The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-01-01
The Dying Year

Washington - OF many epochs it is
said that they "came in like lion
and went out like lamb" but history
records few that are more faithfully
SO characterized than the political and
legislative year 1924 just drawing to
a close.
The year dawned with sensational
series of revelations of alleged graft
and corruption in the federal govern
ment that shook the nation. 1t is going
out with the investigation a vague
memory, a conservative president in
the White House and the secretary OF
the treasury barking back to the days
of '96.
The Senate Investigations and. the re-
turn of President Coolidge to the
White House for four years in three
cornered election were unquestionably
the outstanding political events of the
year. The fields ofslegislative and ex-
ecutive accomplishment were marked
by further tax reduction and another
slice from the public debt.
Congress was in session from the
beginning of January to the 7th OF
June, mainly engrossed with the inves-
LEGATIONS, with feverish assaults on
cabinet officers, with reducing taxes
passing the bonus, enacting restrictive
legislation barring Japanese and gen
orally keeping the country in tur-
moil. It returned on December 8 q
chastened body, the insurgent Repub-
licans largely defeated, with an emas-
culated legislative program, designed
only to keep it busy until it's consti-
tutional demise on March 4 next.
No sooner was Congress adjourned
for the summer than the quadrennial
presidential was ushered in with a
bang. Less than week after adjourn
ment, Calvin Coolidge, of Vermont, was
acclaimed the nominee of the Repub-
lican party.
General Charles G. Dawes, if Chi
cago was named as his running mate.
The Democrats, intent upon capital
izing the unrest and discomfort Incl
dent to the revelations of official cor
ruption under the Republican admin
istration, went into convention in New
York early in July, full of hope.
They emerged 10 days later, after
103 ballots in the most turbulent poll
teal convention in history, torn and
bleeding from bitter religious quar-
rels and fractional disputes between
Governor AL Smith of New York, and
William G. McAdoo, with. a candidate
of sterling worth, according to his po-
litical foes as we'll as his friends -
John w. Davis of West Virginia -
but with a party divided and scant
chance of coming through the victors.
Governor Charles Bryan of Nebraska
was the Democratic vice presidential
nominee.
Meanwhile, Senator Robert M. La
Toilette laid plans for his own cam
paign. On July A at Cleveland, at a
convention of the Conference for Pro-
gressive Political Action, La Toilette
was formerly acclaimed the leader of
American independence and launched
himself on the ocean Of presidential
politics with Senator Wheeler of Mon
tana his second-place man. The Amer
lean Federation of Labor endorsed the
ticket.
Victory for Coolidge.
The upshot of the first three-corner-
ed campaign in IL years was sweep
ing victory for Coolidge, who obtain
ed 1872 ELECTORAL votes, Davis 1876, and
La Toilette, Is. Coolidge's popular
vote appropriated 1850, 900, Davis
vote 100000 and La Follette's A.
100000.
Undeterred by this defeat the La
Toilette people voted just before the
year closed to Garry on" and intensity
their movement by organizing third
party and called a convention to take
place at Chicago early next year to
draw plans for advancing their pur-
pose. Meanwhile, their leader and
three of his senatorial supporters in
the ranks Of the Republican party were
read out of that organization.
The Congressional situation through
out the year was dominated by the La
Toilette progressive group which held
the balance of power between the two
evenly divided old parties. Through
out the six months of the year that the