Lafollette, Robert (1855–1925)

Known for his progressive ideas, LaFollette, also known as “Fighting Bob,” fought for reform on both the local and national political stage. He helped to start a political dynasty in his home state of Wisconsin that, ironically, came to an end with the election of Senator Joseph McCarthy.

The son of a farmer, LaFollette was born on June 14, 1855, in Primrose, Wisconsin. LaFollette attended the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1879. LaFollette went on to practice law and was elected to the office of district attorney in 1880. While law was certainly in his blood, so was politics, and from 1885 to 1891, LaFollette served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party.

The latter decades of the 19th century were filled with reform movements. Many groups, including urban laborers and farmers, sought to enact legislation that would restrict the power of the owners of industry [Page 820]and capital and to provide better benefits for the working classes. LaFollette became caught up in this fervor. In his home state of Wisconsin, he campaigned several times for governor, finally winning the seat in 1900; he was reelected in 1902 and 1904. In what would be known as the “Wisconsin idea,” LaFollette helped spearhead legislation that regulated railroad rates, the use of the primary election for state offices, and taxes on corporations, civil service, and educational reform.

LaFollette won a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1905 and continued to fight for legislation similar to what he supported in Wisconsin. With his sights set on the White House, LaFollette obtained the Republican nomination in 1908 and 1912 but was not elected president. Not finding his answers with the Republicans, he helped form the Progressive Republican League in 1911, under which party he would again seek the presidency. Among the reforms for which the league called were the direct election of senators, direct primaries, direct election of delegates to national nominating conventions, a national corrupt practices act, and the adoption of the initiative, referendum, and recall. In the meantime, he also created LaFollette's Weekly Magazine in 1909.

When World War I broke out in Europe in 1914, the United States declared its neutrality. When President Woodrow Wilson then began to arm merchant marine ships, LaFollette spoke out against the action. Later, he would oppose the United States entering the war in April 1917. Pro-war senators attempted to brand LaFollette as disloyal and expel him from the Senate.

LaFollette continued to work in national politics. In 1919, the Chicago Federation of Labor led an attempt at a national labor party. In 1920, under the name Farmer-Labor Party (FLP), a convention held in Chicago hoped to present a viable third-party candidate to the public. The well-known Committee of 48 hoped to use this new party to nominate LaFollette as the presidential candidate. The reforms they proposed included public control of industry, pro-labor legislation, civil rights, and abolition of child labor. Some of the FLP's platform worried the “48ers,” which they felt was too socialistic. Furthermore, when the FLP nominated Parley Parker Christensen, the 48ers were further alienated. The results of the 1920 presidential election were disastrous for the FLP, which disbanded a few years later.

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