Biography/History

Congressman, Governor, and United States Senator Robert Marion La Follette is one of the crucial figures of the Progressive Movement of the early twentieth century. This collection documents his early career in the political reform movement in Wisconsin from 1879 to 1910. During these years La Follette emerged as the powerful leader of the reform coalition which was struggling with the state's large economic interests for control of the government. In 1901 the reformers won control of the state Republican party, and La Follette began the first of his three terms as governor. Under his determined leadership the state enacted the chief planks of his reform program--the primary election law and the railroad regulation act. These important pieces of legislation then served as the models for similar reforms by other states and by the federal government. Thus, it was under La Follette that Wisconsin earned the title “laboratory of democracy.” Additions to the collection relate to his run for the Presidency in 1924 and include memorial addresses and news clippings following his death in 1925.

Chronology

1855 June 14	Born at Primrose, Wisconsin.
1879 June 18	Graduated from the University of Wisconsin after receiving fame as the winner in the interstate oratorical contest.
1880 February 5	Admitted to the Dane County circuit court after only six months in the law school of the University of Wisconsin.
1880 November	Elected Dane County district attorney after his first confrontation with the machine of “Boss” E. W. Keyes.
1881 September	Formed law partnership with his brother-in-law, Robert Siebecker.
1881 December 31	Married Belle Case.
1884 November	Elected to the House of Representatives.
1885 December	Began the first of his three terms in the House, during which he consistently appeared to be a “regular” Republican.
1886 January	Formed La Follette, Siebecker, and Harper law partnership.
1888 July 14	Won first national prominence in speech on the Mills tariff.
1890 May 10	Made speech on the McKinley tariff following work on the important Ways and Means Committee.
1890 July	Formed the La Follette, Harper, Roe, and Zimmerman law partnership.
1890 November	Returned to his law practice in Wisconsin following defeat for re-election.
1891 September 17	Launched his ten-year campaign to reform Wisconsin government after attempted bribery by Senator Philetus Sawyer revealed its corrupt structure to him.
1894 January	Dissolved La Follette, Harper, Roe, and Zimmerman.
1894 July 25	End of candidacy of Nils Haugen, the reform coalition's first candidate for the gubernatorial nomination.
1895 February 6	Birth of Robert M. La Follette Jr.
1896 August 5	Lost bid for gubernatorial nomination as the candidate of the anti-machine coalition, after emerging as the group's leader.
1897 February 22	Made speech on the “Menace of the Machine,” which helped educate Wisconsin voters on electoral reform issues.
1897 May 8	Birth of Philip Fox La Follette.
1898 March 12	Earned a reputation as national reform leader following his speech, “Primary Elections... by Australian Ballot.”
1898 July 15	Lost second bid for gubernatorial nomination.
1900 August 8	Named Republican gubernatorial candidate following a campaign aimed at achieving harmony within the party.
1900 November 6	Elected governor of Wisconsin.
1901 January 7	Inaugurated as governor.
1901 May	Refused to compromise and vetoed the weak Hagemeister election bill, after the legislature defeated the strong Stevens election bill and the railroad taxation bills.
1902 July 17	Renominated for second term as governor.
1903 May	Legislature passed ad valorem railroad bills and the primary election referendum.
1904 May 19	Renominated for third term at the “Gymnasium Convention” after the stalwarts withdrew.
1904 October 5	Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that La Follette slate was the legitimate party ticket.
1904 November 8	Re-elected to third term and primary law adopted.
1905 January 25	Elected to United States Senate, but postponed taking seat until Wisconsin legislature enacted legislation to which he was committed.
1905 January-June	Legislature enacted strong railroad commission law, as well as important anti-lobby, corrupt practices, civil service, workmen's compensation, and insurance regulation laws.
1906 January	Installed in the Senate.
1906 March 1-2	Won his reputation as a friend of the Indians during debate of the Five Nations settlement bill.
1906 April 19-21	Broke Senate tradition and spoke on the Hepburn bill, arguing for a railroad commission with rate-making power.
1906 September 4	Davidson defeated Lenroot, La Follette's choice, in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary.
1907 May 31	Supporters launched La Follette for President campaign in Milwaukee.
1908 March 17-24, May 29	Filibustered against Aldrich-Vreeland currency bill which partially backed U.S. currency with railroad bonds.
1908 June 18	Nominated for the Presidency by the Wisconsin delegation to the Republican Convention.
1909 January	Published first issue of La Follette's Magazine.
1909 February 11	Opposed naval appropriations. This effort marked the first appearance of the insurgent coalition.
1909 August 5	Led the insurgents' fight against the Payne-Aldrich tariff.
1910 September 6	Re-election to the Senate assured by victory in primary.
1911 October 16	Endorsed for the Presidency by the National Progressive Republican League.
1912 February 2	Collapsed at Periodical Publishers' Association, marking virtual end of his presidential campaign. The failure of the Progressives to unite led to Taft's nomination, Roosevelt's formation of the Bull Moose Party, and Wilson's election. La Follette refused to bolt and became a supporter of Wilsonian progressivism.
1913 March 1	Won seven-year fight for physical valuation as the basis for railroad rates in the Adamson-La Follette bill.
1914 November 8	Emanuel Philipp elected governor in resurgence of conservatism in Wisconsin.
1915 February 8	Presented “La Follette Peace Resolution,” asking for conference of neutral nations to end hostilities in Europe.
1915 March 4	Won freedom for sailors through La Follette's seamen's bill.
1916 February 22	Announced candidacy for the Presidency in order to bring his Progressive platform before the people. Because of the war issues, he supported neither Wilson nor Hughes and concentrated on peace and social-welfare issues in his own campaign.
1916 March 10	Re-elected to the Senate.
1916 March 10	Presented a resolution urging a national referendum on the war issues.
1917 February 27-March 4	Filibustered the armed ship bill with Wilson's “Twelve Angry Men.” A month later the nation was at war.
1917 August 11	Condemned as pro-German for his resolution asking for a declaration of war aims.
1917 August 21-September 10	Led unsuccessful fight to raise wartime revenue through taxation of the profits of war.
1917 September 20	Addressed the St. Paul Nonpartisan League, leading to Senate investigation and popular attacks upon his loyalty.
1919 January 16	Cleared of all disloyalty charges by Senate vote.
1919 March 4	Resumed advocacy of domestic reform through successful filibuster of the coal and oil lands bill.
1919 November 18	Opposed entry into the League of Nations.
1920 February 20	Opposed the Esch-Cummins bill which returned railroads to private control.
1920 July 15	Refused presidential nomination by the Labor Party-Committee of 48 convention.
1922 April 28	Introduced resolution calling for investigation of Teapot Dome.
1922 September 5	Renominated in first Senatorial primary following his position on the war.
1924 July 4-November 4	Campaigned for the Presidency on independent La Follette-Wheeler Progressive party ticket.
1925 June 18	Died at age 70.