Evening star., 1925-06-18

Drops Republican AffiliatiOn.
| In the last year Senator La Toilette
| practically cut himself off from the
Republican party. The Republicans
| of the Senate voted last Fall to eX-
| clude him from the party councils of
| that body, and then, in the special
| session of the new Senate opening
| March they took away from him
and his followers their ranking on
| the Senate committees as Republi-
cans. Undaunted, Senator La Toilette
declared he would continue to work
and fight for the progressive prin-
| cipleS for which he has stood. 1t is
known that he looked with favor on
the movement to organize throughout
the country a new liberal party, and
he was expected to throw in his lot
with the new party, which is still in
| the process of organization.
Much of the last session of Con-
EreSS Senator La Toilette was absent
from the Senate, spending part of the
| Winter in Florida, where he went on
the advice of his physician. Owing
TO the attack of pneumonia which he
suffered year or two ago, he was
subject to severe colds. He returned
TO Washington last Spring much i'm
proved in health. He had planned to
remain here until the last of June
or the first of July and then to so
back to his home in Wisconsin.
Native of Wisconsin.
Born on farm near Madison June
IA, 1855, La Toilette was a cotem-
porary of Cleveland, Harrison, Nc
kinley, Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson and
Harding, as well as Car" Reed
James G. Blaine and Mark Hanna.
In stature he was d figure to at
tract attention. His build was short
heavy and exceptionally strong, with
a broad chest. a wide girth and pow
erful arms. He Wore a high, heavy
pompadour above deep-set, sharp blue
brown eyes with overhanging brows,
and had broad. high forehead, prom
inent acquiline nose and mobile mouth.
In public address Senator La Fol
lette's delivery was dynamic and dra
matte always, with violent gestures
and penetrating voice. When he
warmed TO an oratOriCal effort he had
a habit of tossing back his pompa
dour with a quick. sharp jerk of the
head and running his fingers through
his thick locks. His speeches often
lasted for hours. especially during his
filibusters in the Senate.
OF French HuguenOt Stock.
Senator La Toilette derived his
name from ancestral stock of French
Huguenot refugees. His Kentucky
father, Josiah La Toilette, and his
mother, Mary CF'urgeson) La Toilette,
were pioneers in Wisconsin, where
they went from Indiana. Their chill
dren were reared in the face of pow
erty, but all were able to attend the
rural schools.
Robert was admitted to the Uni
versity of Wisconsin by special waiver
of entrance charges. He soon at
tanned prominence in dramatic and
debating classes, and also as editor of
the college magazine. After his grad
uation he was called upon 10 support
his mother and sister while teaching
a country school and studying law.
He was admitted to the bar in 1880
and soon entered politics as can
didate for prosecuting attorney. De
spite the opposition of what he termed
political bosses and machines, he was
elected and subsequently reelected.
Again over the opposition of party
leaders he was nominated and elected
to the Forty-ninth Congress in 1884,
becoming at % years of age the
youngest member of the House.
He was appointed to a place on the
ways and means committee by Speak
er Reed, and worked with William
Mckinley, then a member of the same
committee, in framing the Mckinley
tariff law. His first speech in the
House was against pork barrel"
river and harbor appropriations, and,
by blocking or amending bills spon-
sored by the leaders, he early classi-
fed himself as an 'insurgent."
Becomes Governor i'm 1901
Elected Governor of Wisconsin in
1901 on reform platform, he launch
ed a fight against railroad influence
in State politics, and also led the
movement for the direct primary law,
adopted by the Wisconsin Legislature
in 1904. He was elected to the Senate
the same year and resigned from the
governorShip.
AS a presidential candidate Senator
La Toilette began an active campaign
for Progressive support in December,
1911, but while speaking in Philadel-
phia the following February he col
lapsed after long address and many
of his supporters turned to Roose-
welt. He continued his campaign, but
it was a hopeless enterprise.
During his early service in the Sen
ate he won prominence by repeated
forays against special privilege" and
special interests in tariff and other
legislation. He broke with President
Taft in 1911 and opposed the admin
iStration'S Canadian reciprocity treaty.
He was an early advocate of woman
suffrage, labor legislation and taxa
ton of the wealthy classes. Later he
advocated recall of judges and judicial
decisions, and came out in favor of
nationalizing the railways.
Included in the long list of meas.
ureS against which he fought stub
bornly were the Aldrich- -Vreeland cur
rency act, the Commerce Court act
and the Payne-Aldrich tariff measure.
He made a speech lasting four days
advocating the unSeating of Senator
Lorimer of Illinois, and was promi-
nent in the Ballinger- -Pinchot con-
servation fight as critic of President
Taft and a supporter of Mr. Pinchot.
Opposed Entry in World War.
Opposing American Intervention in
the World War, Senator La Toilette
urged a peace conference of neutrals
He took a leading part in the spec
tacular flibuSter against the armed
ship bill, asked for by President VIII
son. and encompassed its defeat early
in 1917. He was among the famous
twelve wiilful men" named by Presi-
dent Wilson as obstructionists.
After voting against the American
war declaration, Senator La Toilette
also opposed the selective draft act,
but supported the enormous war ap-
propriations and other bills. He
sponsored many free speech pro-
posals, fought ratification of the
treaty of Versailles, and in many
long speeches after the war urged
amnesty for those convicted under the
espionage act.
During 1917 the Senate received
mass of petitions demanding Senator
La Follette's expulsion, principally be-
cause Of a speech at st. Paul to
Non. Partisan Lea que convention. The