pri
vate secretary for his father young,
Robert soon compelled attention
of those behind the scenes in politics
though to the public he remained un
heard of. He absorbed the fundamen
tai principles for which his father
fought, until they became part of his
His became the first active contact
with all of those men and women
through the length and breadth of
the land who worshipped at the shrine
of the battling Senator from Wiscon-
sin.
He became as we'll known as his
father He gathered to himself wide
acquaintance. His mind became the
storehouse of information from which
could be drawn at will by ais father a
fund of information impossible else
where to be gained. The young man
sensed reaction as if he himself were
the inspiration of all public thought
And he never made mistake in judg
ment.
Those who imagined that in the
quiet young LaFollette they would
find youth who might easily be fore
ed into the background quickly learn
ed their error when the people of
Wisconsin called on the son of La
Toilette to carry on.
Senator Butler, Chairman of the Re
publican National CommitteeJ-the
whisper in the corridors by direction
pf President Coolidge thought the
task of defeating young LaFollette in
the Primaries would be simple, and so
sought to kill the boom aborning.
When this effort failed, the admin.
istration which looks with little favor
on the radical ideas, determined to
put the standard bearer to the sword
at the polls.
Every influence that could be
brought to bear was pitted against
the candidate, but he swept to victory