Robert Marion La Follette Sr.

Background

He was born in Primrose, Wisconsin, United States, on June 14, 1855.

Education

After working his way through the University of Wisconsin, he studied law and began practice in Madison in 1880.

Career

In 1880 he won the office of district attorney of Dane County. In 1884 he was elected to Congress, where he served three terms. In 1891 La Follette accused United States Senator Philetus Sawyer, wealthy Wisconsin lumberman and political boss, of an attempt to bribe him in connection with a legal case pending before his (La Follette's) brother-in-law. Sawyer denied the charge. The episode launched La Follette on a protracted battle against the regular Republican leaders of the state and the lumber and railroad interests that were behind them. He appealed directly to the voters in successive campaigns. He twice failed to win the gubernatorial nomination (1896, 1898), but by 1900 had developed such popular strength that the Republican convention nominated him by acclamation. He was elected, and won reelection in 1902 and 1904. Meanwhile his supporters secured control of the legislature, and passed laws removing long-standing railroad tax privileges, instituting an inheritance tax, establishing the direct primary (1903), setting up a railroad commission with power to fix rates, regulating lobbying, and providing for a civil service system (1905).

Under La Follette's leadership, Wisconsin had become the outstanding Progressive state. In 1906 La Follette was elected to the United States Senate. As a senator, La Follette became a prominent Progressive Republican. In January 1911 he helped organize the National Progressive Republican League to foster liberal legislation and work for the nomination of a Progressive by the 1912 Republican convention. La Follette himself opened a vigorous campaign for this nomination. By the end of 1911, however, Theodore Roosevelt became convinced that he might defeat William H. Taft, and when La Follette suffered a temporary breakdown in February 1912, many of his supporters deserted him in favor of Roosevelt.

As World War I approached, La Follette opposed the policy of Wilson. He helped block passage of the armed-merchant-ship legislation early in 1917, and he spoke and voted against the declaration of war. He supported most war measures, but opposed the draft and the espionage bill. He was against United States participation in the League of Nations and the World Court.

During the early 1920's, La Follette continued as a leader of the Senate insurgents. He was the author of the resolution calling for an investigation of the Teapot Dome and other naval oil leases. In 1924, at the invitation of a conference for Progressive political action, he ran for president on a third-party ticket, advocating the crushing of monopoly, public ownership of railroads and water power, agricultural relief, and labor legislation. He received nearly 5, 000, 000 votes, one-sixth of all votes cast.

Achievements

• He became a national leader of the progressive movement and a vocal opponent of railroad trusts, bossism, World War I, and the League of Nations. He is one of the key figures in Wisconsin's long history of political liberalism. The La Follettes had reformed the Progressive Party on the state level in the form of the Wisconsin Progressive Party.

Politics

Although not a stand-pat Republican, he was relatively conservative; he was a member of the Ways and Means Committee and helped frame the McKinley tariff, but was defeated for re-election in the Democratic landslide of 1890.

In 1906 La Follette was elected to the United States Senate. As a senator, La Follette became a prominent Progressive Republican.

Views

He fought for effective railroad legislation, especially for the physical valuation of railroad property as the basis of rate-making. He campaigned against the Payne-Aldrich tariff, and sponsored the La Follette Seamen's Act.

Connections

La Follette met Belle Case while attending the University of Wisconsin, and they married on December 31, 1881, at her family home in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Father:

Josiah La Follette

Mother:

Mary Ferguson (widow of Alexander Buchanan)

Spouse:

Belle Case

leader in the feminist movement

child:

Fola La Follette

child:

Robert M. La Follette Jr.

child:

Mary La Follette

child:

Philip La Follette

paternal great-grandfather:

Joseph La Follette

References

• Robert M. La Follette, Sr.: The Voice of Conscience (Great American Orators)