Evening star., 1934-11-04
WISCONSIN SPOTLIGHT
HELD BY PROGRESSIVES
Senator La Toilette Only Candidate Assured of Victory
Schmedeman Loses Support in Race
for Reelection.

up his campaign in a fiery fashion,
leveling newly conceived attacks at
the Wisconsin Senator. II will be
recalled that Chapple defeated the
late Senator John ]. Blaine for the
Republican nomination in 1882. after
such q campaign in which it was
believed he would draw few votes.
Senator La Follette's Democratic op-
ponent in the present campaign, John
M. Callahan of Milwaukee, Al Smith
Democratic national committeeman
ousted when the Roosevelt forces OBJ
tanned control, apparently has little
chance of victory. Even the State
Democratic organization Is lending
him little support.
Shift From Schmedeman.
Last-minute shifts have changed
the picture of the governorship race
with a startling suddenness. Until
the middle of this week regular Re-
publicans generally felt their cam
didate, Howard T. Greene, had much
less chance Of defeating Phil La Fol-
lette than the present Democratic
incumbent, Gov. A. G.. Schmedeman.
Schmedeman was supported openly
by a number of Republican State
leaders, including State Senator Ben
Gettelman, delegate to the 1882 Re-
publican National Convention. The
Milwaukee Sentinel, largest newspaper
spokesman Of the party, was re-
garded as favoring the Schmedeman
candidacy.
Whether it was felt that recent
events had injured the chances Of
Schmedeman's success or not is not
known, but almost overnight Repub-
lican leaders, including the Sentinel,
have returned to the Green banner
and are urging all party members 10
stay in their own party column on
the ballot Schmedeman, who will be
70 years old this month, recently re-
turned to the executive mansion from
Madison hospital where he under
went an operation amputating his
left leg.
Although still convalescing. Gov.
Scchmedeman has endeaVored to take
a part in the campaign in his own
behalf by making several radio broad
casts from the executive residence.
Exceptional interest is being focused
on the election campaign, both from
within and without the State, because
of the new Progressive party. It Is
felt that victory of the party will
be an incentive to form similar move
ments elsewhere, drawing from liberals
in the two old parties. The La Fol-
lettes are stalking their political for
ha dafaot might
send many of their followers back
in the Republican fold in a State
that has been traditionally Republican
for four decades.
Other Races Quiet.
The fight for State Offices below
that of Governor has been very quiet,
the nominees preferring to let the
main interest center on the guber-
material and senatorial battles. In
the States 10 congressional districts,
however, lively campaigns are being
waged. Two Progressive Republican
incumbents. Representative Gerald j.
Boileau of Wausau and Representative
Gardner Withrow of La Crosse are
running on the new Progressive party
ticket The four Democratic Repre-
sentatives, three of whom were drawn
in on the Roosevelt landslide Of two
years ago, are facing stiff competition
in both Republican and Progressive
opponents. 1t is not unlikely that
the Democratic congressional repre-.
sentation from Wisconsin will de-
cline.
Political observers are not attaching
any great Importance to the results OF
the September primary, in which the
Democrats polled the most votes for
all Offices, with the Progressives a
close second and regular Republicans
considerably behind. The trading OF
strength between the two old parties
and the lightness of the primary vote,
as compared with the heavy vote ex-
pected on Tuesday. make such predic-
tions unreliable. they declare.
The Milwaukee Journal, State
Democratic spokesman, recently COM
pleted a straw vote poll which gave
Senator La Toilette and Gov. Schmed-
eman the largest total vote in the IL
counties of the State. Progressives,
however, point out that the vote was
taken by q hostile paper and replies
were largely from urban centers.
whereas Progressive strength is strong
est among the rural areas. Republic
cans, on the other hand, point 70 the
large regular Republican vote in the
1892 primary, in which Walter j.
Kohler defeated Phil La Toilette for
the governorship and predicted this
vote will be solid for Republican can
didateS on election daY.