m ii ,t.i,.iteaSSwi5giSggfei !''. -' jwsgttraprwwr
iiwini"r"t"l"'p"',"l" """".'' """''
uii.il.-, ! i, tit. ,)nll--':lt"--l"r"'"'n""'fMl'l'l""'"w''
, fT
TiiVLTT ''
-.'"--:;
C. s.,.- " . "
, . ' j .
r
J
The Commoner.
VOLUME 0, NTJMBEK 11
Walshes
"S
i-
H
"'"."! ... ' '
Eftr
I.
rs.
.. !
V
J
K
l M
Although Senator LaFollotte's action with
respect to tho railway rate bill appears to hayo
found favor with tho American people, the Wis
consin senator does not stand well with tho re
publican politicians. Newspapor dispatchos say
that Sonator LaFolletto is openly insulted by
his republican colleagues while republican news
papers are reading LaFolletto out of the re
publican party. For instance, the Washington
correspondent for the Springfield, Mass., Repub
lican, referring to ono day's proceedings while
the rate bill was under discussion, says:
"Anything and everything that LaFol
lette offered during the day was even more
quickly marked for slaughter by the repub- "
licans than if it had come from the demo
crats. One of his defeated amendments was
designed to strike at the past practice of
tho railroads in offering only partial testi
mony before the interstate commerce com
mission and full testimony before the courts,
thereby aiming to discredit the commission
by reversals of i'cs decisions. Senator Spooner
had offered such an amendment last night,
Inn; withdrew it apparently when he found it
was contaminated by LaFollette's approval. In
petty ways the republicans are showing un
necessary discourtesy toward tho Wisconsin,
radical, but they are helping instead of hurt
ing him."
"Where will LaFollette land?" is the ques
tion generally discussed at the national capitol,
and the question seems to be disturbing a large
number of republican politicians. It can not be
denied that many of the republican leaders are
really anxious that Senator LaFollette should
withdraw from their party. The position of these,
is perhaps well described in a dispatch written by
Frank J. Stillman, the Washington correspondent
lor tne sioux city (iowa) journal, Mr. stniman
says :
"Tim ntntfimnnt. linn nnmo frnm nlnso nflrfirvnnl
friends of Senator LaFollette, of Wisconsin, that
ho is an aspirant for the presidential nomination
and may fairly be considered in the race. If this
bo true, the methods employed by the senator -in
the senate may bo regarded as peculiar, unless
he has worked out a new system of political pro
cedure. As a matter of fact, a close observer
of the senatof during the last few weeks would
have formed the conclusion that he has been seek
ing to line up democratic support in the senate.
Senator LaFolletto will doubtless claim that he
can get no consideration at the hands of the
republican members of tho senate. If this be
true it is due primarily to the fact that he has
deliberately insulted the senate. He has not
only disregarded the unwritten rules of that body,
but he has gone out of his , way to repeatedly
slam the senate and its membership. Custom
has established the precedent that a brand new
senator, before he breaks out in a set speech,
shall sit in tho chamber long enough to become
familiar with procedure and the methods of the
senate. It is customary for a new senator to listen
and vote during the first session of his member
ship, although it is regarded as perfectly in order
for him to ask questions and occasionally inject
remarks of a pertinent sort upon pending legisla
tion. In the case of Senator LaFollette It was
expected that he would enter tho forum of debate
at once, and considering the nature of the legis
lation in hand and the experience of Senator La
Follette in this line there was a disposition to
accord him respectful hearing provided he saw
lit to conduct himself in harmony with the spirit
of the senate. In the course of his three days'
speech on the rate question Senator LaFollette
took occasion to roast the senate and senators a
number of times. After he had spoken a couple
j. uuuie uio m-HL uay anu mere appeared a largo
array of vacant seats on both sides of the cham
ber, the senator stopped in the midst of a remark
and administered a rebuke to the senate because
senators were ot present, declaring that the
people would see to it that senators were sent
who would remain in their seats, or words to that
effect. This roast occurred just as Senator Alli
son had arisen to leave the chamber to attend a
session of tho. committee on appropriations, of
which he is chairman. Senator Allison and Sen
ator Dolliver wore two senators who remained in
'If each day during the LaFolletto
Swh nf1,,,onB as they could teave other duties.
t SSS?IvPleon wa,B leavlng his seat when Senator
S ,PT,ed. and' with ereat dramatic
?Sf t,Bhialilns h hoad until llIs Pompadour trem
K 'J U a flne frcnzy Slivered himself of
the foregoing roast. It seemed to be directed
principally at Senator Allison, who, in fact, was
ono of the few senators during the three days'
speech who did listen" for any length of time to
Senator LaFollette.'
"At other times Senator LaFollette has
roasted tho senate and slapped the members in
the face. He has seemed to take the view from
tho beginning that the card for him to play was
that of martyr; to make it appear that he had
been turned down by the senate in the hope that
this would popularize him in the minds of the
people. Failing in this, he has taken the course
of jumping on the senate. As for the senate, it
has made no reply to the warnings and frenzy
of tho statesman from the Badger state. It has
gone right along about its business just as though
Senator LaFollette had not appeared.
"Latterly Senator LaFollette has taken a new
tack. He is now in close communion with the
democrats. Last week, during the final debate
under the fifteen minute rule on the rate bill, lie
voted with the democrats and was in constant
conference with Senators Bailey, Money, Cul
berson, Overman and others. When a situation -would
arise permitting action, one of the demo
crats mentioned or others immediately went to
Senator LaFollette and a whispered consultation
followed. At the first opportunity Senator La
Follette took the floor, presumably along the line
suggested by Senator Bailey or others. At all
events, he seemed to be striving to embarrass the
friends of the administration in the conduct of
the rate bill.
"It has been suggested that Senator .La
Follette may b6 laying his plans to capture, the
nomination for president on the democratic ticket
with the expectation of being able to carry a suf
ficient number of republican votes in Wisconsin
to secure the electoral vote of that state and other
close states. At any rate, nobody here, seems to
be able to figure out how he hopes to win re
publican support in the light of the tactics he
has followed during tho last two months. He
has not been directing his efforts against his col
league, Senator Spooner, or against the group in
the senate who have been opposed to the presi
dent in his effort to obtain an effective railway
rate bill. His policy, on the contrary, appears
to have been to get into a row with tho repub
lican side of the chamber in the hope that it
would give him an opportunity to claim that he
was being persecuted and appeal to the people on
that ground."
The Chicago Chronicle, which once pretended
to be democratic, and which, controlled by motives
similar to those actuating the patriots of old, left
its party for its party's good, whips Senator La
Follette from the republican party, saying:
"Senator LaFollette, of Wisconsin, has been
for years constantly veering away from the recog
nized principles and policy of the party to which
he assumes to belong and more and more identi
fying himself with the socialistically inclined mal
contents of the democratic party, to the leader
ship of whom William Randolph Hearst aspires.
So zealous an advocate of the fads and fancies
of these visionaries as the degenerated literateur
Julian Hawthorne has proclaimed that he can
discern no virtue or good sense in all that has
been said in congress during the pending memT
orable consideration of the railroad rate bill,
save in something that was offered by Hearst and
tho flamboyant declamation by LaFollette. If
anyone ever doubted the Wisconsin senator's af
filiations the doubts must be dispelled by the rec
ord of his voting on sundry proposed amendments
to the rate bill in the senate on Friday last. On
several of these the votes of the republican sen
ators, or of every one of those who (ilaim to be
republicans, were cast solidly together, with the
one exception of LaFollette, who voted every
time, without exception, with the democratic sen
ators. Even on two or three occasions, when one
or two of the democratic senators for stated,
specific reasons, broke away from their party and
voted with the "republicans. Mr. LaFollette stuck
to his new allies and voted with the democratic
opposition for any and every radical measure
which irresponsibility might suggest.
"While LaFollette was thus fraternizing with
democrats in Washington his supporters at home
were demanding of candidates for the state legis
lature, in a return for LaFollette support, written
pledges that if elected they will oppose and vote
against the re-election to the senate of John C.
Spooner, the present senior senator from Wiscon
sin. Mr. Spooner is a republican and it is but
a plain statemenrof fact that no other public man
in the "United States Is held in higher regard for
statesmanship, for wide and deep legal and po
litical learning or for high personal and political
character. No senator has reflected more honor
on his state from every point of vievTand none ia
more distinguished for devotion to sound, states
manlike, conservative republican principles and
practice. Yet this republican, one of the fore-'
most of the senators from all the states, Mr. La
Follette and his friends are openly and covertly
plotting and intriguing to defeat. Certainly La ,
Follette's pretense to republicanism is as im
pudent as it is hollow. He belongs to Hearst'
and Bryan."
Robert M. LaFollette will be given a cordial
welcome to the democratic fold, but what shall
it profit the republican party if it gains all tho
John R. Walshes in America and loses its La
Follettes? JJJ
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS ARE AP
PROACHING The primary pledge is designed to awaken
the interest of the rank and file of voters in
the primaries of their party. As a result of the
campaign waged on these lines thousands of
democrats have signed a .pledge promising to
lose no opportunity to participate in the pri
maries of their party, and to see to it that the
party makes a clean, honest and straightforward
declaration on every question upon which the
voters of the party desire to speak.
The congressional elections are now ap
proaching, and The Commoner desires to arouse
new interest in the primary pledge plan of or
ganization. To this end Commoner readers,
everywhere are requested to participate in the
effort to obtain by June 1, 25,000 signatures to
the primary pledge.
If you. do not have a primary pledge form,
you will find one on page 14. This may be
clipped or copied, as you prefer, and signatures
attached thereto.
Send signatures to The Commoner office as
rapidly as possible.
Extracts from letters received at The Com
moner office follow:
Otto Wieck, Omaha, Nebr. Enclosed find the
required pledge. I am ready to do for the party
Tvhat little I can, though you must consider that1
I am nearly olghty years of age.
Wm. Bouck, Franklin, N. Y. Find enclosed
fifty signatures to primary pledge. Success.
D. C. Shaffer, White Cloud Ind. You - will
find enclosed thirty-four of primary pledge signers
who are for a free vote and a fair count.
Bernard J. Sachs, St. Paul, Minn. Enclosed
find twelve signatures to primary pledge.
Norris E. Hoover, Hustontown, Pa. Enclosed
find five names for primary pledge. This repre
sents the fruits of five minutes' work.
H. W. Frazier, Kimballton, Va. In response
to your thirty day campaign call I herewith en--close
you the names of twenty true Bryan demo
crats who have enlisted to fight until the sun
goes down on the sixth day of next November
for the democratic principles. May the American
people, regardless of past party affiliations, arise
and break the chain of might, strike down cor-'
ruption and once more come again unto their own.
Hoping that pledges may increase to fifty thous
and by the 1st of June, I am yours to serve
J. M. Cawby, Fontana, Kans. I have a few
names that have signed the primary pledge and
l will send them in so you can enter their names
on record. I heartily approve the primary pledge
and think it will be a great success if followed
O. L. Murray, Mont, Ky. Enclosed find two
primary pledges signed and also application for
subscription cards. My precinct is small but
democratic three to one.
W. H. Tisch, Grass Lake, Mich. Enclosed
find six signatures to the primary pledge
Witt,H,iB KIn.s' Eadeville, Mo. I enclose, her
with, eleven signatures to the primary pledge.
win, nVi' ulwrth. Jadwln, Mo. Enclosed here
SiL. rr foiJrn. sISnatures to the primary -pledge.
My pledge has already been 'sent in. r ,
JJJ
rm JHERE ARE OTHERS
mi TheSeatth3 Wash., Times (Republican) says:l
Those former trusted employes of Standard Oil
who are testifying as to the wickedness of old
John D, Rockefeller's pot company, tell some
pretty bad tales, but, as they belong to the in
dependents now isn't it just likely that they are "
a wee mite prejudiced?"
To what particular independent company do
Theodore Roosevelt and James R. Garfield Tie
long? If there was nothing to conceal in Stan
dard Oil affairs, why did John D, Rockefeller
take refuge in flight when Missouri officials
sought to serve upon him a subpoena, command
ing him to appear in a court of justice and tell
the truth?
., jfl&
A
.).
n Mto.aBfAlAaa.?.,
