Evening star., 1954-01-03
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1881, Belle Case La Toilette
had completed 26 chapters, or
about one-fourth, of her hus-
bands biography. After sew
eral years spent in editing her
mothers manuscript and
checking original sources to be
sure condensation would not
mean distortion. Miss La Fol-
lette came to Washington to
begin her own research and
writing. Since her mothers ac-
count stopped in 1910, such
subsequent controversial Pc
RODS Of the La Toilette career
as his campaign for the presi-
dency and his World War
activities. fell to Fola La Fol-
lette's lot.
Miss La Toilette has been
married since 1911 to Play
wright George Middleton, who
is now an expert on trade
practices in the Justice De-
partment. AS BELTS a lady
who campaigned for women's
rights in her youth, she still
maintains. personally as well
as professionally, her maiden
name. even on the door Of
their apartment at Bucking-
ham.
Her Working Technique
During her long toll Miss
La Toilette evolved a working
technique which in this age
Of "quickie" biographies is
noteworthy. In her Library
Of Congress study room she
assembled shelves of chron-
illogical notebooks. BY dates
she filed different, and some
times differing, accounts of
certain events. Whenever pos
sible she interviewed survi-
vors. to whom she always
submitted her account of the
interview for comment. Then
she checked this material
against newspaper stories.
other survivors recollections
and her fathers autobiog-
raphy.
Lack Of material presented
no problem. The La Follettes
are all paper hoarders, and her
father never could bear to
throw away a letter from
some one he loved. Since her
mother entered fully into her
husbands political life, his
letters home were full of the
matter in hand. The family
files offer no end OF lO-page
scripts written on the Senate
floor anent the then current
debates.
Extraordinary Objectivity
Neither mother nor daugh-
ter wanted to write merely a
pious family memoir of the
Senator. Miss La Toilette says
she strove to maintain the
extraordinary objectivity" her
mother had exhibited in her
part Of the book. Neither.
despite proud partisanship. at
temped to evaluate his con-
tribution to history.
Did her long labor on his
papers bring her to a differ
ent view Of her father than
what she had in his lifetime?
mo. says Miss La Toilette, al
though it did help dispel the
myth Of Fighting Bob La Fol-
lette." He didn't like a fight
for its own sake. I found
many examples of his DISPOSE
ton to wipe the slate clean"
BY way Of proof she cited a
letter he wrote to a politician
who sought an Endorsement,
despite desertion of the La Fol-
lette presidential cause. You
were pretty mean two years
ago. but I will forget it." wrote
the truly progressive Senator.
Miss La Folletet is now busy
folding into the La Toilette pa
pers her own voluminous re-
searches.
Elmer Davis, famed Wash
ington radio commentator, has
not been idle during his re-
cent absence from the air.
waves. But We Were Born
FreeF a study of the forces
which threaten American free
dom today, will be published
on February 5. Mr.. Davis
won the 1853 Lauterbach
Award as "the person who has
through his writings made a
substantial contribution in the
field Of civil liberties"
Oxford Series