Evening star., 1925-06-25
La TOILETTE SONS ABILITIES
PROBLEM BEFORE NEW PARTY
Both Display Some of Fathers Traits-But Both Are
Yet Untried in Independent Leadership WidoW
of Wisconsin Senator His Possible Successor.

from his Indian hunting trip with a
new appeal to the people. 1t was not
young Roosevelt's s defeat, however, SO
much as his weakness on the stump
that has caused doubt to arise here
at the Capital If he will follow his
father to the highest political peaks.
Young T. r. spoke breezily, but all
too briefly to his big audiences. the
burden of the real spellbinding being
passed along to older and more expert
enced heads. Perhaps this was due
to the G.. o. P. management Of the
campaign. Perhaps they should have
given young Roosevelt his head and
let him go. But whatever the fault,
many mistakes were made and Al
Smith smilingly won an easy victory.
Share Fathers Traits.
Next to young "T. R." public
political interest will center in the
La Toilette boys, both of whom seem
to have inherited some of the traits
that helped to make their father
famous. Neither of the two sons,
however, seems to have inherited all
of the fathers political assets. If
either had done so the task of sue
ceeding the father would have been
far simpler. Both of the La Toilette
boys shared in their fathers campaign
for the presidency last Fall on third
party ticket. Both are at home be-
fore an audience and both have the
gift of political craft. Whether they
have the skill and the strength to go
forward alone, whether one is to
resign a public career to make room
for the other, or whether both will
tempt political faith in a name and a
cause. are questions for the future to
settle.
OF the two boys. Philip, the younger,
who is about %, already has had his
tast" of public Office. Last Fall he
was elected district attorney of Dane
County, of which Madison is the seat.
Young Phil has inherited his father S
powerful voice, his fathers effective
shock of hair. and many of his father s
stump-speeching mannerisms. In ac
ton he is a delight to the old admirers
of Fighting Bob" but no one yet
knows whether he possesses the polit
ical finesse, tact, shrewdness and
sagacity which must be the handmade
ems Of stumping ability If success is to
be attained. Young Phil is far more
suggestive Of his father than young T
X. was suggestive of the colonel, al
though the younger Roosevelt often
displayed, consciously or unconscious
ly. many of the nannerisms which
had heightened the popularity of his
ldtuer MdnnerlSmS may add to a
mans appeal, but of course they do
not make. him
Mrs. La Toilette May Run.
Both of the La Toilette bows have
an advantage over young Col. Roose
welt in that they were close compan.
ions of their father in their maturer
years. They have watched, studied
and appreciated his methods. They
have had long tutoring in his school
| OF politics. Young T. r. got his last
ing impressions of his father after the
latter had left the White House and
his days Of political success were
ended.
Young Bob La Toilette differs in
large degree from his brother. He
| Is the more quiet of the two. The
fathers quiet work appealed to him
| more than his oratory. Young Bot
makes a good speech, shows a wide
| grasp Of public affairs. but he is more
| at home in a group than on the
\ stump. They say he was beins
| groomed by his father for the gov
ernorship Of Wisconsin.
Recently there has been some tall
that Mrs. La Toilette might be select
ed to succeed her husband in the Sen
ate. She would far prefer that one
| Of her sons should have the honor
but in whose favor would she resign
| If the opportunity presented?
(Copyright 1928