Evening star., 1925-06-20
La Tollette's Political Estate.

radical forces which rall1ed around tne
late Senator Robert NJ. La Toilette Is
the problem which political observers
today are seeking to solve. Crystalliza.
ton OF the changed conditions will be
necessary before It Is possible TO an.
swer with definiteness. Because of his
personality, his ability to bind ad-
"herents to him and his long struggle
for liberal principles, Senator La Fol.
lette stood on a height. with no lieu.
tenants regarded as capable Of step
ping into his shoes instantly. He had
no understudy. But this does not mean
that leader will not be found among
those who gave him their support.
Senator Wheeler CT Montana, La Fol-
lette's running mate during the prest.
dental campaign last year, appears to
have definitely returned to the Demo
cratic fold. He has let 1t be known
that he did not expect to join in the
movement for a third political party,
which has been going forward quietly
since the last campaign, and to which
Senator La Toilette was expected to
proclaim allegiance.
The many elements among the pro-
sressives and radicals which La Fol
lette sought to fuse in the last cam.
paign were held together temporarily
by the personality and the political
skill of La Toilette himself. Socialists
and labor leaders. farmers and indus.
trial workers. in organizations OF their
own. gave their support to the La Fol.
lette ticket last year. In the new eff.
fort to organize a third party the plan
has been to disregard these separate
organizations and to form political
party based on representation similar
to that in other political parties Of
today. But with La Toilette gone. the
rellying point for this new organiza.
ton, temporarily 1T least, appears to
have vanished.
In Wisconsin the first steps are TO
be taken to knit together again the
texture Of the mantle OF La Toilette
leadership. torn asunder by his death.
Within a short time, 1t Is expected. an
cessor in the Senate. Some OF La Fol.
iette's friends are already talking of
electing his widow. Mrs. La Toilette,
or his son, Robert La Toilette. jr.
Gov. Blaine, a strong La Toilette ad.
he-ent. is also declared to be prob
able candidate for the nomination and
election.
OF scarcely less interest than the
plans OF the La Follette faction to
name a successor to the dead Senator
are those CT the "stalwart.." the regu-
lar Republicans who have tried in
vain to wrest the party organization
in the State from La Toilette in the
past. Whom will they put forward
against the La Toilette candidate for
the nomination and election? Or will
they put forward any candidate? Sen
ator Lenroot, who himself comes up
for reelection in 1926, Is today the
titular and probably the actual leader
OF these regular forces In the State.
The national Republican organization
has indicated recently its determina.
ticn to stamp out as far as possible
the opposition in the Northwest, which,
they declare, has masqueraded long
enough under the name Republican"
VIII the regulars now seek to split
the La Toilette organization in Wis.
consin by holding out an olive branch
to any Of the Senator's former lieu
tenants?
This much can be said: The policy Of
the regular Republicans since the
overwh Ginning election Of President
Coolidge last Fall has been to grant
no quarter to the radicals. In the
Senate the regular Republicans turned
.on La Toilette and his three followers.
Broollhart Of Iowa and Ladd and
Frazier of North Dakota, and threw
them out OF the party councils and
denied them committee places as Re.
pubiicans. Their attitude has been
mo compromise" II this is to be the
attitude assumed now in Wisconsin a
lively political battle Is on the eve
CT opening.
In the Senate itself, where La Fol
lette was the titular and at times the
actual leader Of the progressive bloc.
there is much uncertainty as to upon
whom this leadership will be be-
slowed The new leader will probably
be created by circumstance as the