Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-19
K0HLER, STALWART,
.LEADS|N WISCONSIN
La Toilette Appears Assured
of Victory in Senate Race.
BIaine's Prestige at Stake.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
Staff Correspondent of The Star


MADISON, Wis, October 19.-Wis-
consin's next governor in all probable
ity will be Republican of the "Stal-
wart" brand. Walter j. Kohler, who
won the Republican gubernatorial NOM
ination by some 10000 votes over Beck
the La Toilette Progressive candidate
is opposed by Albert E. Schmedeman
Democrat, mayor of Madison and al
one time United States Minister tc
Norway. Schmedeman is likely to re-
ceive support from some Of the La Fol.
lette Progressives. but his goose seems
to be cooked.
The prospective Kohler victory is an
other milestone in the strife that has
been waged for more than 30-years in
Wisconsin between the La Toilette Pro-
gressives and the regular Republicans
"Stalwarts" they are called out here
To some 1t presages the downfall of the
Progressives and their organization
But this is by no means a necessary
corollary of the Kohler victory.
Senator Robert M. La Toilette, jr.,
heir to the La Toilette leadership, but
becoming more and more leader in his
own right, won the senatorial nomina-
ton in the same primary which named
Kohler the gubernatorial candidate
of the Republican party. Furthermore,
the other candidates for Office on the
Republican ticket selected by the pri-
mary are also of the La Toilette Pro-
gressive group, including Solomon levi
tan, the State treasurer. The governor,
if the election turns out as expected,
will be the sole Stalwart put into the
Office. although it is1said that the stall
warts will also have a majority of the
State Senate The Progressives will re-
tain their lead in the lower house of
the Legislature.
Phillips Was Stalwart.
1t appears, therefore, that the VIC
tory of the Stalwarts in the race for
governor does not spell the end of the
La Toilette Progressives necessarily.
Not by any means. The Stalwarts have
had other governors during the long
contest with the La Toilette Progress
siveS. Such was Gov. Phillip, who
served from 1914 to 1920. But after
Gov. Phillip came other La Toilette
Progressive governors, among them
Senator John j. Blaine. Two years
ago there was another great fight over
the governorship. The La Toilette Pro-
gressives put forward at that time Her
man l.. Ekern as their candidate for
governor. The StalWartS had a candi-
date, too, and Gov. Zimmerman, the
present governor, who had been secre-
tary of State and who claimed to be
also La Toilette Progressive, threy his
hat in the ring. The upshot of the
matter was that Zimmerman was nomi-
mated and later elected, largely, it is
charged, with the aid of Stalwart votes.
Having used Zimmerman once to
beat the La Toilette Progressives the
Stalwarts this year put forward a strong
candidate of their own, Kohler, a sue
ceSsful business man. Gov. Zimmerman
had an ambition to succeed himself,
and it has been a custom to re-elect
governors in Wisconsin for a second
term. But the stalWarts under Kohler's
leadership put up hot fight, and the
Progressive forces, some of whom fol-
lowed Zimmerman, were divided. The
result was that Kohler, who had never
held public Office and who staged a
businesslike campaign, won, with Beck
second and Zimmerman poor third.
Gov. Zimmerman, if reports be true,
(Continued on Page f. Column a.