LAFOLLETTE'S VIEWS
An editorial signed by Senator La
Collette dealing with his views on
Theodore Roosevelt and the progres
sive cause, is the feature of the sen
ator’s weekly. It is as follows:
"Until Roosevelt came into the
open as a candidate for the presi
dency, five months ago there was a
strong and rapidly growing progres
sive movement within the republican
party. It was based upon clearly de
lined principles. It stood forth as the
representative of modern political
thought on fundamental democracy.
It had assumed national proportions
It was united.
"Into this movement, when It gave
promise of national success, Roose
velt projected his ambition to be
president a third time. He spent
weeks carefully planning a 'spon
taneous call' for himself. He respond
ed by announcing that he would be a
'receptive' candidate. His candidacy
began to drag. He and his friends
were in despair.
“Then came his defeat in North
Dakota. He become desperate. An
enormous campaign fund was raised.
Headquarters were opened in New
York, Washington, Chicago and
states east and west. Newspaper
writers were engaged at large prices
to boom his candidacy. Special
trains were hired and the “receptive
candidate’ started in frantic pursuit
of the nomination. In the history oil
American politics, there has never
been in a primary campaign for a
presidential nomination, an approach
to the extravagant expenditures
made in his campaign. Men notorious
ly identified with the Steel Trust
and the Harvester Trust became his
most active supporters. Leading
reactionaries, stand-patters and po
litical bosses of the Hanna and Quay
sort became his closet political
friends and representatives in many
state*.
