Evening star., 1938-10-14
Wisconsin
Continued From First Page.)

believe they have been furnished with
sufficient ammunition to blow He'll and
other Republican candidates, including
Alexander Wiley, the senatorial nomi- |
nee. out Of the water.
For the frst time in years it looked as
though the G. o. P. were coming back
in Wisconsin. Everything had pointed
that way. The La Toilette Progress |
~sives were divided over some policies
and issues Gov. Philip La Toilette,
during three terms in Madison, had ac- |
'cumulated lot of enemies, men whom |
he had failed to appoint to office; some |
OF the Progressives were opposed to
the launching Of National Progressive
party-which the Governor and his
brother, Senator Robert M. La Fol-
lette, undertook last spring; the Wis
consin farmers had become sick Of the
New Deal agricultural program. In
addition, the G. o. P. in the Septem-
Der primary had rolled up a much
larger vote than had the Progressives,
and last, but not least many of the
Conservative Democrats had agreed to
support the Republican candidates for
Governor and Senator against the
Progressive and Democratic candidates
Effect Yet Undetermined.
When everything looked rosy for the
G. o. P. along came Mr. Chapple
and Mr.. He'll to muddy the waters
Whether the Chapple charge against
He'll will prove a tidal wave to SUBJ
merge Republican hopes it is too
early to say. He'll has denied fatty
that any attempt was made to "bribe'
Chapple and there is a suggestion
that there are still facts to be de-
veloped Even if the bribery charge
is taken to court, the case cannot con-
ceivably be concluded until after the
election. There is a suggestion, too,
that only candidates who are elected
to Office can be prosecuted under the
Corrupt Practices Act. Chapple
claimed at first he was forced" to
sign the agreement not to run. Later
he said he signed so as to get evi-
dence of an attempt to bribe him.
The Townsend old age pension issue
bobs up in the row between Chapple
and the Republican candidates for
Governor and Senator. Chapple was
given last-minute Endorsement by
the Townsendites before the primary.
Chapple says now that after the
primary he had expected to cam
paign for He'll, but was disappointed
with the old age pension plank sub
sequently written into the Republican
State platform. So he announced
himself an independent candidate and
f~r IS =
1t was to pull him out of the race
that He'll made his gesture the other |
day. He'll is wealthy manufacturer |
of Milwaukee.
: The Townsendites claim 100000 |
votes In Wisconsin. They say they |
have between 800 and 400 clubs in
the State. Tomorrow they hold a
State convention here, with 1000 dele
gates expected. At that time the
Townsend Endorsement of candidates
may be announced.
Progressives Claim Pension Honor.
: The Republicans have hoped for
support of the old age pension group
IN Wisconsin. just as in other States,
where it has been given. The La Fol-
lette Progressives point to their record,
declaring they initiated old age pen
sions in Wisconsin and that payments
to the aged have increased from
sls6,000 in 1880, under the last Re-
publican Governor, Kohler, and from
i$457,o00 under Democratic Gov.
sSchmedeman in 1894 to s8,538, 900
under Gov. La Toilette in 1887 At
the same time in their platform the
sProgressives say that old age pensions
should be made more adequate"
I Administration of the old-age pen
sion laws in Wisconsin, however, has
caused a good bit of soreness among
the elderly people-with youthful In
sspectors ''snooping" around to see if
q vegetable garden or some other small
asset did not warrant a cut In the
pension paid.
I Chapple's latest assertion was that
ghe and He'll fell out primarily over
sthe old-age pension plank in the plat
form. -Four members of the Platform
Committee, who served with Chapple
in drafting the plank, have written
@Chapple letter saying, John. the