Robert M. La Follette, Sr. >From Wikipedia,
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob"_[1]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-1) La Follette, Sr. (June 14, 1855 – June 18, 1925) was an _American_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_America) _Republican_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)) (and later a _Progressive_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Party_(United_States,_1924)) ) politician. He served as a member of the _U.S. House of Representatives_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._House_of_Representatives) , was the _Governor of Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Wisconsin) , and was also a _U.S. Senator_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Senator) from _Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin) (1906 to 1925). He ran for _President of the United States_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States) as the nominee of his own _Progressive Party_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Party_1924_(United_States)) in _1924_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_1924) , carrying Wisconsin and 17% of the national popular vote. His wife _Belle Case La Follette_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Case_La_Follette) and sons _Robert M. La Follette, Jr._ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette,_Jr.) and _Philip La Follette_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_La_Follette) led his political faction in Wisconsin into the 1940s. La Follette has been called "arguably the most important and recognized leader of the opposition to the growing dominance of corporations over the Government"_[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) and is one of the key figures pointed to in _Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin) 's long history of political _liberalism_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism_in_the_United_States) . He is best remembered as a proponent of _progressivism_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressivism_in_the_United_States) and a vocal opponent of railroad _trusts_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust_(monopoly)) , _bossism_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossism) , _World War I_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) , and the _League of Nations_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations) . In 1957, a Senate Committee selected La Follette as one of the five greatest U.S. Senators, along with _Henry Clay_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clay) , _Daniel Webster_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Webster) , _John C. Calhoun_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Calhoun) , and _Robert Taft_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Taft) . A 1982 survey asking historians to rank the "ten greatest Senators in the nation's history" based on "accomplishments in office" and "long range impact on American history," placed La Follette first, tied with _Henry Clay_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Clay) ._[3]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-3) Robert La Follette is one of five outstanding senators memorialized by portraits in the Senate reception room in _US Capitol_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Capitol) . One of _America's top schools for public affairs_ (http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/welcome.html) , located at the _University of Wisconsin-Madison_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Wisconsin-Madison) bears his name. Early life La Follette was born in a log cabin in the Town of _Primrose, Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primrose,_Wisconsin) ,_[4]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-4) just outside _New Glarus_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Glarus,_Wisconsin) , to Josiah La Follette and Mary Ferguson (widow of Alexander Buchanan). His paternal great-grandfather, Joseph La Follette, was born in France, emigrated to _New Jersey_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey) , fought in the _American Revolutionary War_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War) , led his family through the _Cumberland Gap_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_Gap) to _Kentucky_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky) , and crossed the _Ohio River_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_River) into _Indiana_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana) with his son, _Jesse LaFollette_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_LaFollette) ._[5]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-5) Joseph married Phoebe Gobel, whose family came to the _Massachusetts Colony_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Colony) from _England_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England) in the 1630s._[6]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-6) Jesse's sons, Josiah and Harvey La Follette, moved to Primrose, where they established farms and participated in local government._[7]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-7) La Follette grew up in rural _Dane County, Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dane_County,_Wisconsin) . The death of his father in 1856 and the subsequent bad relationship with his stepfather made it a difficult childhood._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) Following the death of his stepfather, his mother sold the family farm and moved to nearby _Madison_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison,_Wisconsin) . He began teaching school for tuition money for the _University of Wisconsin–Madison_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Wisconsin–Madison) , where he was "a very mediocre student who enjoyed social activities."_[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) At the school, he was deeply influenced by University president _John Bascom_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bascom) on issues of morality, ethics and social justice._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) La Follette studied oratory and, during his senior year, won a major Midwestern oratorical competition._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) He graduated in 1879. La Follette met _Belle Case_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Case_La_Follette) while attending the University of Wisconsin, and they married on December 31, 1881, at her family home in _Baraboo, Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraboo,_Wisconsin) . She became a leader in the _feminist_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism) movement, an advocate of women's _suffrage_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffrage) and an important influence on the development of La Follette's ideas._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad- 2) La Follette attended law school briefly and passed the bar in 1880._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) Political career Soon after obtaining his law license, he won the Republican nomination to the general election for Dane County District Attorney and went on to win the seat in 1880. After two terms, he went on to be elected to the _United States House of Representatives_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives) , where he served for three terms. There he was noted for championing Native and African-American rights._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_no te-Am_Rad-2) His opposition to patronage and his support for a protective tariff helped secure his appointment to the _Ways and Means Committee_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._House_Committee_on_Ways_and_Means) headed by _William McKinley_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McKinley) , where he helped draft the Tariff Act of 1890 (_McKinley Tariff_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKinley_Tariff) ). The Act, however, was so unpopular that he lost his seat in the 1890 Democratic landslide.[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] La Follette championed the rights of minorities and advocated women's right to vote, despite the unpopularity of his views at the time.[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] After his defeat for a fourth term in the House, La Follette returned to Madison to begin a private law practice and spend more time with his wife and four children._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) In the early 1890s, he began to believe that much of the Republican Party had abandoned the ideals of its antislavery origins and become a tool for corporate interests. In his home state, he was convinced industry and railroad interests had too much sway over the party._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) To counter this, La Follette began building an independent organization within the party that stressed voter control._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) In 1891, La Follette claimed that _Philetus Sawyer_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philetus_Sawyer) , one of Wisconsin's _Senators_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate) and a powerful Republican leader, attempted to bribe him in order to fix a case._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) The incident cemented La Follette's resolve to reform the party. The party dissidents who joined La Follette became known as "Insurgents"[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] (or the "Progressive" faction), and their opponents within the party were called the "Stalwarts".[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] The Insurgents stressed the need for more direct voter control and championed consumer rights.[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] The Insurgents' call for reform gained more support after the _Panic of 1893_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1893) shook up the economic, class, and ethnic assumptions held by most Americans.[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] In 1894, the Insurgents began to openly challenge the Stalwarts for leadership of the Republican Party. The Insurgents' _Nils Haugen_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Haugen) sought the party nomination for governor in 1894, and La Follette followed in 1896 and 1898.[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] His speeches decrying the sway of big business (especially the railroads) and his call for a more direct democracy (including direct election of nominees in party _primaries_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election) ) drew ever larger crowds.[_citation needed_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed) ] In 1900, La Follette formed a coalition that temporarily disrupted the Stalwart hold on the nomination process. After securing the nomination, he "traveled to sixty-one counties, gave 216 speeches and spoke to 200,000 people."_[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) He gave many of his campaign speeches (which often lasted over three hours) from the back of a buckboard wagon._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) He won the 1900 race for governor by 100,000 votes._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) Governor of Wisconsin >From 1901 until 1906, La Follette served as _Governor of Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Wisconsin) . During his first term, he proposed to set up a railroad commission, imposed an _ad valorem tax_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_valorem_tax) on the railroad companies, and established a direct primary system. The Stalwarts blocked his agenda, and he refused to compromise with them. During this time he also completed and published the ten-volume The Making of America. During the 1904 elections, the Stalwarts organized to oppose La Follette's nomination and moved to block any reform legislation. La Follette began working to unite insurgent Democrats to form a broad coalition. He did manage to secure the passage of the primary bill and some revision to the railroad tax structure._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) When the legislative session concluded, La Follette traveled throughout Wisconsin reading the "roll call"; that is, he read the votes of Stalwart Republicans to the people in an effort to elect Progressives. During this campaign, La Follette gained national attention when _muckraking_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muckraker) journalist _Lincoln Steffens_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Steffens) began to cover his campaign. With the press coverage and his successful re-election, La Follette rose to become a national figure. His message against "vast corporate combinations"_[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) attracted more journalists and more progressives. As governor, La Follette championed numerous progressive reforms, including the first _workers' compensation_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers'_compensation) system, railroad rate reform, direct legislation, municipal home rule, open government, the minimum wage, non-partisan elections, the open primary system, _direct election of U.S. Senators_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) , _women's suffrage_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_women's_suffrage_in_the_United_States) , and progressive taxation. He created an atmosphere of close cooperation between the state government and the _University of Wisconsin_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Wisconsin_System) in the development of progressive policy, which became known as the _Wisconsin Idea_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Idea) . The goals of his policy included the recall, referendum, direct primary, and initiative. All of these were aimed at giving citizens a more direct role in government. The _Wisconsin Idea_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Idea) promoted the idea of grounding legislation on thorough research and expert involvement. To implement this program, La Follette began working with University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty. This made Wisconsin a "laboratory for democracy" and "the most important state for the development of progressive legislation"._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) As governor, La Follette signed legislation that created the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library (now Bureau) to ensure that a research agency would be available for the development of legislation. Nominates self for US Senate The first item on the agenda for Wisconsin's 1905 legislature was to elect a Senator. La Follette nominated himself and was confirmed by the State Senate. He kept serving as Governor and left Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat unfilled until January 1, 1906, when he resigned to join the U.S. Senate. He publicly proclaimed this unusual action was done to ensure that his 1904 platform was enacted in Wisconsin._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) Senator La Follette spent the remainder of his life, from January 2, 1906, until his death in 1925, serving in the US Senate. While in the Senate, he strongly opposed American involvement in World War I and campaigned for child labor laws, social security, women's suffrage, and other progressive reforms. He opposed the prosecution of _Eugene V. Debs_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_V._Debs) and other opponents of the war and played a key role in initiating the investigation of the _Teapot Dome Scandal_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teapot_Dome_Scandal) during the _Harding Administration_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_G._Harding) . A brilliant orator given to periodic bouts of "nerves," La Follette made many enemies over the years, particularly for his opposition to American entry into _World War I_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) and his defense of freedom of speech during wartime. Teddy Roosevelt called him a "skunk who ought to be hanged" when he opposed the arming of American merchant ships._[8]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-8) _Mississippi_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi) Senator _John Sharp Williams_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sharp_Williams) said he was "a better German than the head of the German parliament" when he opposed the _Wilson_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/Woodrow_Wilson) Administration's request for a declaration of war in 1917._[9]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-9) In 1906, when La Follette went back to _Washington, D.C._ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.) , the American economy had changed due to an increasing number of mergers that consolidated financial power in fewer hands. Senators _Nelson Aldrich_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Aldrich) and _John C. Spooner_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Spooner) were widely seen as representing the interests of these fiscal elite. Journalist _David Graham Phillips_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Graham_Phillips) wrote a series of articles decrying corruption and subservience to corporate interests within the body entitled Treason of the Senate._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=ye s#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) As the conservative leader, Aldrich was able to limit the effectiveness of La Follette and his Insurgents by placing them on insignificant committees. In response, La Follette took every chance to demand consumers' rights. When Congress adjourned, he went on a national speaking tour where he "read the roll" to expose senators he felt had voted against consumers. The tour added much to his national following._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) Returning to the capital, he was viewed as the leader of the Progressives. He joined with _Jonathan Dolliver_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Dolliver) , _Albert Cummins_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Cummins) , and others to form a fairly formal group. They were often joined by muckraking journalists such as Steffens, Phillips, and _Supreme Court justice_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_justice) _Louis Brandeis_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Brandeis) to discuss issues and strategies to limit conservative power in the legislature and the judiciary. To expand this forum, he began publishing _La Follette's Weekly Magazine_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Follette's_Weekly_Magazine) in 1909._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_ note-Am_Rad-2) La Follette believed his fears about the American economy were confirmed during the Bankers' _Panic of 1907_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1907) . La Follette opposed Aldrich's proposal (which had been created with the aid of financiers such as _Paul Warburg_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Warburg) ). He saw the plan to issue $500 million in emergency currency backed in part by railroad bonds as an effort to establish economic centralization and crush free institutions. La Follette's troubles in the Senate worsened when fellow Progressive _Theodore Roosevelt_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt) did not seek another term and _William Howard Taft_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft) became President._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Am_Rad-2) Opposition to American involvement in World War I Perhaps one of the most notable positions of Senator La Follette was his opposition of American entry into _World War I_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I) and, failing that, his critique of the wartime policies of President _Woodrow Wilson_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodrow_Wilson) . Historian Thomas Ryley summarizes the common feeling at the time saying, "More than any of the other objectors to war, he remained a symbol of opposition to the conflict and to Wilsonian policies for prosecuting it." La Follette had cautiously supported most of Wilson's domestic program, but by 1916 he was becoming increasingly critical of the president's foreign policy. LaFollette believed the reputation of America would suffer: "When we cooperate with those governments, we endorse their methods; we endorse the violations of international law by Great Britain; we endorse the shameful methods of warfare against which we have again and again protested in this war."_[10]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-10) In many people's eyes during 1917 and 1918, La Follette was the most hated man in the country, for insisting that America had no business in the war and had been led into it by lies and trickery._[11]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Or_En- 11) :1 >From the beginning, La Follette opposed taking any side in World War I. He was a leader in filibustering the Armed Ship bill, which would have authorized the President to arm merchant vessels. In his speech opposing the measure, La Follette pointed out that its main supporter was a subsidiary of the International Mercantile Marine Company, which had been formed in England. In his eyes this bill would have had American gunners answering to English ship owners who "take their orders from the _British Admiralty_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiralty) . Hence we, professing to be a neutral nation, are placing American guns and American gunners practically under the orders of the British Admiralty." La Follette's opposition to the measure caused President Wilson to name him as part of "A little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own...." Most media outlets condemned La Follette in editorials and political cartoons (some of which mockingly portrayed him as receiving the _Iron Cross_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Cross) )._[11]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_not e-Or_En-11) La Follette's staunch position against joining the war caused Senator _John Sharp Williams_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sharp_Williams) to label him "pro-German, pretty near pro-_Goth_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goths) , and pro-_Vandal_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandals) ." He was denounced in press editorials and political cartoons. After America joined the war, La Follette was a leader of the opposition to military conscription, the _Espionage Act_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espionage_Act) , and the President's measures to finance the war. On August 11, 1917, he introduced a War Aims resolution that called on the US to "declare definitely its strategic goals, to condemn the continuation of the war for the purposes of territorial annexation, and to demand that the Allies restate their peace terms immediately." This position was attacked by both the press and public officials. On September 20, 1917, he addressed the _Non-Partisan League_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Partisan_League) convention in _Saint Paul, Minnesota_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Paul,_Minnesota) , to discuss war taxation. Responding to an audience question, he said that while America had "suffered grievance... at the hands of Germany," they were not sufficient to provoke war. "I say this, that the comparatively small privilege, of the right of an American citizen to ride on a munitions loaded ship flying a foreign flag, is too small to involve this government in the loss of millions and millions of lives!!" He insisted that the President knew there was ammunition on the _RMS Lusitania_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Lusitania) but had not prevented Americans from boarding it. After much audience cheering, he then defended free speech during wartime and received a standing ovation after his conclusion._[11]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Or_En-11) Despite the existence of three _stenographic_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenographic) reports of the address, the _Associated Press_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press) misquoted La Follette claiming he had said, "we had no grievance against Germany" and that he argued the sinking of the Lusitania was justified. The AP also portrayed the meeting as disloyal. La Follette was characterized as treasonous by speakers and editors across the nation. Historian David Thelen reports that after the St. Paul speech La Follette "became the main focus of official and vigilante campaigns to suppress antiwar spokesmen." Many organizations sent resolutions to Congress calling for his expulsion, including the influential Minnesota Public Safety Commission presentation made to the Senate on September 29, 1917. La Follette asked for the Senate to schedule time to allow him to make an address in response to the charges of disloyalty and sedition. His address was scheduled for October 6, 1917. His opponents in Congress manipulated the schedule so they could speak after him and not allow for any rebuttal. The public, sensing drama, packed the viewing galleries, and the majority of Senators made sure they were present to hear all the speech. Upon taking the floor, La Follette read in an unemotional detached manner a speech he had prepared defending free speech in wartime. Upon his conclusion there was a spontaneous outburst of applause that had to be gaveled into order. This speech is hailed as "a classic argument for free speech during time of war"._[11]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-Or_En-11) After the speech, senators _Frank B. Kellogg_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_B._Kellogg) (Minn.), _Joseph Taylor Robinson_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Taylor_Robinson) (Arkansas), and _Albert B. Fall_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_B._Fall) (N.M.) in turn attacked La Follette's position on the war. Senator Robinson was a combative and fiercely partisan defender of Wilson and the _Democratic Party_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) . His speech "synthesized the scattered attacks on La Follette that had been filtering in for seven months...as the speech progressed, he became more agitated and abusive. The virulence of Robinson's attack shocked the floor and galleries into complete silence." A United Press correspondent described Robinson's speech as "the most unrestrained language that ever has been heard in the Senate." La Follette sat motionless in his chair, even when Robinson began shaking his fist at him. Near the conclusion of his speech, Robinson violated the custom of the Senate and addressed his colleague directly, pointing at La Follette and shouting, "I want to know where you stand." La Follette was not allowed to take the floor to refute the other Senators before adjournment, though Senator Fall allowed him a brief statement (whereupon he announced he was prepared to substantiate everything he said in St. Paul and desired the chance to rebut the charges being made against him by his fellow senators). Throughout the rest of his time in the Senate, his opponents used procedural maneuvers to ensure he never was allowed to address charges of disloyalty again._[11]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printab le=yes#cite_note-Or_En-11) La Follette's opposition to US entry into World War I caused a break between him and his academic friends. He built a new base of support among anti-war _German Americans_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Americans) . La Follette's son, _Philip La Follette_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_La_Follette) , later opposed U.S. entry into _World War II_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II) , but after war was declared served as an Army Officer. Presidential campaigns In 1911, La Follette set up a campaign to mobilize the progressive elements in the _Republican Party_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States)) behind his presidential bid. Mentally and physically exhausted, enduring anxiety from an impending operation for his thirteen-year-old daughter who was suffering from tuberculosis, La Follette made a disastrous speech in February 1912 before a gathering of leading magazine editors that caused many to doubt his stability._[12]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-12) Many of his supporters deserted him for _Theodore Roosevelt_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt) _[13]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-13) At the highly charged Republican Convention, La Follette received 41 delegate's votes to eventual victor William Howard Taft's 561. Embittered, La Follette opposed both Roosevelt and _William Howard Taft_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft) in the _1912 election_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1912) . When his former ally, Governor _Francis E. McGovern_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_E._McGovern) , supported Roosevelt, La Follette broke with him, allowing the conservative Republicans under _Emanuel Philipp_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Philipp) to take control of Wisconsin in the decisive 1914 election. La Follette's forces were out of power in the state from 1912 to 1920._[14]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-14) In 1924, the _Federated Farmer-Labor Party_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federated_Farmer-Labor_Party) (FF-LP) sought to nominate La Follette as its candidate. The FF-LP sought to unite all progressive parties into a single national Labor Party. However, after a bitter convention in 1923, the Communist-controlled Workers Party gained control of the national organization's structure. Just prior to its 1924 convention in St. Paul, La Follette denounced the Communists and refused to be considered for the FF-LP endorsement. With La Follette's snub, the FF-LP disintegrated, leaving only the _Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Farmer-Labor_Party) . Instead, La Follette formed an independent Progressive Party and accepted its nomination in _Cleveland_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland) with Democratic Senator _Burton K. Wheeler_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burton_K._Wheeler) of Montana as his running mate. The _American Federation of Labor_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Federation_of_Labor) , the _Socialist Party of America_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Party_of_America) , the _Conference for Progressive Political Action_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conference_for_Progressive_Political_Action) and most of the former supporters of the FF-LP along with various former "Bull Moose" Progressives and midwestern Progressive movement activists then joined La Follette and supported the _Progressive Party_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Party_1924_(United_States)) . La Follette's platform called for government ownership of the railroads and electric utilities, cheap credit for farmers, the outlawing of child labor, stronger laws to help labor unions, more protection of civil liberties, an end to American imperialism in Latin America, and a _referendum_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendum) before any president could again lead the nation into war. He came in third behind incumbent President _Calvin Coolidge_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Coolidge) and Democratic candidate _John W. Davis_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Davis) . La Follette won 17% of the popular vote, carried Wisconsin (winning its 13 electoral votes) and polled second in 11 Western states. His base consisted of _German Americans_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Americans) , railroad workers, the AFL labor unions, the _Non-Partisan League_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Partisan_League) , the Socialist Party, Western farmers, and many of the "Bull Moose" Progressives who had supported Roosevelt in 1912. LaFollette's 17% showing represents the third highest showing for a third party since the American Civil War, only surpassed by Roosevelt's 27% in 1912 and _Ross Perot_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Perot) 's 19% in 1992. Following the 1924 election, the Progressive Party disbanded. During the 1924 convention, LaFollette was filmed by _Lee DeForest_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_DeForest) in DeForest's _Phonofilm_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonofilm) _sound-on-film_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound-on-film) process, along with _Franklin D. Roosevelt_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt) , _John W. Davis_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Davis) , and _Al Smith_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Smith) . Death and legacy La Follette died in _Washington, D.C._ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.) , on June 18, 1925 of _cardiovascular disease_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiovascular_disease) several months after the election._[15]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_M._La_Follette,_Sr.&printable=yes#cite_note-15) He was buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery on the near west side of Madison. After La Follette's death, his wife, _Belle Case La Follette_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Case_La_Follette) , remained an influential figure and editor. Their sons Philip and Robert entered the political arena. By the mid-1930s, the La Follettes had reformed the Progressive Party on the state level in the form of the _Wisconsin Progressive Party_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Progressive_Party) . The party quickly, if briefly, became the dominant political power in the state; all but one of Wisconsin's congressmen were Progressives. Fighting Bob's son, _Philip La Follette_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_La_Follette) , was elected Governor of Wisconsin. La Follette's other son, _Robert M. La Follette, Jr._ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette,_Jr.) , succeeded his father as Senator where he led the Progressive caucus composed of Progressive, Farm-Labor, American Labor, and various Republican and Democratic Party congressional representatives. La Follette Jr. returned to the Republican Party in 1946, where he was defeated in the primary by Republican _Joe McCarthy_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_McCarthy) . His grandson _Bronson La Follette_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronson_La_Follette) served as Wisconsin's attorney general in the 1980s. His daughter, _Fola_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fola_La_Follette) , was married to the playwright _George Middleton_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Middleton_(playwright)) . His sister Josephine married _Robert G. Siebecker_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_G._Siebecker) , Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. 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