The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-06-25
THE REAL ISSUE.


The burial of Senator LaFollette at Madison
today, throws the political forces of the state
at once into the violent throes of fundamental
realignment Specifically there was an or
ganization in Wisconsin of which he was the
head. As a matter of fact it was not an or
ganization 1t was following The habit
of following is ingrained in the so-called pro-
gressives of the state. They have never been
taught to walk alone-nor have they ever
been permitted to. Senator LaFollette could
organize following, because he led an origi-
nal expedition into the jungle. Intrepid and
autocratc leadership was all that could have
accomplished the task he undertook. There
could be but one leader. There could be no
discussion of that.
Now the jungle has long since been pene-
trated and subjugated. There is no inevitable
leader The woods are full of potential lead
ers each equally sure that his claim is superb
or to all the others Undoubtedly superficial
solution will be arrived at, but not without
leaving a score or more of sore thumbs and
several times one sore head. Every Achilles
has an undipped heel. Probably it will turn
out that history repeats itself in this particu-
lar.
If Philetus Sawyer had made an organiza-
ton instead of following, so that when death
removed him from the councils of the party,
there had been a leader ready to carry on with
authority, the history Of Wisconsin would
have been very differently written. But at
his death there was political chaos, and in the
absence of strong and effective leadership,
LaFollette found comparatively easy way to
success Present indications are that LaFOl-
lette made the same error.
There is this difference between the present
situation and that of which LaFollette took
advantage There is no LaFollette to take
advantage of it. 1t is not situation from
which platitudes will wrest any advantage.
Nor is it a situation which political resolutions
will solve.
The real issue which is now presented to the
people of Wisconsin is similar to that which
was presented to LaFollette He set out to
wrest the government, of the state from po-
litical bossism and restore the government to
the people. The people of Wisconsin today are
infinitely worse boss-ridden than they were
then, in addition to which they are the worst
tax burdened people on the face of the entire
earth. Incapacity characterizes the conduct
of state government from top to bottom; po-
litcal dishonesty is rampant, and all state con-
ditions, SO far as they can be affected by the
conduct of the state government, are infinitely
worse than they were when the people were
SO valiantly rescued from the political bosses
of the old days. But in those days there was
LaFollette.
We are not willing to say that in the crisis
of political affairs which is inevitable from
the termination of his personal leadership,
there is not within the state man big enough
to rise to the present demands of leadership,
and who may not yet rescue the state from
the grasp of the tax eating and tax making
horde into whose hands it has so disastrously
fallen, We are not wiling at this time to sug-
gest such leader. We do not know who we
would suggest if we were called upon to do so.
But we do want to'impress upon the people of
this state that the. real issue precipitated by
the death Of Senator LaFollette is a leader
who will stand for principles that will restore
the government of the state to the proper
functions of a government of all the people
for all the people by all the people. The gov
ernment of a class by class for the benefit
of one class and the destruction of another
class has not been a success The real issue
vital to the very life of Wisconsin today is a
leader--one who can lead and command--but
one who will lead the people only to their
own good, and command them only to their
own service of themselves.