Evening star., 1927-09-22
WISCONSIN c. O.P.
PREFERS NO ONE
Three Factions of Party in
State CompIicate Forecasts
of Delegates Plans.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
staff CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

MADISON, Wis, September 22.-In
Wisconsin the Democrats like AL
Smith for President and the Republi-
cans like no one. Yet wisconsin Will
in all probability cast its electoral vote
for the Republican nominee for Presi-
dent when election day rolls around
next year.
The statement that the Republt-
cans of Wisconsin like no one for
President next year needs amplif1ca-
ton. In the first place, by Republi-
cans, I mean the majority, the La
Toilette Progressives, who insist they
are Republicans of the best brand. In
the second place, mean they like no
one who can be nominated. A kind
of dog in the manger attitude, per-
haps, but 1t suits the Progressives.
Third Faction Exists.
Just what Wisconsin is going to do,
through its delegation at the Republi'
can national convention next year, is
what is worrying all factions OF the
party here at present. At the outset
it may be we'll to say that instead OF
the old division between stalwarts ana
ton headed by Gov. Zimmerman, who.
with the aid of the stalwart votes, last
year hit the La Toilette organization
a terrible blow and defeated its guber.
Material candidate, Herman Ekern,
former attorney general Of the State
Zimmerman ran as La Toilette
Progressive, averring that he had been
one of the elder Senator's warmest
adherents.
Taking with him not few of the
Progressives, and especially running
we'll in Gefman-American districts,
the stalwarts saw a chance to hand
the La Toilette organization Jolt
and gave him enough added votes to
defeat Ekern.
The La Toilette Progressives, head
ed by Senator Robert NJ. La Toilette.
ir.. with the new Senator, Blaine, as
the batter "in the hole" must con-
troll the delegation to the Republican
national convention next year, or Sen
ator La Toilette and the Progressives
will be distinctly out of luck. A
La Toilette controlled delegation to the
Republican national convention is
tradition in the State. IT it should
not materialize next year. and with
the governor gone from the organi-
zation, the La Follettes would be In
bad case indeed.
Senators to Be Candidates.
So Senator La Toilette. jr., and the
Progressive group which follows MN
are bent on making a strenuous fight
for the delegation. In all probabilities
Senator La Toilette will himself be a
candidate for delegate at large, and
Senator Blaine, naturally. will also
have to be a candidate for delegate
at large. The State has four dele
gates at large.
The question is, Shall the La Toilette
group stand for an unrestricted deie-
cation, adopting a platform and an
nolncing that the delegation will sup
port the candidate brought before
the convention who can subscribe TO
that platform, or shall the group
stand for a delegation instructed Tor
Senator George Norris of Nebraska!
Apparently no decision has been
reached in the matter. For a series OIL
conventions in the immediate past the
Wisconsin delegation has always gone
to Republican national gatherings
ready to vote for the late senator
Robert NJ La Toilette, and at the
same time presented a platform sa''
jsfactory to Senator La Toilette.
Senator La Toilette does not have to
decide whether the delegation should
be instructed for himself, or, to put
It more fairly-for Senator La Toilette
in no case would ask such thing
the Progressives do not have to de-
eide whether the delegation should be
| instructed for Senator La Toilette.
| The simple reason is that Senator La
Toilette has not yet reached the age
Cort;ruod cy, paoo Q Column