Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
La Follette decries party machines and private interests, 1897
Peril in the machine: R.M. La Follette's Oration
To Robert La Follette, political party machines and special interests held undue power in government and posed a continual threat to democracy. He believed that the individual citizen was the primary force in government and that each person had a right and responsibility to have a voice in governance. In a speech at the University of Chicago in 1897, La Follette describes the perils of political machines that prey on the indifference of individual citizens.
| Related Topics: |
The Progressive Era The Career of Robert M. La Follette |
| Creator: | La Follette, Robert M. |
| Pub Data: | Chicago Times-Herald. 23 February 1897. Wisconsin Historical Society. |
| Citation: | La Follette, Robert. "Peril in the machine: R.M. La Follette's Oration." Chicago Times Herald. (23 February 1897). Online facsimile at: http://wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=777; Visited on: 4/23/2024 |
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