The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-06-18

Senate the same year, and resigned
from the Governorship.
AS Presidential candidate Senator
La Toilette began IN active campaign
for progressive support in December,
1911, but while speaking in Philadel-
phia the following February, he col
lapsed after a long address and many
of his supporters turned to Roosc-
welt. He continued his campaign, but
it was hopeless enterprise.
During his early service in the
Senate, he won prominence by repeat
ed forays against Especial privilege"
and Especial interests" in tariff and
other legislation. He broke with
President Taft in 1911 and opposed
the administration Canadian reci-
procity treaty. He was an early ad-
vocate of woman suffrage, labor leg
islation and taxation of the wealthy
classes. Later he advocated recall of
judges and judicial decisions, and
the railways.
On Committees
La Toilette had many important
committee assignments in the Senate
For years he was a veteran member
of the finance and interstate COM
merce committees, and as chairman
of the manufactures committee he
conducted an extensive investigation
into gasoline prices. He was author
of the resolution under which the
Senate inquiry into the leasing of
Teapot Dome and other naval oil re-
serves was undertaken.
Senator La Toilette took prom
inent part in the framing of tariff
and tax legislation, fighting the Ford
McCumber tariff measure of the
Harding administration and opposing
many OF the changes proposed in tho
internal tax law during the Sixty
Seventh Congress and the first ses~
sion of the Sixty Eight Congress. He
also was active in opposing President
Harding's shipping bill.
Ill health handicapped La Toilette
somewhat after his reelection to the
Senate in 1922: In the summer and
tall of 1923. during a tour of Europe,
ne contracted severe cold. After
his return to the United States he
suffered an attack of grip. He was
unable to attend the opening of the
Sixty-Eighth Congress but from his
sick bed he directed the organization
fight waged by the Republican in
surgents in both House and Senate.
He returned to his office later, but
soon fell victim to another cold which
confined him to bed and eventually
developed into pneumonia.
Returns to Senate
Recovering, he returned to the SEN
ate floor during the closing days of
the session, just prior to the national
conventions, and demanded, among
other things, that Congress remain
in session to pass legislation design
ed to benefit farmers and labor. AL
though in a weakened condition, he
delivered lengthy speech, urging a
loan to Germany, with much of his
old-time vigor. This led to the belief
among his friends that after all he
would be in physical shape to conduct
campaign, if he decided to become a
presidential candidate.
The domestic and private life of
Senator La Toilette might be termed
ideal. AT the age of 26 he married
Miss Belle Cas- of Baraboo, Wis, and
from that moment she became his
political as we'll as his personal part
ner. She took an active part in all
his campaigns, served as his secre-
tary while he was in the House, and
aided him in preparing his speeches.
They had four children, Philip, now
partner in the Senator's law firm ut
Madison; Fola, the wife of George
Middleton, New York playwright:
Mrs. Mary Sucher, and Robert La
Toilette, Jr.
For almost year when the young
est boy was i'll during the war, Sen
ator La Toilette was his nurse, car
rying him in his arms for hours and
finally winning a desperate fight
against death.
The Senator's friends and SUPPORT
ers IN his home state were legion.
while in the Senate he numbered
among his personal friends some, of
those he most harshly attacked on
the stump. Among these. was the
late Senator Penrose, of Pennsyl.
vania, who was close companion
OF his Wisconsin critic in the Senate
for long time preceding his death.