An Examination of the La Crosse Press and the Republican Party in the Wisconsin Election of 1904
File(s)
Date
1972-05Author
McQuin, James M.
Advisor(s)
Parker, James R.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The year 1904 produced a political battle in the Wisconsin
Republican party that would affect the state's future
for nearly a decade thereafter. The Republican party in
Wisconsin was split into two factions in the late 1890's.
Former Congressman Robert M. LaFollette's faction, the
"insurgents" or "half-breeds" was opposed by the dominant
Republican faction known as the "stalwarts." The 1904
gubernatorial campaign in the state of Wisconsin produced
emotional factionalism in the state Republican party which
spread into every community.
The purpose of this study is to examine the editorial
opinion expressed in three La Crosse, Wisconsin newspapers
during the gubernatorial campaign of 1904 and, in so doing,
to determine the position taken by each paper concerning the
state Republican party strife and the key issues of the campaign.
The three newspapers are the La Crosse Chronicle,
the La Crosse Leader-Press and the La Crosse Tribune.
A short overview of the 1904 campaign and election is
followed by an examination of the editorial content of the three newspapers during the period from January 14, 1904 to
November 9, 1904. The examination revealed several tendencies.
First, the Leader-Press maintained a neutral stand on
the gubernatorial campaign, but endorsed the primary election
law referendum. Second, the Chronicle supported the stalwart
candidates and denounced the primary election law referendum.
Third, the Tribune initially maintained an independent political
opinion but eventually abandoned that position and
supported the Democratic Party and it's candidates. The
Tribune argued that the primary election law referendum was
not a political issue in the campaign.
Subject
Press and politics -- Wisconsin -- La Crosse
Republican Party (Wis.) -- History
Elections -- Wisconsin
Wisconsin -- Politics and government -- 1848-1950
La Follette, Robert M. -- 1855-1925