La Follette's Autobiography: A Personal Narrative of Political ExperiencesRobert M. LaFollette Company, 1913 - 807 pages The autobiography of Robert La Follette (1855-1925) traces the political life and accomplishments of this eminent Republican politician from his election as district attorney for Dane County, Wisconsin in 1880 to the presidential campaign of 1912, when his bid to dislodge President William Howard Taft was pushed aside by former president Theodore Roosevelt on the Progressive Party's national ticket. The book emphasizes tactics, strategies, and coalition-building as well as La Follette's assessments of various local and national public figures. We learn little about La Follette's childhood, education, legal training or family life, although he does pay tribute to his wife, a lawyer and civic reformer in her own right. La Follette served three terms in Congress (1885-1891); and after a decade of private law practice and grassroots activism, was elected Wisconsin's governor (1900-1904). From 1905 until his death, La Follette was a senator. He crusaded at state and national level against powerful, unregulated business interests--especially the railroads--which he felt exerted undue influence upon government. He also championed open primary elections, equitable taxation of corporations, and public management of public resources by highly qualified, non-partisan public servants. While many of these influential reforms were instituted at the state level during his governorship, his contribution in the Senate may have had less to do with his legislative record than with his ability to rally forces around well-articulated programs. |
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La Follette's Autobiography: A Personal Narrative of Political Experiences ... Robert Marion La Follette No preview available - 2018 |
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49th Congress administration afterward Aldrich amendment appointed banking began believe bill bosses called campaign candidacy candidate Chicago combinations commission committee conference Congress Congressman contest convention corporations course Court Dane County defeat delegates Democratic direct primary district attorney Dolliver election favor fight Follette friends Gardner Gifford Pinchot governor House Houser important Interstate Commerce Interstate Commerce Commission issue John Bascom knew leaders legis legislation legislature machine Madison McKinley measure meet ment never newspapers nomination North Dakota organization passed Payne Philetus Sawyer Pinchot platform political President principles private interests Progressive movement Progressive Republican public interest railroad rates reason record Reed representative Republican party Roose Roosevelt Sam Harper secure Senator La Follette Senator Sawyer session Sherman speech statement Taft Taft's tariff taxation thing tion told trusts United States Senator velt vote Washington Wiscon Wisconsin
Popular passages
Page 180 - Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Page 383 - Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
Page 791 - This book is a preservation photocopy. It is made in compliance with copyright law and produced on acid-free archival 60# book weight paper which meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (permanence of paper) Preservation photocopying and binding by Acme Bookbinding Charlestown, Massachusetts Q 1999 The borrower must return this item on or before the last date stamped below.
Page 294 - THE proudest now is but my peer, The highest not more high ; To-day, of all the weary year, A king of men am I. To-day, alike are great and small, The nameless and the known ; My palace is the people's hall, The ballot-box my throne ! Who serves to-day upon the list Beside the served shall stand ; Alike the brown and wrinkled fist, The gloved and dainty hand ! The rich is level with the poor, The weak is strong to-day ; And sleekest broadcloth counts no more Than homespun frock of gray.
Page 180 - It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishment the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul Goodbye my darling, darling boy.
Page 22 - The past rises before me like a dream. Again we are in the great struggle for national life. We hear the sounds of preparation — the music of boisterous drums — the silver voices of heroic bugles. We see thousands of assemblages, and hear the appeals of orators. We see the pale cheeks of women, and the flushed faces of men ; and in those assemblages we see all the dead whose dust we have covered with flowers.
Page 486 - The election of United States Senators by direct vote of the people. (2) Direct primaries for the nomination of elective officials. (3) The direct election of delegates to national conventions with opportunity for the voter to express his choice for President and Vice-President. (4) Amendment to state constitutions providing for the Initiative, Referendum and Recall.
Page 361 - An act to provide for the final disposition of the affairs of the Five Civilized Tribes in the Indian Territory, and for other purposes...
Page 12 - The accumulation of individual wealth seems to be greater than it ever has been since the downfall of the Roman Empire. The enterprises of the country are aggregating vast corporate combinations of unexampled capital, boldly marching, not for economic conquests only, but for political power. For the first time really in our politics money is taking the field as an organized power.
Page 465 - Congress were vigorously and picturesquely presented, but characterized by an absence of definite economic conception. One trait was always pronounced. His most savage assault upon special interests was invariably offset with an equally drastic attack upon those who were seeking to reform abuses. These were indiscriminately classed as demagogues and dangerous persons. In this way he sought to win approval, both from the radicals and the conservatives. This cannonading, first in one direction and...