Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-07
WISCONSIN VOTING
ON STANDING ISSUE
OF LAEOLLETTE|SM
Lenroot.BIaine Contest Sim
mers Down to Fight Over
State ControI.
GAIN BY CONSERVATIVES
is POSSIBLE IN ONE RACE
Zimmerman's Nomination for Gov
ernor Would Be Hailed as Rift
in Progressive Ranks.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,
STAFF Colres of TIE Star.

MADISON. WIS. september -
Wisconsin voters are trooping to the
polls today to decide whether "the
Wisconsin idea" as typified by the
late Senator Robert NJ La Toilette
shall he discarded or not This is the
underlying issue in campaign
which for bitterness and vitupera-
ton has scarcely been exceeded in the
Badger State
The interest aroused by the fight
is expected to bring large number
of voters to the polls. All the candi-
dates concluded their speaking cam
paicns with Labor dav exercises and
are at their homes to cast their bal
lots Senator Lenroot regular Re-
publican and anti-La Toilette Candi
date TO succeed himself, is in SUI
perior Gov John J. Blaine. the La
Toilette candidate against Lenroot.
will cast his ballot a. Roscobel.
Two Of the candidates for the Re
publican gubernatorial nomination,
Atty. Gen. Fskern. the La Toilette
candidate. and w. Stanley Smith. run
ming on a wet" platform. will vote
in Madison. while Fred r. thinner
man. secretary of State, who duhs
himself La Toilette progressive. but
who also has some stalwart support,
will vote in Milwaukee. and Charles
f. Berry. State senator. the only
simon pure stalwart of them all, will
vote at his home. Wauwatosa.
No Democratic Contests.
The contest is ali in the Republican
primaries for the senatorial and gu
hernatorial nominations The Demo
Gratis have selected Thomas NJ Kear-
ney of Racine for the senatorial NOM
ination and Virgil II. Cadv Of Bar
ahoo for the guhornatorial. They
will he nominated without opposition
The Democrats however must poll at
least 5000 votes for their candidates
to have them so on the ballots in the
general election under the party des-
ignation If they 60 not. their candi-
dates will have II go in the independ-
ent column.
The Democratic vote Is expected to
he small in part because MANY Of tho
Democrats may go into the Rornh'i
can primaries TO vote their prefer
ence. so keen is the interest in the
victory or defeat of the LA Toilette
ticket Senator Lenroot may suffer
by this entrance of Democrats into
tho Republican primary.
The administration Of President
Coolidge did not enter directly into
the campaign just closed Some of
the policies of the President and his
supporters have been attacked and de-
Tended. however. among them the adj
herenCe of the United States 10 the
World Court. the Mellon tax law and
the administration : position against
the McNary Haugen farm relief bill,
Farm Relief Minor issue
Farm relief has PLAYED no such part
In the campaign here as il did in the
Iowa primaries for example. and as
II will in the Iowa elections this Fall
In the first place. Wisconsin farmers
have as a whole been pretty prosper
Gus. even in years of agricuture's
greatest depression following the
World War. The grain crops are
comparatively small when considered
along side of those of Iowa. Kansas.
and some of the Northwestern States.
Farming is more diversified here.
This is a great center of dairy farm
Ing. indeed There hns been far more
debate as to who was responsible for
an increase in the tariff on butter.
made under the flexible provisions Of
the tariff law. than over the MCNarY-
Haugen bill Senator Lenroot s
friends insisted he was responsible for
the increase in the tariff. while his
opponents denied II. \ letter from
the Presidents secretary WAS pro
duced finally to show that Senator
Lenroot had taken the matter UP per
sonally with the President
President Coolidge has been criti-
cized by some of the La Toilette
speakers. who assail him as Conserva
tive But on the whole the rampa ign
has been waged over local issues. with
the World Court thrown in to make
full measure.
Court Opponents Hopeful.
If Senator Lenroot be defeated. as
appears probable. the opponents of
American adherence to the court will
shout with slee. He led the fight for
the administration in support of the
World Court in the Senate last Win
ter. Gov. Blaine has denounced the
court. and Senator Robert NJ. La
Toilette, jr.. who has campaigned the
State for Blaine, voted against the
court and has attacked it in his
speeches here.
The struggle here in Wisconsin is
between the proCresStNes. who believe
with Senator La Toilette that the
first interest of the Government shall
he with the little fellow be he
farmer or laborer or shop keeper. and
the conservatives who believe that the
little fellow" can only be prosperous
when business is prosperous. The La
Toilette people say that to give the
Government over TO the conservatives
is to put wealth in the saddle when
the rich will become richer and the
poor the poorer. The conservatives
say this is all poppycock, mere dema-
roguery Business and capital must
be cared for and not. attacked by the
Government-as they insist II has
been under the La Toilette progress
stve rule in Wisconsin--if the people
as a whole are to prosper.
One thing strikes the visitor TO Wis
consin right in the eye-the prosperity
Of the State The farmers are doing
well. generally speaking: they ride in
automobiles. have fine farms and cat
= tie. The manufacturers are making
money. some Of the biggest establish
ments in the country being located
here. Labor is we'll off. There have
been so serious labor disturbances for
wears. Labor is plentiful.
But Notwithstanding this prosperity.
the conservatives, and among them
many of the manufacturers, insist
that the State government in the
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