Evening star., 1937-12-12

Of national Republican leadership, the
new Senator having run for Office on a
platform whose measures lacked the
party imprimatur. La Toilette, jr, was
nevertheless invited to the Republican
party caucus on the eve Of the open
ing of Congress and, though he did not
appear, he was assigned to commit
tees. La Toilette, jr, lost no time in
making it quite clear, however. that
these conciliatory advances would in
no way affect his independence of
thought and action.
DURING his first session young
Bob introduced resolutions for
inquiries into the earnings of the
Pennsylvania anthracite companies
and into the Passaic textile strike;
for an investigation of the bread
trust" and for probe of the conduct
of the Federal Trade Commission and
the Department of Justice. He made
it clear that he stood with labor, the
consumer and the small business man,
against large corporations.
In one of his first speeches he op-
posed American membership in the
World Court. In 1885 he was still
voting against American adherence.
He was deliberate and outspoken in
his opposition to President Coolidge
and "Cooledgeism." And he fathered
the embarrassing resolution, when
Congress assembled in December, 1927
which disapproved presidential
third term and commended Coolidge
for not choosing to run" Likewise
he advocated such touchy measures
as Government operation of the plants
at Muscle Shoals, publicity for income
tax returns and restriction of bank
t1oans for speculation.
1t was at the Republican convention
at Kansas City in 1923 that the junior
La Toilette was first brought into ma
tional prominence. when he stepped
before the bored delegates to presen
a minority platform. He told then
that of the IS or more proposition!
which had been presented to each sue
cessive Republican convention since
1908, although they have often me
with jeers and Kisses in the conven'
ton, I can say to you that today 8:
have been written into the statute Law
of this country"
Whereupon he pleaded for justice
! to the farmer, public operation O.
power plants, conservation of nat
ural resources and the St. Lawrence
Waterway, and denounced the use O
armed forces abroad and big navy
the use Of injunctions against labor
the use of the Nations credit for stock
market speculation and the reduction
of income taxes. Hoover got thu
votes, La Toilette the cheers" tn,
New York Telegram later reported.
WHEN he was up for reelection
w Wisconsin gave the Senator
10000 plurality, giving at the SAM
time It's electoral vote to Hoover, TO
whom young Bob had not said singh
good word. During the Hoover regime
he was critical Of the administration
policy with respect to the increasini
problems of unemployment, and In ,
speech to the Senate he declared
1.-THE philosophy of laissez-faire ha
ended in disaster. Still the riches
country In the world, we have million
in want. Although many busines
leaders have continued to pay lip serv
ice to this policy of individual in
itiative, the ideas of ar agriculture
society have been definitely outmoded
and q new set-up Of society is neces
sary in order to establish society OF
a prosperous 3asis."
| Under the Roosevelt administra
ton many of La Follette's policies hav
been taken up and become law, though
admittedly the young Senator from
Wisconsin would like more advanced
measures than those approved by tn
White House.
He would like to save capitalism, b
asserts, even though capitalists "ar